Oct.  i,  1892.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
is  to  be  encouraged.  He  noticed  the  unanimity  with 
which  not  only  the  Government,  but  all  the  higher 
authorities  consulted,  recognise  that  the  special  labour 
law  of  Assam,  though  nece  sary  under  existing  col- 
ditii  ns,  is  out  of  harmony  with  the  general  principles 
of  legislation  accepted  by  civilised  Governments,  and 
agreed  that  all  amendments  of  the  law  should  he 
directed  to  facilitating  the  disuse  or  aboliti  n of  the 
system  of  penal  contract  on  which  it  rests.  Two  serious 
blots  accompany  the  working  of  the  existing  sys- 
tem— first,  the  excessive  mortality  bolh  on  the  way 
up  to  Assam  and  also  on  the  gardens,  and  the 
malpractices  connected  with  the  recruiting  system 
in  Bengal,  which  seem  t>  have  their  origin  in  the 
high  prices  paid  by  planters  for  coolies  under  long 
contracts.  Lord  Cross  then  considers  the  remedies 
proposed.  He  sees  no  objection  to  an  employer 
requiring  a medical  certificate  pf  a lalomer’s  titLeas 
to  work  ; he  approves  of  the  amendment  of  the  Act 
giving  local  authorities  greater  power  of  initiative 
in  dealing  with  unhealthy  gardens  ; and  he  attaches 
greater  importance  to  control,  both  sanitary  and  ex- 
ecutive, being  rendered  thoroughly  effective  over  the 
transit  of  unregistered  labourers  f om  the  district  of 
recruitnn  n\  The  Secretary  of  State,  however,  is 
inclined  to  take  a graver  view  of  the  malpractices 
under  the  present  recruiting  system  than  the  Govern- 
ment of  India,  and  be  asks  for  further  information 
in  regard  to  the  precise  measure  to  be  taken  for  streng- 
thening executive  action  in  the  recruiting  districts. 
He  agrees  that  the  maximum  term  for  contracts  should 
be  reduced  from  five  to  three  years,  and  that  local  and 
time-expired  coolies  should  not  be  allowed  to  contract 
for  more  than  one  year.  He  also  approves  of  the 
measures  proposed  to  be  taken  for  improving  the 
system  of  inspection  in  Assam.  Although  giving  a 
general  approval  to  the  measures  proposed  by  the 
Government,  L rd  Cross  does  so  with  hesitation  on 
some  points,  and  on  one  or  two  he  objects  alto- 
gether. This  is  notably  the  case  with  regard  to  the 
abandonment  of  the  present  rule  prohibiting  the  an  est, 
without  warrant,  of  a deserter  within  five  miles  of 
a magistrate’s  offioe.  ‘ It  is  better,”  the  Secre  ary 
of  State  comments,  “that  some  few  deserters  should 
get  away  than  that  we  should  give  any  further  exten- 
sion to  the  wholly  exceptional  privilege  of  tummary 
street  which  Act  1 of  18S2  allows  to  planters,  and 
which  can  only  be  justified  on  the  groutd  of  the  pauoity 
of  magisterial  courts,  and  the  want  of  rapid  means 
of  communication  which  prevails  in  As^am.” 
The  correspondence  publish' d by  the  Government  of 
India  regarding  tl  e proposed  amendment  of  the  Inland 
Emigration  Act  1 of  1882  clearly  indicates  that  the 
defects  of  the  “ Arkati  ” system  tf  rccruting  have 
attracted  attention,  and  tbetmeasu  esa:e  contemplated 
for  strengthening  executive  action  in  the  n-crui'iug  dis- 
tricts. The  planting  e mmunity  will  1 o doubt  readily 
welcome  any  remedial  measures  haviDgior  their  obj.  ct 
the  removal  of  any  rec jgnietd  abuses  attache  g to  that 
special  form  of  recruitment.  It  is  to  bo  hoped, 
however,  that  while  t toe  Government  adnd's  (to  use 
its  own  words)  tie  rdvautnges  of  encouraging  emi- 
gration from  the  “congested  districts  to  a province 
where  there  is  an  energetic  demand  for  labour  ” 
and  whore  “ the  emigrant  is  generally  well  c.ired  for 
and  prosrerous,”  it  will  also  carefully  weigh  the 
possible  effect  of  any  proposed  legislative  action  upon 
an  industry  to  which  the  present  comparatively  Lrgh 
state  of  prosperity  of  the  province  is  essentially  due, 
while  the  industry  itself  is  hampered  .and  hindered 
in  its  progressive  expansion  by  the  scarcity  of  labour 
and  the  ODerous  pecuuiarv  burdens  it  has  to  bear  in  con- 
nection with  its  r cruitment,  and  retention.  It  will  there- 
fore be  desirable  that  the  London  and  Calcutta  Tea  As- 
ciat  odb  be  prepared  to  carefully  scan  any  draft  bill 
which  may  be  brought  forward,  and  to  furnish  the 
Government  with  such  information  and  suggestions  as 
may  tend  to  strengthen  its  hands  for  legislation  of  a 
beneficial  character,  while  guarding  as  far  as  po-sible 
against  any  measure  of  a needlessly  drastic  or  retro- 
gressive nature  being  passed. 
FOliEIGN  TARIFFS. 
The  opportunity  afforded  by  the  termination  of  the 
existing  treaties  of  oommerce  with  Spain  and  Portugal 
253  ~Z 
in  which  countries  very  heavy  import  duties  l ave 
hitherto  greatly  retarded  the  tradeintea — Spain  levy- 
ing from  lOd  to  1 3 i T , and  Portugal  Is  HGd  per  lb.  of 
ten— was  taken  advuntage  of  to  raise  the  question  of  the 
policy  of  modifying  the  tax  on  such  an  important  item 
of  consumption.  A preliminary  meeting  was  first  held 
ut  the  London  Chamber  of  Com merce,  wheu  the  argu- 
ments to  be  used  on  the  occasion  of  meeting  the  newly 
appointed  Ambassador  to  Spain  were  considered.  An 
interview  with  Sir  Heu<y  Drummond  Wolff,  at  the 
Foreign  Office,  in  Downing  Street,  subs  quently  took 
p’ace,  and  finally  a letter  hub  addressed  to  Sir  H.  D. 
Wolff  with  a resume  of  the  ca6C,  fo  as  to  impress 
upon  him  ycur  committee’s  v iews  on  the  subje  ct. 
CHICAGO  EXHIBITION,  1593. 
Several  circulars  have  hern  issued  by  jour  com- 
mittee appealing  for  eupport  in  contention  with  this 
and  kindred  opportunities  ul  making  ki  own  the  mcii  s 
of  Indian  tea  in  foroign  ccuulries.  It  was  considered 
at  first  desirable  to  raise  a fund  for  this  purpose  in 
the  fi  rm  of  an  annual  subscription  for  the  next  five 
years  of  two  annas  per  aero  of  cultivation,  plus  half 
an  auna  per  mnund  of  tea  made,  subscriptions  to  be 
contingent  on  tbo  owners  of  not  Je-s  than  200,000 
acres  joining  in  the  fund.  In  view,  however,  of  the 
necessity  of  making  immediate  provision  for  the  due 
representaiion  of  Indian  tea  at  the  above  Exhibition, 
it  has  been  finally  decided  to  dispense  with  the  above 
guarantee  and  to  ask  all  interested  to  subscribe  at 
once  the  smaller  sum  of  two  annas  per  acre  of 
cultivation  only  towards  the  expense  of  sending  a 
special  commissioner  to  Chicago  and  thus  having 
Indian  tea  properly  repiescnted  there.  Mr.  R. 
Blechynden,  of  the  Agri-Horticuitural  Society  of  India, 
has  been  appointed  tte  delegate  of  the  Indian  Tea 
Associat  on,  and  is  now  on  his  way  to  Ch.cago.  The 
Goreinmnit  of  India  has  already  granted  K4O,0(J0, 
wlrle  the  Governments  ot  Bengal  aud  Assam  are  beiDg 
asked  to  assist,  audit  is  hoped  that  great  benefit  to 
the  industry  may  result  from  this  acti 
MEW  MARKETS. 
Satisfactory  progress  continuer  to  be  made  in  find- 
ing new  mjiktts  in  d fferent  countries  for  Indian  tea 
To  Australia  aid  New  Zsilaud  direct  exports  from 
Calcutta  have  ret  ched  5,000,000  lb.,  while  to  Bombay 
and  the  Persian  Gulf  3 650,0001b.  were  sent  for  the 
year  ending  April  30,  1892.  lu  France,  the  opera- 
tions of  the  ■“  Palais  lndmn  Tea  Bouses  Company,” 
in  Paris,  where  it  lov  has  three  separate  depots  lor 
the  sale  both  of  inlused  and  of  dry  tea,  have  con- 
tinued to  progress  eatislactorily,  but  the  company — 
owiDg  to  the  comparatively  limited  snppoit  accorded 
to  it — is  iu  want  of  more  funds  to  enable  it  to  carry 
its  objects  to  a ronclusiou.  It  is  hoped  that  further 
tub.criptions  lor  shares  or  debentures  may  yet  be 
forthcoming,  as  it  would  be  a matter  of  regret  if 
this  laudable  iffoit  on  the  part  of  a certain  section 
of  the  planting  community  were  allowed  to  fail  for 
want  of  adequate  support.  In  Germany  up  to  last 
autumn  f.iir  progress  had  been  made  under  the 
uirect  on  of  Mr.  HaringtoD,  the  Special  Com- 
rni  sioner  deputed  by  the  Calcutta  Tea  Astooiation, 
to  represent  its  interes's  theie.  It  is  much  to  be 
regretted  that  through  the  breaking  down  of  Mr. 
Hariugt  n’s  health  it  may  not  be  practicable  to  continue 
ihe  work,  so  well  began.  In  Russia,  steady  progress 
has  been  inado  at  M,  scow  and  elsewhere  by  Mr. 
Rogivue,  who  was  originally  supnorled  by  giants  from 
the  Ceylon  Tea  Fund,  and  there  is  reason  to  believe 
that  it  adequate  support  were  given  Indian  tea  might 
be  introduced  through  his  agency  concurrently  with 
Ceylon  tea. 
TEA  STATISTICS. 
The  imports  and  deliveries  for  home  consumption  of 
Indian  aud  Ceylon  tea  during  the  past  six  t-easona 
(Jane  1 to  May  31)  are  shown  below,  compared  with 
those  from  China.  The  exports  from  Louden  arealso 
given.  These  figures  show  moat  satisfactory  results  on 
the  year’s  working,  and  should  encourage  those  who 
recognise  tho  importance  of  opening  np  new  outlets 
for  British  grown  tea  and  who  are  working  for  that  eud. 
