THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [February t, i8t)0. 
apathetic towards the ravages of the voracious worm 
which has wrought immense damage, and even threatens 
the extinction of the Spanish cork tree. But this 
year the pest has notably diminished on account of 
the attacks of a greenish beetle, armed with a kind 
of needle, and of another insect which enters the 
nest and devours the eggs during incubation. — 
Eleotrictl Trades Journal. 
« 
THE TEA DUTY — A FREE BREAKFAST TABLE 
AND SIR ROPER LETHBRIDGE AND THE 
FUTURE OF CEYLON TEAS— THE PLANT- 
ING INDUSTRIES OF OEYLON 
BEFORE THE SOCIETY OF ARTS. 
A subject which we observe has already received 
some amount of discussion by the Ceylon press has 
been brought into somewhat prominent notice among 
your colonists now at home by a letter addressed by 
Sir Roper Lethbridge to the Times which ap- 
peared in an issue of thet journal early in the 
present week. The appearance of this letter has 
naturally led up to the passing of many remarks 
upon its topic by Ceylon men, and we find the views 
taken with reference to it by suoh authorities to be 
extremely divergent, some — though not many— fully 
agreeing with Sir Roper Lethbridge's opinions, but 
by far the larger majority dissenting from them. 
After carefully weighing what has been said on 
both sideB, it seems to myself that, taken in two 
senses, there is much to be said for both lines of 
argument followed. 
One gentleman — on whose judgment in such a 
matter we should be disposed to plaoe great reliance 
— remarked to me : — " Unless pains have been taken 
to examine all the conditions attendant on the sale of 
tea generally — not that of Ceylon alone — among the 
poorer classes of our population, it seems to me to 
be scarcely possible for anyone to correctly estimate 
what the effeot would be of any reduction of the 
present duty on tea. Now I have made it my busi- 
ness to closely inquire into the circumstances under 
which tea is fsold among the people of Limehouse, 
Whiteohapel and other similar districts of London, 
as well as in the small country shops in some of 
our remoter provinces. It should be remembered that 
it is the inhabitants of such localities — those in which 
our working classes mainly reside — who are the con- 
sumers of the bulk of all the tea imported. It is the 
' millions ' who are the customers of the tea trade, 
and it is their procedure, and not that of the 
'thousand' who consume the more expensive teas, 
which must control the consideration of this diffi- 
cult question. My experience is the great mass 
of tea is sold throughout the country at Is 6d the 
pound. Out of this the retailer takes customarily 
a clear fourpenee, while the dealer from whom he 
purchases takes fivepence, out of which he de- 
frays all charges of packing, carriage, &o. To 
that preliminary 9d has to be added the universal 
duty of 6d ; and we see, therefore, that, deduct- 
ing this Is 3d from the Is 8d, the retail 
price, there remains but 5d available for the 
purchase of the tea in the Mincing Lane 
market. Probably, I should say, the general pur- 
chasing price does not exceed 4d, or perhaps 
4Jd at the outside. I know personally that in 
many cases the intermediate dealer is not content 
with the fid mentioned above, and therefore feel 
sure that the purchasing price must be as low 
as 4d, though we will assume an average of 4£d. 
It is evident therefore from such a fact that at the 
present time very little of Oeylon tea can reach 
the 'millions' referred to. Such purchases must 
necessarily bo confined to the lowest grades of 
China, and, possibly, to some of the coarser teas 
of India and Japan. It seems to me consequently 
certain that, were the duty taken off, it would 
not have the effect — as Sir Roper Lethbridge 
assumes that it would have— of unfairly handi- 
capping the average teas of India and Ceylon. 
Directly you apply the case to teas sold at 2s 
and upwards, a higher taste, that of the more 
refined palate, comes in, and the question of price 
does not assume the same prominent position. I 
do not therefore think that the removal, or re- 
duction, of duty would in such cases operate 
one way or the other, and it is on these grounds 
that I deem Sir Roper's view to be a mistaken one." 
In reply, it was remarked by me that my 
friend's argument might be held to cut both 
ways. It appeared to me that he was fully 
correct in his assumption as regards the 
higher priced teas, as with those it would mani- 
festly be a question of taste and not one of price. 
But as regards the consumption of the poorer 
classes, were the duty taken off the percentage 
of disproportion between the rates at which 
common China teas could be vended and those 
at which the lowest grades of Ceylon teas could be 
sold would be more strongly marked than it is at 
present — that disproportion would appeal at 
once, and most strongly, to the poorer consumers, 
and must result in their showing even a stronger 
preference than they at present show for the cheap 
China teas. Put into figures, it seemed to me that 
the latter, sold at Is 2d, — i. e. the Is 8d less the 
duty, — would appear far more attractive than Ceylon 
tea sold at say Is 5d ; — the relative saving of 3d on 
the pound at those rates would appear greater — 
and would be greater— than the same saving on 
teas when the relative rates are, as now, Is 8d 
and Is lid. 
My friend admitted this, and ended by agreeing 
with my argument that the matter has to be con- 
sidered in two lights ; but said he hoped that in 
time the superior economy of Ceylon tea, on account 
of its greater strength, would redress the irregularity 
of price in the minds even of the poorer classes of 
consumers. But from what is known to me of the 
habits of thought of such people, being aware as 
I am that they rarely look beyond the price 
of purchase, it seemed to be very doubtful if they 
would over realize in what direction true economy 
is to be found. My narration of these two views 
will inform you pretty fully as to the course of 
discussion here on this subject : my conclusion 
from all said to me relative to it being that the 
removal of duty, or of any part of it, might, and 
probably would, increase the consumption of 
" tasty " teas — that is those over 2s of retail 
price, — but not that of the bulk of your own 
loner grade teas. 
But we are glad to thiDk that this topic is 
shortly to receive a full public discussion, the 
result to which will probably be a clearer light 
upon what is certainly a somewhat intricate sub- 
ject. It will be gladly heard by you, as affording 
assurance that the exhibit and vending of your 
teas at the Paris Exhibition have not been without 
effect, that Mr. Truman Wood and Mr. Cunliffe- 
Owen, having had their interest strongly excited at 
what then came under their notice, have requested 
Mr. Shand to read a paper dealing with Ceylon 
planting industries before the members of the Society 
of Arts, or, to give that Sooiety its full title, the 
" Society for the Encouragment of Arts, Manufac- 
tures, and Commerce." On Tuesday next, incom- 
pliance with this invitation, Mr. Shand will 
address the members on " The Tea, Coffee, 
and Cocoa Industries of Ceylon." Calling this 
week on Mr. Shand in the hope that I might 
obtain an advance copy of his proposed paper, I 
found that gentleman just completing his sheets 
preparatory to sending them off to the printer, so 
