THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST* 
[April t, 1890. 
COFFEE IN THE STRAITS. 
The Chasseeiau Land and Planting Co., Ltd.— 
The report of the Ohasseriau Land and Planting 
Co., (Ltd.) for 1889 shows great improvement on that 
of former years. Thus during 1888 the coffee deliveries 
amounted in value to $5,892 only, whereas during 
1889 they rose to $23,796, and although the Company 
does not yet show any profit, it looks as if it might 
do so within the present year. Its progress, like that 
of nearly all Malaysian agricultural enterprise's has 
been hindered by an early underestimate of the capital 
required and an oversanguine estimate of the quickness 
of the returns. The expense in manuring seems now 
to be giving a reward, and if the present high prion 
of enffee is maintained, the directors may expect to 
enter very soon on a period of debt reduction, after 
which they may expect to have a valuable property ; 
and, if so, it will be the result of very patient and 
judicious nursing, — Straits Times, March 4th. 
• — 
THE LONDON PRODUCE CLEARING HOUSE 
The third ordinary general meeting of the share- 
holders in the London Produce Clearing House 
(Limited) was held on Monday at the City Terminus 
Hotel, Mr. F. J.Johnston presided, and in moving the 
adoption of the report observed that the principles of 
the company's business were now more generally un- 
derstood and more fully appreciated, as was shown 
by the increasing volume of their contraots for coffee, 
sugar, and tea. In wheat and maize, their two latest 
introductions, the business so far had been insignifi- 
cant, there having been apparently no reason for 
speculation in these artioles. The prices of both were 
now so low as to preclude the probability of any serious 
decline, while, on the other hand, there had lately 
been nothing which seemed to jus'ify any material 
riae. They must be contented therefore, to wait till 
circumstances obanged, as they were likely to do 
shortly when the propects of the new grain crops be- 
came the subject of keen observation and diversity of 
opinion. The business of the company was not to make 
speculation, bnt to regulate an 1 keep it sound in the 
interests of legi' imate trading, by which means they 
might be sure the most solid operators would be brought 
into the market. Foriunately they could afford to 
wait, as they had every reason to expect activity in 
several other directions, thus confirming what had 
before been said — that it would never do for a cleir- 
ing-house to depend on only one or two artioles, how- 
ever large, if bn-iness was to be conducted with that 
economy which was so essential to the progress of trade 
Their charges were now only 47 per cent, of their earn- 
ings, against 57 per cent, in their preceding accounts, 
a reduction wbich they hoped to see inereiS' d as their 
business developed. During the eight months under 
rev : ew their guarantee oontracts had repesented a value 
of £36,000,000, against something over £22,000,1100 in 
the previous twelve months, or in the twenty 
months since the oompany began business a total 
of £58,000,000 of which all but about £60,000 had 
now been liquidated. No better proof of the sound- 
ness of their system could be given than the faot 
that in securing to the trade the due fulfilment of 
these contracts for £58,000,000, the loss of the com- 
pany had been limited to £343. This result was 
the more striking when it was remembered that in 
both coffee and sugar there had been very large and 
tud '< n fluctuations in prices. With this almost entire 
absence of loss and so large a turnover, their earnings 
might seem sm- 11, moro i: p?cially when it was men- 
tions I that t.bey ij I py-id, to the brokers a'.out £.">0,000 
in the ei«ht month*, or "t the rate of £75,000 per 
annum, against about £30,000 in the previous twe.ve 
months. They had. however, laid it down as a 
principle tha* their tax on trade should be as light 
as possible, and that they must look to the magnitude 
of thuir • porations as the surest aud soundest means 
of securing to the shareholders a full and permanent 
r*iurn on their capital. The board were satisfied that 
this policy was for the truest interests of the share- 
holders, as was also the directors' determination to 
make the company a vehicle only for sound specula- 
tion, so that the movement of prices there might 
rest on legitimate causes and not be made the sport 
of vicious manoeuvres. In short, their desire was to 
build up a system in every way worthy of the City 
of London, and one which would be of real use to 
commerce by giving our merchant? a free and ready 
market, and thus bringing business to the port and 
increase its activitv as a depot. Passengers moving 
from one part of England to another often found it 
rrtuch more convenient to take the longer route via 
London owing to its much better travelling facilities, 
lind there was good reason to hope that foreign 
inerchandi«e might do the same to a very consider- 
able extent if London's great financial resources 
were assisted by a readv market, and provided, of 
course, trade were not hindered by prohibitory dock 
and labour charges. Mr. C. Czamikow seconded the 
motion. A shareholder said that the return of 6 
per c°nt, which was proposed was not wbat he had 
exnected, especially from such a business and con- 
sidering the amount paid to the brokers. The 
chairman, in reply, stated that they must make it 
the broker's interest to make business. The directors 
were confident that they were only at the beginning 
of the prosperity of the company. Meantime, he 
cou'd not but consider that the dividend proposed 
was highly satisfactory for a new company. The 
report was adopted ; and resolutions were afterwards 
p«sse,d declaring the dividend recommended — 5s per 
share — and re electing the retiring directors and 
auditor. — H. and C. Mail. 
Rubber Ddti. — One of the first acts of the new 
republican Governor of Para was to impose a special 
tax of 20 reis per kilo on rubber entering that city 
for exportation, the product of which — estimated at 
150,000$ per annum — is to be paid to a "ring," or 
monopoly, composed of native merchants and known 
under the title of Companhia Mercantil do Para. One 
object of this company is to obtain control of the 
rubber trade and then compel an advance of prices. 
This promised result is the "bait" held out to the 
governor and people of Para and in swallowing it 
they appear to entirely overlook the fact that they 
are discriminating most unjustly against the foreign 
firms engaged in the rubber trade and directly aiding 
in the creation of a monopoly, under the manage- 
ment of a notorious local speculatator, which will 
eventually cause incalculable harm to the trade. — 
Rio News, Jan. 13th. 
Mortality among Cinchona Tbees. — The Wynaad 
Planters' Association has brought to the notice of Gov- 
ernment the great mortality of cinchona trees in the 
Malabar district, and requested Government to send 
scientific aid to disoover the cause. The Association 
says : — " Opinion among planters differs considerably as 
to whether it is a speo'fio disease that is attacking 
one plant, or whether the mortality arises from 
natural causes, consequent on the conditions of plant- 
ing such as from unsuitability of soil or climate. 
But it is a faot that the mortality i« on the inorease, 
and this year young cinchona clearings in some parts 
of the district have died out wholesale. It is a 
question that we cannot determine for ourselves, and 
where the opinion of an expert would be invaluable. 
Giovernment has before assisted the planting commu- 
n ty under similar circumstances in sending Dr. G. 
B'die to Ooorg to report on the ravages of the borer 
among coffee trees, and in Ceylou in investigating 
the nature of Hemileia Vastatrix, and we trust that 
in this instance Government will again come to our 
assistnnce, and send us the valuable scientific servxes, 
now at its disposal." The Government has directed 
Mr. Lawson, Government Botanist and Director of 
Cinchona Plantations, to proceed at once to the Wynaad, 
and roake inquiries regarding the mortality referred 
| to.— M. Mail. 
