August  i,  1892.1 
THE  TR0P1GAL  AtSHfCOLTU R1  ST. 
*43 
Railways  and  Bridges. — None. 
Troops. — Are  from  Angola  and  India,  officered  with 
colonial  and  Portuguese  officers. 
During  the  year  there  has  been  a voluntary  and  in- 
vo'uutary  immigraion  to  a considerable  extent  Of 
the  former  some  came  from  Maderia;  tbe  iattcr 
were  men  who  bad  taken  part  in  the  disturbances  in 
Oporto.  It  is  said  that  the  immigrants  for  the  most 
part  have  prospered  but  indifferently.  This  is  not 
to  be  -vondered  at,  as  most  of  the  immigrants  were 
unskilled  labourers,  for  which  class  there  is  no  demand. 
Coconut  Fibre.— No  attempt  has  been  made  to 
prepare  this,  all  that  is  taken  from  the  eoprah- 
producing  nut'  is  discarded.  The  natives  would  soon 
learn  to  prepare  it  for  export  if  they  had  a few 
lessons  from  some  one  who  understood  tbe  work, 
and  a profitable  business  could  be  done. 

CUSTOMS  DUTIES  ON  TEA. 
The  Board  of  Trade  Journal  gives  the  following  return 
embodying  the  latest  modifications  in  the  rates  of  Cus- 
toms duties  leviable  on  iea  imported  into  tbe  undei  men- 
tioned European  countries,  according  to  the  most  recent 
information  in  the  possesion  of  the  Board  of  Trade: — 
Countries.  Rates  of  Duty.  Erglish 
Equivalents, 
s.  d. 
United  Kingdom  ... 
Russia:  Imported  at 
Europeau  ports  1 nd  Roubles,  crop, 
aoross  tbe  Kuropean  In  gold, 
land  frontier  ...  Poud  21  0 
Imported  through  Ir- 
kutsk Customs  a cross 
the  Siberian  f rontier: 
lb.  0 
10-2 
newer, 
green,  and  eellow  tea  ,,  13  0 
Jt 
1 
1-7 
lb.)  Brick  tea  ... 
tl 
2 50 
Jt 
0 
2-6 
( c .)  Tablets.if  of  Rus- 
sian preparation  and 
bearing  the  mark 
of 
Russian  manufacturer 
„ 10  0... 
Jt 
0 
10-6 
Sweeden 
Kilog. 
0 kr.  50  ore... 
tt 
0 
3 
Norway 
V 
2 kr.... 
Jt 
1 
0-1 
Denmark 
Pund 
Orig.  16  ski!., 
It 
0 
4 
Germany 
100  kilogs.  100  mks... 
Jt 
0 
5‘4 
Holland 
JJ 
25  fl.... 
jt 
0 
2-3 
Belgium  ... 
It 
90  fr.... 
Jt 
0 
3-9 
France 
208  fr.  .. 
5» 
0 
9 
Portugal 
Kilog. 
960  reis... 
JJ 
1 
11-5 
Spaiu : 
Import  duty 
1 pes.  50c... 
JJ 
0 
6-5 
Transitory  duty... 
ft 
80c... 
91 
0 
3-5 
Municipal  surcharge  „ 
80c... 
J» 
0 
3 5 
Italy 
100  kilogs.  250  lire... 
JJ 
0 
10  9 
Austria-Hungary  ... 
Jt 
lOOfl... 
tt 
0 
I0'9 
Do.,  for  imports  by  sea  ,, 
90  fl... 
0 
9 8 
Switzerland 
40  fr... 
1 J J 
0 
1 7 
Greece 
Oke 
4 dr... 
1 
17 
Roumauia 
100  kilogs.  50  lei... 
J* 
0 
22 
Turkey 
8% 
3 ad  val, 
, 8 ° 
/o  ad  val. 
INDIAN  TEA  AND  THE  CHICAGO 
EXHIBITION. 
It  has  frequently  been  alleged  against  Indian  tea 
planters  that  they  are  incapable  of  united  action  such  as 
has  brought  Ceylon  tea  so  prominently  to  public 
notice,  and  many  a time  and  oft  has  tbe  Indian 
Press  urged  upon  them  the  vital  necessity  of  pulling 
all  together,  if  they  do  not  wish  to  be  left  out  of 
the  new  tea  markets  that  n re  gradually  being  opened 
up  in  America,  Australia,  the  continent  of  Europe, 
etc-  The  motto  which  Indian  planters,  like  their 
Ceylon  confreres,  should  adopt  is  “United  we  stand, 
divided  we  fall,”  tbe  truth  of  which  must  be  very 
patent  to  all  but  the  most  obtuse.  Tbe  opening  up 
of  new  markets  is  undoubtedly  the  only  way,  as  an 
Indian  planting  contemporary  puts  it,  to  “save  from 
ultimate  ruin  our  decidedly  tottering  tea  industry,” 
and  an  opportunity  to  exploit  one  of  the  best 
markets  will  shortly  present  itself  and  should 
be  tahen  advantage  of,  for  it  will  prob- 
ably never  occur  again.  We  refer  to  the  forthcoming 
Exhibition  at  Chioago,  which  will,  it  is  expected, 
“lick  creation”  in  many  ways.  We  have  already 
reported  that  an  attempt  is  being  made  in  Northern 
India,  or  rather  in  Calcutta  and  Assam,  to  raise  suffi- 
cient money  to  enable  the  Indian  planting  interest 
to  be  adequately  represented  at  the  Exhibition,  and 
that  Mr  BlecbvndeD,  the  Secretary  of  the  Acri- 
Horticultural  Society  of  India,  has  been  selecttd  as 
the  Indian  Planting  Commissioner,  if  we  may  so  style 
him,  to  the  Exhibition.  This  gentleman — who  is 
reported  to  have  not  only  strong  business  capacity, 
but  experience  as  a practical  planter,  and  is 
steady,  gifted  with  great  tact,  and  not  one  to  be 
easily  hoodwinked — recently  proceeded  to  Simla  to 
interview  tbe  Government  of  India  with  a view 
to  obtaining  its  liberal  support,  and  it  is  under- 
stood that  be  leaves  for  America  almost  im- 
mediately. Tbe  Tea  Committee  having  selected  him 
as  its  representative  at  Chicago,  it  may  be  taken 
for  granted  that  he  is  the  most  suitable  person  for 
the  post.  Accordingly  it  behoves  all  planters  not.  to 
hamper  him  in  his  action  and  refuse  to  support  him 
with  the  funds  necessary  for  the  due  attainment  of 
the  object  which  all  must  desire,  viz  , the  successful 
introduction  of  Indian  tea  into  America. 
The  Indian  Planters’  Gazette  states  'that  it  has 
received  let'ers  grumbling  because  a tea  expert  was 
not  chosen,  and  hundreds  of  letters  complaining  that 
it  is  the  Agents  of  the  Tea  Companies  alone  who 
profit  by  tea  planting,  the  planters  end  proprietors 
suffering  so  that  the  Agents  may  thrive  ! Surely  some- 
thing must  be  wrong  here.  It  seems  to  us  to  stand 
to  reason  that  the  interests  of  the  Agents  are  bound 
up  with  those  of  the  planters,  and  that  whatever 
tends  to  adversely  affect  the  latter  must  in  cue  course 
have  a like  effect  on  the  former.  One  correspondent, 
referring  to  the  handsome  sum  subscribed  by  Ceylon 
planters,  says  it  will  no  doubt  be  asked  why  their 
Indian  confreres  do  not  eo  and  do  likewiee ; and  he 
then  proceeds  to  give  the  answer,  which  is  that  “as  a 
rule  the  Ceylon  planter  is  his  own  Agent,  deals  with 
his  Banker  and  pays  no  middle  charges.”  Other  cor- 
respondents have  argued  that  the  sum  which  the  Agents 
in  Calcutta  have  subscribed  is  out  of  nil  proportion  to 
the  gains  which  they  derive  from  the  gardens,  and  to 
tbe  amount  which  tbe  Managers  and  Assistants  are 
individually  asked  to  contribute.  This  may  be  so,  but 
the  Agents  may  have  to  dip  their  bands  again  and 
again  into  their  coffers,  ss  reoissity  arises,  in  order  to 
render  the  veuture  at  Cbicsgo  a substantial  success.  At 
ell  events,  this  is  not  the  time  for  bickering.  A house 
divided  against  itself  cannot  stand,  and  it  is  the  im- 
perative duty  of  all  desirous  of  the  ultimate  benefit  of 
tbe  Indian  planting  interest  to  sink  animosity,  and 
unite  to  present  a firm  front  in  the  Battle  of  the  Teas 
wbirh  is  about  to  be  waged.  Mr.  Griulintoo,  wbo  is 
repri  nting  Ceylon  in  Amerioa,  and  who  is  now  ex- 
ploring the  country,  state?  that  £20,000  is  the  mini- 
mum sum  required  for  Ceylon  at  the  Chicago  Exhibi- 
tion, a quarter  of  which  will  be  recouped  by  sales. 
This  sum  will  no  doubt  be  forthcoming,  and  tbe 
question  arises,  “ Is  India  going  to  let  this  grand 
opportunity  pass,  and  allow  Ceylon  to  flood  the  Ameri- 
can market  with  her  undoubtedly  excellent  tea  to  the 
detriment  of  India  s ( qnally  excellent  product  ?”  We 
trust  not.  We  believe,  however,  that  not  a third  of 
the  sum  estimated  to  be  necessary  in  Ceylon  has 
as  yet,  been  promised  in  India.  A venture  of  this 
description  requires  ample  funds  for  its  successful 
accomplishment.  Niggardliness  now  will  mean  failure 
in  the,future.  Let  the  Indian  planters,  theD,  be  geuer- 
ous  ; let  them  give  as  much  as  they  caD,  and  we 
may  trust  to  the  Agents— if  not  to  the  Government 
— seeing  to  it  that  their  own  contributions  are  on  no 
less  generous  and  proportionate  a scale.  The  planters 
of  Southern  India  should  be  up  and  doing,  and  we 
would  counsel  their  joining  the  planters  of  Northern 
India  in  the  Chicago  crusade,  for  thereby  they  will 
probably  derive  more  benefit  than  by  taking  action 
by  themselves.  We  shall  have  some  further  remarks 
to  offer  on  this  subject  in  another  issue;  meanwhile, 
