Dye Stuffs. 



304 



[APRIL, 1912. 



that those who were a cquainted with 

 Ceylon and with the Straits Settlements 

 and Java would experience something 

 akin to surprise at the information 

 that any growth grown in Ceylon was 

 likely to be more advanced at an early 

 age than anything grown in the Straits 

 or ia Java under similar circumstances. 

 He thought it was a matter of know- 

 ledge to all of them that rubber, for 

 instance, in the Straits, at the age of 

 three years, was comparable with rubber 

 in Ceylon cf five years. He had only 

 once had the opportunity of visiting 

 Java, but he would imagine that Java 

 was almost as far ahead of the Straits 

 in the matter of fertility as the Straits 

 seemed to be of Ceylon. Similarly Java 

 was a country which was exceptionally 

 blessed in the matter of population, 

 having something like a population of 

 40 million people, and an enormous 

 cheap labour supply, from which to 

 draw, of an almost inexhaustible char- 

 acter. He noticed that the Baron placed 

 the cost per acre in Java at Rs. 120. 



Baron Schrottky : Rs. 100, Sir. 



Sir Hugh referred to the paper and 

 corrected himself, remarking that the 

 Baron was then allowing 20 per cent, 

 extra. Might he ask on what basis 

 those figures were worked out? 



Baron Schrottky : There is the cul- 

 tivation, the cost of seeds, the cutting 

 of the plant, and bringing it to the 

 factory. 



Sir Hugh : And for labour ? 



Baron Schrottky : I take the labour 

 rate here at 50 per cent, more than what 

 is paid in Java. 



Sir Hugh : Might I ask you to reduce 

 it to cents? 



Baron Schrottky : The rate of pay 

 in an indigo factory in Java is sixpence 

 on an average. 



Sir Hugh : Do you remember how 

 much in Java currency? 



Baron Schrottky : Sixpence is the 

 average rate of labour there all round. 

 Women and children, who are largely 



employed are, of course, paid consider- 

 ably less. But six pence is the average ; 

 and I- have taken it here at eight pence. 

 The Baron added that both in India 

 and Java the cultivation of indigo was 

 very largely carried on with tobacco, 

 and declared that in connection with 

 tobacco cultivation there was no manure 

 in the world which would give results 

 equalling indigo. 



Sir Hugh asked the Baron whether, 

 if such an elaborate system were fol- 

 lowed, the planter would not expect it 

 to exhaust the soil to some extent. Sir 

 Hugh, referring to the statement in the 

 paper that, from an outturn of 32,000 lbs. 

 of green plant per acre they might 

 expect, in addition to the dye, a residual 

 manure worth Rs. 148, asked further 

 how this calculation had been arrived 

 at. He (Sir Hugh) also wished to know 

 what allowance had been made for 

 transport. What calculations were the 

 basis from which that result of Rs- 148 

 emerged ? He wanted to know whether, 

 in view of the fact that indigo had 

 a limited market, he could ensure prices 

 at a remunerative figure ; whether, 

 if they had to convey the seet a 

 considerable distance, it would not 

 be found eventually that the cost of 

 transport would eat its way into the 

 estimated profit of Rs. 148. He would 

 also like to know the cost of the pre- 

 paration ; how the calculation had been 

 made ; and the cost of preparing the 

 seet, for, presumably, it had to be 

 placed in holes in the ground, and that 

 would cost money. The Baron would, 

 he was sure, agree that these were 

 important points, and they would be 

 very grateful if he would put them into 

 possesssion of further details. 



Baron Schrottky, in a lengthy reply, 

 mentioned that indigo was one of the 

 few products which did not exhaust the 

 soil. It was quite a mistake to think 

 that the plant took everything out of 

 the soil, and returned nothing back. 

 The Baron also dealt with the question 

 of pests, saying that they preferred 

 indigo to anything else, and would leave 

 any other plants in the vicinity, They 



