8^- 



THE TKOFICAL AGRICULTUKIST 



[August i, 1885. 



of tho London market and should be agreed to. The 

 reason for weighing boxes singly I have explained in mj 

 last. As to the (lis|«ite3 about weight, the propositions 

 of both sides might be slightly modified. Tho foreign 

 merchant can [hardly consent to wait Aa indefinite 

 tira^ lor a reply from the teaman and so 

 possibly lose a chance of shipping his teas, 

 while it may bo seriously inconvenient to the teaman 

 to ' at once ' compare the weights and forthwith send 

 in his protojt. Perhaps the best course for the Chinese 

 would bo to appoint a special agent or agents to be 

 present at the weighing of all teas, and to make protest 

 on tbeir behalf, if necessary. — China Mail. 



The controversy between the Foreign and Chinese Tea 

 Merchants has been finally settled between themselves, 

 and the revised propositions made by the Chinese Tea 

 Merchants' Association have been accepted by the Foo- 

 chow General Chamber of Commerce. The following is 

 a copy of them: — ■ 



REGULATIONS 



FOR THR CONDnOT OF THE TEA TRADE AT FOOCHOW, SUD- 

 MITTED DY THE CHINBSE TEA MERCHNTS' ' ASSOCIATION 

 COMMONIY CALLED THE TEA GUILD. 



1. — Teas to be paid for within 7 days of their being ex- 

 amined by Custom Heuse. 



Teas to be weiglied within 1-1 days of contract, unless 

 special arrangement to the contrary be made and stated 

 on the contract. 



In all cases Teas to be paid for within 7 weeks of 

 date of contract. 

 2. — For the regulation of weights, 

 (n) — The exact scale, and fractious of J lb. to be iu 

 favour of buyer, 

 (/ij—AVith tho following allowances, viz: — 



Per chest of Congou .3 lb. each. 



Per half-cheat of Congou 2 lb. „ 



Per chest of Souchong % lb. „ 



Per half-chest of Souchong U lb. „ 



Per box of all descriptions 0| lb. ,, 



Per half-chest Oolong 1 lb. „ 



Per chest Flowery Pekoe li lb. „ 



Tabino. 



All packages to be tared singly. Fraction of J lb. to 

 be ill favour of buyer. 



All packages to be weighed one at a time. No con- 

 tract need be acci-pted when boxes are over 27 lb. gross, 

 and no allowance will be made for any excess. 



((•) Jlemo. of weight to be at once given, and the teas 



can be shipped off if no complaint be made within 3 

 hours after receipt of such notice. 



jy'oxE. — In order to avoid any misunderstanding in the 

 matter an example is subjoined of what is considered a 

 fair method of weighing, viz: — 



If tho gro.ss weight of half-chest is, say, 



71J lb. it shall be called 71 lb. 



„ , "I ^ 



TIJ 1') ,. 



zrib, „ » „ 



Tabino, 

 If tlie half.cUest weighs 

 j5 Ih, ft .itiU^II b« culled ,., 



73 Jb, 



m lb, „ 



mib. „ 



,lti lb. ,) (( ,) ... ui .„ i 



If ttiti fe'ross ^Toight of the boxes be mora than 



37 Hh ii eball be called .., ! 



16 )b, 



m lb. 



10 lb. 



18 lb, 



m 



26} 



27 lb, 

 0| 'b, „ a ,^ 20j( lb. 



6} lb, „ ,, ',i .;i -M lb, 



TAftlNO. 



If tlio boxes wrigh 



7J lb. each they shall he called ... ,,, 7§ lb. 



7* lb, , 7J lb, 



4 lb. , 7 lb, 



7 lb , 7 lb, 



Foochow, 13th June, 18S5. 



FoocHOw, 19th .Tune.— An agreement was come to 

 between the foreiga tea niercliauts aijd tbo ChincKe 



3 lb. 

 2 lb. 

 2i lb. 

 li lb. 

 *lb. 

 1 lb. 

 Ii lb. 



each 



tea-men on the 12th; and, the document having been 

 signed by all the foreign firms, musters were sent in 

 at the beginning of the week. We are now looking 

 forward to tho opening of the maiktt iu another ten 

 days or to. This tinal agreement is to the following 

 effect :^iVa5 are to be paid for within a week after 

 examination by the Custom House. Te,is are to be 

 weiiihud within fourteen days after the contract is 

 made, in tlie absence of spCL-ial arrangements entered 

 iu the contract. Payment is in all cases to ho made 

 witl.iu seven weeks from the date of the contract. 



As to weights, fractions of i a pound are to be in 

 favour of the buyers ; with the following allowances, 

 viz : — 



Per chest of Congou 

 ,, half-chest ,, 

 ,, chest of Souchong, 

 ,, half-chest ,, 

 ,, boxes of all descriptions, 

 ,, half-chest of Oolong, 

 ,, ohest of Flowery Pekoe, 

 All packiges are to be tared singly, the fractions 

 of 4 lb. being in favour of the buyer. 



All packages are to be weighed one at a time, 

 In o lice is to bo given of the time of weighing and 

 any complaint must be made within three hours, 

 otherwise the tea can be shipped oti'. 



The above terms, when compared with tho rules 

 originally put forward by the Tea Guild, shew an 

 extension in the time for payment from 4 weeks after 

 contract to 7 weeks ; the allowances granted are to be 

 weighed singly. As compared with the unanimoua 

 resolution passed by the Chamber of Commerce, the 

 chief coiicessious to the teamen are no claim fur dis- 

 count, fractions of h lb. insttad vi 1 lb. to be in favor 

 of the buyer, and a slight diminution iu the allowances 

 made. A fixed lime for making complaint as to weight 

 is laid down and the teaman is not required to be 

 present at the weighing. 



Possibly the offer of the aboue terms made by the 

 Guild was accelerated by the ditoontent of the smaller 

 Cniuese tea-hong.'f, shewn in a placard full of virulent 

 abuse of the richest coinpradore', which was posted on 

 the walls on Saturday. 



Foocuow, 19th June.— The dispute between the 

 Teaincu and Foreign Meiohants has at last been 

 taiisfact only settled, and seemingly in a way fair to 

 both parties. 



The origin of the dispute arose from a circular 

 issued by Tea Guild, in which they asked or in. 

 sisted that business this season should be carried 

 on on terms which were a little too much for the 

 " haughty Foreigner," so the reply was a counter 

 demand very much against the " poor ill-used Native 

 Trader." 



The real cause of the whole thing was this, 

 Several rums who annually purchase a great ijuantity 

 of tea had taken advantage of the old st^le of doing 

 business to weigh in a manner so as to give them a, 

 clear gain of 4, 5, and even C per cent, in weight, 

 and air this the Chinese winked, as it kept up the 

 nominal price of the article, For instanoe, a email 

 buyer wishing to hove a chop or two, just to look 

 iu, finds the' price of Panyongs Tie. 14 ; and after 

 bidding Tls. 13, Tie. 13J, and TIs I.'i| iu vain, Bees 

 them all, slipping away at a reported price of Tls. 

 14, and CO gives that price, thus paying unwittingly 

 4, 5| or per cent, more than bis ueigiibuUr. At 

 last this came out and everyone in his own defence 

 merrily bumped the scale so at last to claim the at- 

 tentiou of honest John Chinaman. 



The new system of -weights is calculated to put 

 all on the same footing and to save the loss in 

 weight 00 shipments to London, calculated in tbg 

 olid tables at 3 per aent^ and caused ^f the mUMti 



