August i, 1885,] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



Si 



not bear their losses with the equanimity which has 

 often characterized their brethren in the south under 

 similar circumstanoee. Headers of Laurence Oliphaiit's 

 account of Lord KIgiu's mission will remember how 

 the natives here persecuted the foreign merchant to 

 whom they had given the most lavish credit, t>iDCO 

 that time there have beeu some instances in Foochow 

 in which the teamen have made serious Josses, but 

 they are not entitled to claim sympathy for these, 

 or to make them reasons for brin<;ing charges 

 against foreign merchants, as they entered on a 

 dangerous business with their eyes open, and ran 

 considerable risls for the sake cf a larger nominal 

 gain than they could have obtained from selling tlieir 

 teas to responsible firms. The sooner this sort of 

 business is put au end to the better for all parties. 

 It was never a healthy one, and the r.apidity with 

 which business is carried on nowadays has probably 

 increased its dangers. We believe the system of 

 giving long credit to foreign buyers is now almost 

 confined to Foochow ; at all events there is nothing 

 of the kind iu the northern tea maiket?. Had there 

 been, the bad condition of the trade in late years 

 would undoubtedly have been even worse than has 

 unfortunately been the case. 



FOOCHOW. I 



THE DISPUTE IM THE TEA TR.\Dli. I 



At the annual general meeting of the Chamber of 

 Commerce held on the 20th May, the following re- 

 solution was uoanimcusly adopted : — 



1. — That the following regulations be made for the 

 payment for tea?. 



(a). — In all cases payment to be made within seven 

 days after the examination of the teas by the Custom : 

 House. 



(6). — A discount of 1% (one per cent) to be allowed I 

 on all such payments. j 



(c). — iS'o discount to be allowed on teas not shipped 

 off or not paid for within one month cf date of ' 

 purchase. 



2. — For the regulation of weights. 



(a).— The turn of the scale and fractions of a lb. 

 to be in favour of buyer, 



(6).— With the following allewauces ; 

 Per Cheat of Congou ... ... 31b. each. 



„ Ualt- chest Cin^ou ... ... 2 ,, 



„ Box ( f all dfscriptious of tea ... J ,, 



,, Half-chegt Ooloni; .,. ... 1 ,, 



,, Cheat Flowery Pekoe ... ... 2 ,, 



xVo(f. — Boxes t.) be weighed one at a tini''. No c m- 

 tract need bd acceptid win u boxej are over 27 lb. gross 

 and no allowjccc will be mide tor any excess. 



(c). Notice to be given of the lime for weighing teas, 

 which can be shipped off, if no co:n|diiat is made, at 

 once, If the teaman or his represetititive docs not at- 

 ttnd at tbe weighing, no oomplaint will be in crtained. 



A Bubitant al guaraulce or an approved security be 

 handed to the Coin;nit'.C3 tf the Cl.anilitr of Commerce 

 that the various tea hongs on their aide will adhere to 

 tlifl above rules. [ 



JoUM Odbll, Ciiairman, 



20th May, ' 



THIC TK\ DISPUTR AT FOOCHOW. 



Foociiow, .June Sth.— The dispnle with the teamen 

 still continues. On the -Ith. a >pcc;al '.•entr.il meeiing 

 of the Chamber of Comm-rce was held at the Club, 

 when the f( Uowing memorandum from the Tea Guild's I 

 Committee wa? piefeatcd for cons i eiation : — 



CosGOtJ.— Two half ches'sot Congou or .Souchong 

 to be weighed togeth'r. Teas to bo weighed exactly 

 and fractions not up to half-pound to be iu favour of 

 buyers, 



Taring.— Ualf-chcsts to be tared BiDgly, The . 



fractions not up to a quarter pound shall ba calcul- 

 ated as a quarter pound and to bo iu favour 

 of buyers. An allowance of 2 lb. per half-chest in the 

 case of Congou ; 2 lb. per half-chest in Souchong, and 

 3 lb. per chest to be made. 



Boxes. — Hoxos to be weighed exactly in two together 

 at a time (sic). Fractions not up to half a pound to be 

 in f.ivour cf buyers. 



Taring. — Eneh box to bo weighed at a time (sit). 

 Fractions not up to a quarter pound to be in favour 

 of buyers. No other alhiwancc to be made be5ide3 this. 



OoLoXRs. — Two half-chests of OoJoug to be wei^'hed 

 togethi'r. llalf-chcsts to be tared singly. An allow- 

 ance of 1 lb. jior half-chest (Oolong) to be made. 



Flowery PiiKOE. — In Flowery Pekoes an allowauee 

 of 1 lb. per chctt to be made. 



Teas musi be weighed within a fortnight cf date of 

 purchase. Teas must be paid for within seven days 

 of their being examineel by the Custom House. In all 

 cases they must be paid I'or withiu Ij weeks of elate 

 of purchase", whetlier the teas be shippoil or not. 



A properly a'ljuslcd scale to be kept at one of the 

 foreign tea hongs, so that any dispute in weight 

 may be conipuretl by it. 



In case of infringement of the foregoing terms on 

 the part of foreign buyers their musters to be at 

 once stopped, and in I ho meantime no business will 

 be eldne \iith them. In case of infringement on the 

 part of tea-inen, a tine of 1,000 taels to be imprised 

 by the Tea Guild, anel as a guarantee of gcod f.iith 

 a sigiiel document to be lodged at the British Con- 

 sulate stating that the above line will be paid^by 

 any teaman so ofTending. 



Further, a memo, of weights in all cases will be 

 at once sent to the tea hongs concerned, ai.d the 

 same may be shipped when no error is detected ; 

 furthermore, that iu tho absence of an answer from 

 the tea hongs they cannot be shipped under plea tf 

 quick despatch, as also allowances thai! be deducted 

 out of the weights mentioned in siid memo. — Foochow, 

 2nd June 1SS5. 



As compare-! with the rules originally put forward 

 by the Tea Guild, this document shows a consider- 

 able diminution in their demands. The allowances of 

 weight are increased so as to correspi nd, excepting 

 in the ca^e of tio.very pekoe, with the resolu'ion of 

 the C. ambT of G>inmeice- the perind w thin which 

 paymint must in all ra'es be niede is exteii' cd fioni 

 four to fix weeks. Tno guarantee d. ma ided by the 

 ( haiiber U also provideil for. But the points at 

 is(-UG remain numerous .-md important. A fixed time 

 for payment, irresprctivc of iho examination of teas 

 by tho 1 nslom House, is >till demamkd. Only .j lb. 

 instead of I lb. is ccnccihd for the turn of the scale. 

 Boxes and half-chests are to be weighed two iit a 

 time, thus le.-S'ning the alloMancrs te r fractions of 

 weight. And tho buyer is btill lift to wait the con- 

 venience of tlio teainin as to the t'me for making 

 complaints about tlie weighing. 



The meeting adjourned til next day in oidcr that 

 the men'orandum might be (riiitid a.d circulatid 

 among the membtrsoi the Chambir if Commerce. At 

 tho a<ljnurncd meeting, fu'tlnr propo^aU wcreat.sciitcd 

 to uiainlaining the ncce.-sity of ihc r. le 'hat 'the turn 

 of tho scide rnd fiactionsof a ll>, are to be in favor 

 of the buyer,' and geneta-ly the adoptirn cf tl e ChMi'- 

 ber's nuitiin as to the regiilati' n < f weights, lut p; ss'ng 

 over the claim foreliso uiit of oi o percent. The tea- 

 men, howeier after much di?cusion wiili itio committeo 

 appointed to tn at with tliein, found thenrelvcs uiialilo 

 to ace pt f'.e pripo.-al and fo things cutiuue at a 

 deadlock. MaT y peop'e, however, i xpress ot^utiderco 

 in the acceptance of the proposals of the thamter by 

 the teamen within a short period. 



Ihe claim of the foregn buyer to have given in hie 

 favor all fractious of a lb, is necesiiitated by the ciistop^ 



