34 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[July i, 1882. 



all those engaged in an important article of trade ? It 

 cannot be for the sake of placing within reach of the 

 million a wholesome and pure beverage at a reasonable price; 

 for those wretched mixtures are sold at Is per lb., whilst 

 good pure coffee can be bought in the shops, roasted and 

 ground, for Kid or lid per lb. 



Then came the Memorial, so largely and iufluentially 

 signed, in which Mr. Pasteur's arguments were re- 

 capitulated and which concluded with tlie expression 

 of the belief that 



The consumption, if it had not been checked by unfair 

 legislation, would probably exceed now C0,000,000 tb. 

 The histoi-y of the trade in tea, an article which was 

 carefully protected from mixture even with exhausted 

 tea leaves, largely justifies this conclusion, as becomes 

 obvious when the figures are scanned and the results 

 weigh,ed of comparative statements of tlic coffee and 

 tea trades of the United Kingdom for three decennial 

 periods, 1852-1881. 



In the first period a population of 28 millions 

 (average) consumed 35^ million lb. of cofifee, or at 

 the rate of 1 '4 lb. per head. In the second period, 

 30J millions consumed only 31,385,000 lb. or TOi lb. 

 per head ; while, in the ten years ended 1881, a population 

 increased to 33,309,000 used only 32,715,000 lb., or 

 0'15| lb. per head. 



Meantime, tea, the adulteration of which was 

 strictly forbidden under very hea^^ penalties, ad- 

 vanced rapidly as the figures will shew. In the 

 ten years 1852 to 1861. an average population of 

 28 millions used 67,558,0001b. of tea, or 2-6 lb. i^er 

 head. In the next ten years a population of 30,284,000 

 consumed 102,369,000 lli. of tea, or 3-6 lb. per head 

 an advance of 1 lb. per head. In the third decennia 

 period, that which closed with 1881, 33,309,000 

 average population used 148 million pounds of tea, or 4-7 

 lb. per head, again an advance of a fraction over 

 1 lb. per head. 



But, instead of tlie periods and averages, let us 

 take one of the earlier years and the closing year 

 of the thu'ty year period. 



In 1854, then, 27,450,000 population used 37,350,000 

 lb. coffee, or 1 '6 lb. per head. The course was then 

 downwards, until in 1881, with a population in 

 "creased to 35 millions, the consumption of coffee was 

 only 31,243,000 lb., or 0'15 lb. per head. 



With tea the reverse process took place, for, while 

 in 1852, a population of 27,450,000, used 54,713,000 

 lb. of tea, or 2 lb. per head, in 1S81, a population 

 of 35 millions consumed 160,225,000 lb., or 4-9 per 

 head. 



The detailed statements are worthy of deep atten- 

 tion, and we repeat that we cannot doubt Mr. Glad- 

 stone's attention was attracted to and his action 

 largely influenced by the figures and arguments to 

 which we have been referring. We extract that 

 portion of the Budget speech wliicli coimnences with 

 the recognition of duninished revenue from beer, 

 epii-its and wuies — the alcoholic or "drink revenue," 

 as Mr. Gladstone called it. Except in the strange 

 fact that in wines theie is more than a iJroportiou- 

 ate decrease, when compared with beer and spii-its, 

 the diminution is matter for gratitude. Mr. Glad- 

 stone, however, seems to thiuk that the money saved 

 on alcoholic drink has not gone in tea or coffee, 



but has been absolutely saved. It may be so, and, 

 as far as coffee is concerned, who can wonder if 

 neither consumption nor revenue increased, in the 

 face of hostile legislation by Government. At length 

 date coffee and all substitutes, except chicory, are 

 expressly banned, and, if only a statement of the 

 proportions of coffee and chicory were enforced by 

 law, coffee would have nothing to fear. But coffee, 

 like tea, ought, in Mr. Gladstone's own words, to 

 be placed hi a similar position -nith tea. so as to 

 be " able to encounter alcoholic drink in a fair field 

 and throw it in fair fight." We cannot doubt that 

 the mode m which coffee has been handicapped and 

 discredited in the contest has given alcohol largely 

 the advantage in the past. Li the future we have 

 now good hopes that coffee will march pari pansu 

 with tea and cacao in superseding alcoholic bever- 

 ages ill favour of those which, while they cheer, do 

 not inebriate. 



JUSTICE TO COFFEE. 



The following is the extract from Mr. Gladstone's 

 speech : — 



Kotwithstandinpthe increape of population, our receipt 

 from beer duty is less by £90,000 than the averagi' ri-ceipt 

 from the old malt duty in the ye.ws between 1873 and 

 1879, I represent a state of facts in which there is 

 some collapse Bomev\bere. Is thai collapse due to any 

 a'teratiou in the liabits and practices of the people? 

 (Hear, hear.) The Board of luland Bevenue oflioers, 

 whom I consider to be good authorities on the subject, 

 do not exclude that supposition, but they do not look 

 to it as the main cause. They say that, although 

 employment in tbe country is general, yet wages have 

 not yet reached the full average level, aocluudoubtedly 

 have not reached anything like the level which they 

 r a hed in the years of prosperit\ between 1873 and 

 1879. They also observe, and 1 have no doubt there is 

 something in this, that last year iu the cider counties 

 there was a very great abundance of fruit, and a very 

 large consumptiou of cifler. Then comes another fact — 

 the great inert asi- of coffce-houees and clubs, which bad 

 to the supposition of more te operate habits, and which 

 a'eaproof of this deficiency in the revenue. (Cheers.) 

 I think the hou^e will diem it quite worth their while 

 to spend a few minuti's in endiavouring to get as accur- 

 ate information as we can upon this subject and to 

 put ourselves iu a position to t-stiinate fairly the influ- 

 ences which arc at work. We have a group of simiil- 

 taneons f.icts, which, taken together, are very curious, 

 a'^nd do not all run quite in th» same directinn. In the 

 first place, there is a very decided decline of the drink 

 revenues proper. I hope my hon. friend the member for 

 Carlisle approves of the term I use. (Hear, hear.) It 

 is something disparaging, and that I am sure «ill be 

 agreeable to his feelings. (Laughter.) I have gotherea 

 statement of tbe revenue derived from spirits, wine, 

 malt, and beer, with the attendant licence duties and so 

 forth atthree separ.ale periods. I have taken 1867-68. 

 which was before the great rise of prices ; 1874-75, 

 when that rise of price.s aud wages was still on the whole 

 ia operation ; and ISSl-82, tbe last finanoialyear. The 

 en. lie revenue fioiu these sources iu 18(-i7-68 w.is 

 £23 001,000. In 1874-75 the revenue had sprung to 

 £31,029,000. In 1881-82 it had gone hack to-£28. ■144,000. 

 the most curious circumstance in this is that tbe wine 

 revenue advanced fmm tbe time of the important 

 change iu the duties in 1860 in a very steady manner 

 for a great number of years, and in 1874-5 it was 

 £1,719,000; so that with our duties on wine v.-irying 

 between Is and 23 6d a gallon we were deriving 

 about tbe same revenue as we bad been accustomed 



