6i6 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [March i, 1895. 
The report of the directors was taken as read. 
Mr. J. EL. Btakby in moving the adoption of the 
report said the profit including the sinall balance 
brought forward from lart year wms 9',55 per cent 
out of which it was proponed to divide 8° Q . Th 
cost of securing and manufacturing the crop 
had been less than last year by 1T8 cts. 
per lb. while the crop had realised 5T3 cts per 
lb. more, the profit per lb. being thus (i'^l cents per 
lb. more. The crop had turned out less than the 
original estimate though more than the revised esti- 
mate made in June. It had been necessary to esti- 
mate the value of (>,5l>0 lb. tea not accounted for at 
the time the report and accounts were made up 
which had been taken at 51) cents per lb. But of this 
quantity aceon.it sales for 4.775 lb. had since been 
received netting (ill cents per lb. so that the Company 
was some R'JOO to the good on that item. The 
shareholders were aware that some new machinery 
had been erected and the shafting <tc. re-arranged, 
but delays had occurred to prevent its being started 
before the 18th inst. The new crop had begun to 
oome in very satisfactorily and better prices, conse- 
quent upon the use of the improved machinery are 
anticipated. The capital account now represents 
R502 per acre on 17(i acres. The profit per acre is 
R44. Shares had again reached par. and the number 
of shareholders was 87. 
Mr. A. M. Caldicott-Smith seconded, and no ques- 
tions being asked, the report was unanimously adopted. 
It was proposed by Mr. W. Mom, seconded by 
Mr. A. M. Cai.dico'it-Smith and carried, and He- 
solved : — "That a dividend of 8 Rupees (or 8 per 
cent per annuimi) per share he declared and made 
payable on the 27th February." 
it was proposed by Mr. A. M. Caldicott-Smith. 
seconded by Air. J. A. Martin and carried, — 
That Mr. V. A. Julius be re-elected a Director. 
It was proposed by Mr. W. Moir, seconded by 
Mr. A. M. Caldicott-Smith and carried, — 
That Mr. John Guthrie be re-elected Auditor at 
a fee of R50 per annum. 
A vote of thanks to the chair was then tendered. 
THE YATADERIA TEA COMPANY OF 
CEYLON, LD. 
The seventh annual general meeting of this Com- 
pany was held at the offices of the Company No. 13, 
Queen Street, Colombo, on the 25th Feb., 1895. 
There were present, Messrs. H. V. Masefield (m the 
chair), D. Fairweather, J. H. Starey (Managing 
Director), G. B. L. Bremner (Secretary), C. M. 
Gwatkin, J. A. Martin, J. R. Fairweather. S. L. 
Harries, and by proxy W. W. Church, H. W. Hornby, 
and A. H. Dingwall. 
The Secretary read the notice convening the 
meeting. 
The Secretary read the minutes of the ordinary 
general meeting held 21st Feb., 1894, and of the 
extraordinary general meeting held 10th Aug., 1894, 
which were duly confirmed. 
The report of the directors having been taken 
as read 
Mr. H. V. Masefield in moving its adoption said 
the shareholders might be interested to learn that 
he had visited the estate on his way down to 
attend this meeting and was much pleased with the 
appearance and condition of the estate which he 
found in good order. 
The Managing Director in seconding said the 
report was so full in detail that he had but little 
to add. The property had been extended during the 
year by 70 acres tea planted, 16 acres cacao (experi- 
mentally) and 93 acres had been purchased without 
fresh capital issues. The crop had turned out short 
of the estimate and only 3,335 lb. more than the 
crop of 1893 which might be accounted for by the 
rainfall in 1894 having been 18 inches less than that 
of 1893 and 37 inches less i ban lie mean of 5 years. 
Prices, however, weie b3lter in 1894 by 81 of a cent 
per lb. Plucking l ad cost sFghtly moip, but ti e 
Factory out-turn per cooly was better than 
last year, probably due to the dam having al- 
lowed more economical working of the machinery. 
It had been necessary to estimate the value 
of a considerable amount of tea shipped and 
not yet accounted for and this bad been done at 
the safe rate of 35 cents, so that probably there would 
be a surplus when all should be realised. The profit 
exceeds that of 1803 by R8oO and is 30 per cent avail- 
able for distribution in dividend, equal to K90 per 
acre. The total dividend that will then have been 
paid will amount to 122 per cent on the capital. The 
reserve fund now umounts to RiO.OOO. Then were 
proposed extensions of tea this year of 30 to 40 acres. 
The undeveloped resources of the estate consisted of 
the 119 acres planted in 1891, the 70 acres of 1894. 
and the 30 acres to be planted lH'.IS. The coast ad- 
vances outstanding had been reduced to about li7 
per head. There were 46 shareholders. It was not 
now intended to build the permanent bungalow this 
year, but extensions would be made to the present 
bungalow which the Superintendent found more con- 
venient. 
After some questions by Mr. Martin, J. R. 
Fairweather and S. L. Harries had been answered 
and a shareholder had observed that he thought the 
Reserve Fund should be limited t o the equivalent of 
one years dividend's the report was unanimously 
adopted. 
It was proposed by Mr. J. A. Mabtin, seconded 
bv Mr. C. M. Gwatkin and carried, — That a dividend 
of H1250 per share for the half-year ended 31st 
December 1894 making iwith the interim dividend of 
1112 50 per share paid in August 1894) 25 per cent 
for the year 18114, and a bonus of 115 per share, or 
5 per cent for the year 18114 be declared and made 
payable on February 27th 1894. 
It was Proposed by Mr. D. Faihweathek, seconded 
by Mr. S. L. Harries and carried,— That Mr. H. V. 
Masefield be re-elected a director. 
It was proposed by Mr. C. M. Gwatkin, seconded 
by Mr. J. A. Mahtin and carried, — That Mr. John 
Guthrie be re-elected auditor at a fee of R100 per 
annum. 
A vote of thanks to the chair was then tendered. 
TAMPERING WITH COFFEE IMPORTS. 
Trieste as well as some other Continental 
ports have a very bad reputation in reference 
to the management of their Customs and bon- 
ded stores : indeed, we hear of linns in London 
solely engaged in supplying agents to look after 
cargoes delivered at such ports. Now we are 
told that a former Austrian Consul at Bombay 
has been writing to the London Standard " re- 
futing the statements made in that journal to 
the effect that coftee imported into Trieste often 
gets tampered with on arrival. Mr. Stockinger, 
who is now Austro-Hungarian Consul-General in 
London, declares that no complaints have ever 
been made in the case of coffee coining into 
Trieste from Brazil, India, Java, &c It is only 
in the case of London transhipment cargoes that 
this occurs, and he asserts that the damage is done 
in London." — But, how is this denial to he 
taken in the face of what the Vienna corre- 
spondent of the Standard reported as follows under 
the heading " A Trade Scandal " : — 
The dry goods merchants of Vienna, Prague, and 
other towns in Austria have for years past been 
complaining, at times in letters to the Press, of 
shortage in goods, mostly coffee, imported from 
London and other English ports to this countrv. 
Inquires were instituted, if I am not mistaken, in 
England and also in Trieste, the port of arrival tor 
coffee consignments, but without effect. The loss 
was borne sometimes by the consignee, in other 
cases by the English commission fhm, but mostly 
by the Austrian and Hungarian coffee importers, 
whose bitterest grievance was that, in addition to the 
cost of the cargo and the freight, they had also to 
