TEA MACHINERY. 269 



It will be observed that by this custom the advantage, as regards 

 the duty of 6d. per lb., is on the side of the payee, but none the less is 

 it to the loss of the producer. The case quoted above is, of course, 

 an extreme one, but in practice I believe the loss of Tea on Indian 

 packages, including the trade allowance, is not much under 2 Ibs. In 

 the case of our ordinary Indian packages, if we could regulate our 

 tares exactly, so as to make the gross weight only one ounce above the 

 whole number, and the tare one ounce below the whole number, 

 the loss would necessarily be much decreased. This, however, is 

 impossible, for, as a rule, the tares are one or two pounds less when 

 they arrive in England than when they left the garden, owing to the 

 wood drying in transit ; and thus it is quite a chance what the real 

 tares come out here. 



But, with the tin boxes in question, the tares, that is their weight, 

 being fixed and equal, and not liable to change, we can so arrange the 

 weights that the loss will be very trifling, thus : 



Ibs. ozs. 



The box weighs 3 15^ 



We put in Tea 20 2 



Gross Weight 24 i 



In the Customs the gross is written 24 Ibs. 

 And the tare is written ... ... 4 ,, 



The Tea paid for will be 20 Ibs. 



that is a loss of only 2 ounces, or not much above half per cent., 

 instead of three per cent., as shown in the old packages. 



Shortly, to conclude this point. In the case of the old packages 

 by no means can we help ourselves ; but, as shown, with the tin boxes, 

 the loss need be very little. 



Roughly, the cost of using these tin boxes would be, all told, from 

 i^d. to i$d. per lb., and with our lead-lined boxes it averages perhaps 

 per penny. The difference of a halfpenny, or even three farthings, 

 one pound would not be much for the advantages detailed. 



One point I have forgotten. If 500 boxes are ordered, the 

 plantation mark is put on the ends of the boxes gratis. If less than 

 500 are ordered, the additional cost for this would be about 5. 



I hope the Syndicate in Calcutta will try these boxes. I shall 

 certainly do so. 



