No. 31.— 1885.] 



PLUMBAGO. 



191 



that year and the end of 1884 I possess, thanks to the 

 courtesy of the Assistant Auditor-General, Mr. C. Dickman, 

 full details of the rise, progress, and fluctuations of the trade, 

 until from small beginnings it has in the past five years 

 attained truly important dimensions, whether regard be had 

 to the quantity and value of the mineral exported, or the 

 revenue derived by Government from a royalty finally fixed 

 in 1877 at the very moderate rate of Es. 5 per ton. 



For the first three years of the period beginning with 1834 

 no export duty was levied on this article. From 1837 to 

 1846, and again from 1858 to 1869, a duty of 2J per cent, 

 was levied, which yielded in the earlier period sums so low 

 as Ks. 12-25 in 1839, rising to Es. 759 in 1846. In the 

 second series of years, when export duties were levied 

 expressly for railway purposes, the duty rose from Es. 1,190 

 in 1858, to the appreciable sum of Es. 22,240 in 1869. The 

 latter sum was levied on cwt. 226,132 valued at Es. 889,620. 

 The rated duty seems, therefore, to have been as nearly as 

 possible one-tenth of a rupee per cwt. The only Customs 

 impost to which plumbago is now liable is, apart from the 

 royalty, 7 cents per barrel, recently exacted for harbour 

 purposes. As each barrel contains 5J cwt. net of mineral, 

 the burden is only a fraction over one cent per cwt., ia 

 addition to the royalty which since 1877 has been levied at 

 the rate of Es, 5 per ton, or 25 cents per cwt., equivalent 

 to 2 \ per cent, on the Customs valuation of Es. 10 per cwt., 

 but rising to 5 per cent, if the real value is only about 

 Es. 100 per ton. Previously to 1851 no royalty was levied, 

 and the varying rates since then have been — 



In 1851 per ton ... 4s. In 1864 per ton ... 16s. 



„ 1852 „ ... 5s. „ 1869 5 , ... 30s. 



„ 1859 „ ... 7s. 6d. „ 1873 „ ... Es. 10 



„ 1862 „ ... 14s. „ 1877 „ ... „ 5 



There can be no possible question, it would seem, of the 

 propriety of exacting a royalty, moderate in proportion to its 

 market value, on this mineral, which is entirely an article of 

 export, and which is as much the property of Government, 

 or the people of Ceylon, as are the pearly treasures of the 

 " oyster" banks off Aripu,-— providing, too, as the revenue 

 from plumbago does for the construction, amongst other 



