January i, 1888.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
455 
power of any one to put it into motion, there will 
probably be ample use made of it. Tlio analysts also, 
by combining prosecutions under the new Act with 
the prosecutions hitherto brought for adulteration, 
could probably bring a good many , who have hitherto 
escaped within the limits of the law. 
It certainly behoves traders carefully to look through 
their siocks and quotations, and to guard themselves 
from consciously offending. To accurately define and 
describe the thousand and one articles sold by a 
modem storekeeper would pass the wit of man, but 
still direct misrepresentation is another matter. In 
the Grocery trade one of the subjects that will attract 
the attention of wholesale Dealers is the so-called 
" French Oolfee." In a case when this substance had 
nothing to do with France, and consisted mainly of 
chicory roasted in England, and flavoured with a 
littlo Coffee, is it likely that the Coffee Planters' 
Association would allow such an abuse to continue 
with such a stringent law at their back ? And who 
would they be likely to attack — the small Grocer or 
the wholesale packer ? Of course, all so-called "French 
Colfoe" is not like the extreme case imagined ; but, 
though it is often good and cheap enough, it is cer- 
tainly not " French," because it is not imported from 
France. That extent of misdescription seems to con- 
stitute a crime in the eye of the new law. Nor, again 
can a substance be Coffee if it contains more than half 
its weight of Chicory and other substances. The packers 
of Cocoa, Mustard, and the like, will also have to 
carefully look through their labels and descrip- 
tions in the light of the new Act, and drapers may, 
perhaps, do woll to measure a few reels of their cotton. 
It is satisfactory that this new enactment should go to 
tho fountain-head, and, if an attack is to be made or 
packed goods retailed in the state in which they are 
supplied, that the wholesale manufacturer will be liable 
as well as the retailer. This, however, would not so 
entirely apply to goods sold in bulk, and the retailers 
will have to protect themselves in cases such as those 
in which pepper husks, or qualities of pepper containing 
an unduo proportion of husks, are sold to them as 
pepper. Possibly, however, the description of such 
goods as "pepper" on the invoice would enable the 
retailer to proceed against the wholesale dealer, and 
there certainly appears to be an opening for actions of 
the sort if ground "pepper ''is openly offered for sale 
at Id, l.'.d or even 2d per lb. below the cost of the whole 
corn". In the same way, the sale of arrowroot under 
the namo of Bermuda, when mixed with the much 
cheaper Natal and other kinds; and similar mis- 
descriptions with other goods, would have to be guarded 
against. In respect to this Acta protest was made 
and seconded at Wednesday's Spice sides against 
further parcels of so-called Penang W bite Pepper, which 
are known to bo admixed with stones or clay pellets 
made to imitate pepper, beine; catalogued and offered 
in public salo as " Peuang white Pepper." In this 
case tho so-called pepper was offered " with all faults," 
but the trade held that this did not meet the ease, and 
that the commodity should be described as " pepper 
mixed with clay pellets." Turning to another trade, 
the port wine shippers may if they please interfere 
with Tarragona being sold as "Port"; and many 
similar observations might be made about wines and 
spirits. The object of theso remarks, however, is only 
to draw general attention to this matter, for the Act 
is one that is really drawn in the interest of traders, 
and will lie very In neficial to them in the long run. 
This new law suggests another point, and that is that 
it would be very advantageous if such laws wen enforced 
by people acting with full knowledge, and at tho 
same time with proper consideration for those who, 
from ignorance or other cireumstancs, may he unnc- 
i|ii:iinted with the requirements laid upon them. 
I'nr instance, the Groecr's ( 'oinpany might revive tho 
dormant powers — which should never have been allowed 
to lapse — in return for which it enjoys its revenues, 
and hoioiue a living body again (like tho Fishmon- 
gers' ( 'ompany has done), by preventing the debasement 
of the trade from whieh it springs. The "endow- 
ment of research, " which it offers, may be an excellent 
thing, but tho Grocers' Company was chartered for 
the prevention of adulteration and of similar offences, 
and if its long-disused powers are insufficient, tho 
Legislature would readily strengthen the hands of a 
trade guild which desired to exercise its functions, 
especially if it again came into touch with tho branch 
of commerce it is supposed to represent. 
— ♦ 
PLANTING IN DELI. 
(Translated for the Straits Times.) 
In the Netherlands India budget for the next finan- 
cial year, there is not a single vote regarding the 
despatch of a mission to India to devise measures 
for furthering coolie emigration from thence to Deli. 
Nothing is known as to whether the idea has been 
lost sight of, or has been dropped owing to its 
becoming inexpedient to bring the matter forwards 
for the present. 
The state of the coolies in Deli still falls short of the 
mark. The Netherlands India Government are so alive 
to this that they have instructed the local authorities 
to make enquiries on the subject, and report on what 
amendments may be made in the coolie ordinance. 
The Government seem also to wish to fix a minimum 
coolie wage a month. The Coin-ant objects to a minimum 
monthly rate of wages being fixed bylaw, on the ground 
that it would encourage idleness among the coolies. 
On almost all estates there, the minimum monthly rate 
of pay amounting to §7, is looked upon as high enough 
for fellows who do not care to increase their income 
by task work. On behalf of Government, raising this 
minimum to 16 guilders has been suggested with scant 
chance of its meeting with general acceptance with 
the planting community. The planters do not want 
any more tinkering at the present ordinance. It has 
shortcomings like other pieces of human work- 
manship, but it meets all reasonable requirements 
on the part of employers and labourers. The only 
complaint against the ordinance is that it is not 
strictly put in force. The ordinance does seem how- 
ever to require some revision in the direction of 
furthering the interests of the coolies. They in fact 
stand in need of better provision for medical attend- 
ance and fairer treatment generally as regards housing, 
rationing, and accommodation. 
The accepted economic dogma that supply and demand 
regulate prices, does not hold good in Deli. There 
the system of tendering for tobacco takes effect in 
the direction of fixing the value of that article, with- 
out much regard for that elementary priuciplo of 
political economy. The most influence too on this 
head is exercised by excessive purchasing competition 
on the part of Dutch and foreign firms, who have 
large capital at their command. The consequence is 
that wholesale dealers do not find their profits at 
all commensurate with the risks run. Instances even 
are known of prices paid which can only be the out- 
come of determination to cut out competitors at all 
costs. Tho planters meanwhile take advantage of 
this keen competition to roalise enormous profits. 
So sure were they of remunerative returns that 
slovenly packing becamo common. With such a 
spur to exertion, no wonder that tobacco 'growing 
spreads apace. The resulting crop aggregated 
I'lO.OOO bales in lSSli, being 15,000 movo thau m the 
previous yoar. The increasing area put under tho 
leaf, will beyond doubt tend to render tho supply 
greater than the demand. At tho close of last year, 
for example, second hand dealers had larger quantities 
of it in stock than ever beforo. Tho outlook is the 
gloomier from the prospect of British North Borneo 
soon entering the field witli a heavy yield of tobacco, 
now that the pioneer consignment of leaf from that 
quarter to Amsterdam has proved to be of highly 
superior quality. Should this forecast hold good, over- 
production will become an important factor in tho 
market. To cigar makers tho vital point lies not so 
much in quantity as in quality. The averago tobacco 
in tho market from Deli and Lankat of lato seems, 
so says a German trado journal, to show a steady 
falling off. In these two districts tho exhaustion 
and wasting of tho soil havo begun to toll in tho 
direction of tho deterioration of the product unless, 
manure be more freely resorted to. 
