March  i,  1893.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
577 
Goijtjsapondeniw. 
— — . 
To  the  Editor. 
CACAO  GROWING  AND  THEFTS— AN  EXTRA- 
ORDINARY STATE  OF  THINGS. 
Goonambil  Estate,  Wattegama,  Jan.  25th. 
Sir, — Mr.  Martin’s  letter  in  the  ‘Times’’*  regard- 
» Mr.  Martin’s  loiter  was  as  follows  : — 
ME.  MARTIN  ON  COCOA  THEFTS  IN  MAT  ALE. 
Sir,— From  your  remarks  on  Mr.  Barber’s  resolution 
to  be  proposed  at  the  meeting  of  the  P.  A.  on  the 
17th  proximo,  as  to  cocoa  stealing,  it  is  evident  that 
you  are  not  aware  to  what  an  extent  it  prevails. 
Those  cases  which  are  disposed  of  in  Court,  form 
no  criterion  as  to  the  amount  stolen,  and  I think 
very  few  cocoa  planters  will  agree  with  you  in  think- 
ing that  the  existing  law  affords  sufficient  protection. 
It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  life  of  a cocoa 
planter  in  crop  time,  that  is  for  six  months  of  the 
year,  is  one  perpetual  struggle  with  theft.  Steal- 
ing is  done  on  an  organized  system  and  almost  openly. 
There  are  well-known  receivers  of  stolen  cocoa 
within  hail  of  every  estate,  generally  keepers  of 
road-side  boutiques  with  half  a dozen  cocoa  trees 
growing  behind  them,  and,  once  the  planters’  cocoa 
enters  the  boutique,  the  existing  law  is  practically 
powerless,  and  in  this  district  at  least  the  planter 
may  see  his  produce  almost  any  day  in  crop  time 
spread  out  on  the  high  road  in  front  of  their  places 
to  dry,  in  lots  ranging  from  a bushel  to  a few  cwts. 
Receiving  stolen  cocoa  has  risen  to  the  dignity  of 
a profession.  One  of  the  favourite  devices  of  the  re- 
ceiver is  to  get  a kangany  on  a cocoa  estate  into 
his  pay ; this  man  then  bribes  the  watchmen  and 
store  coolies  and  makes  arrangements  for  the  re- 
moval of  such  small  lots  of  cocoa  as  the  coolies 
can  bring  in  daily  from  their  work  in  their 
clothes  and  cooty  sacks.  I know  of  an  instance 
of  such  a case  where  one  ol  the  store  ooolies  received  a 
present  ol  RISO,  and  where  odo  of  the  small  kanganies 
receive!  R150.  In  default  of  the  kangany,  travelling 
Moormen  do  thn  business.  The  Ratemah  itrnaya 
of  this  district  told  me  a few  days  ago  that  many 
are  going  about  the  district  paying  60  cents  per  lb. 
for  cocoa. 
In  the  field,  stealing  is  done  by  daylight,  the  cocoa 
trees  themselves  and  the  shade  under  which  they  are 
planted  hiding  the  thieves.  Sometimes  one  acre  or  so 
is  stripped  of  its  ripe  produce,  cocoa  too  unripe  to  be  of 
value  being  easily  taken ; but  more  generally  pods  are 
taken  from  a tree  here  and  there,  and  the  husks  are 
thrown  into  the  chena  to  avoid  detection.  I know  of 
an  instance  where  a regular  path  was  cut  through  the 
jungle  belonging  to  an  estate,  in  order  to  facilitate 
the  removal  of  stolen  cocoa. 
The  percentage  of  cocoa  stolen  every  year  is  a large 
one,  and  is  increasing,  and  I think  you  will  find  that 
the  opinion  of  cocoa  planters  is  that  the  existing  law 
is  quite  unable  to  cope  with  the  emergency. 
To  my  thinking,  Mr.  Barber’s  resolution  does  not 
meet  the  case.  It  appears  to  me  that  the  registration 
of  buyers  would  only  throw  the  profits  of  stealing  busi- 
ness into  fewer  hands,  and,  by  thus  condensing  organi- 
zation, make  it  more  formidable  ; and  why  should 
Colombo  be  exempted  in  any  legislation  ? All  stolen 
cocoa  is  eventually  disposed  of  there,  and  it  is,  there- 
fore, the  very  place  where  inquisition  is  most  required. 
The  question  is  so  many-sided  that  I do  not  think  it 
can  be  met  by  a resolution  of  the  Planters’ Association, 
but  I do  think  that  Government  might  be  asked  to 
confer  with  certain  members  of  the  Association  with 
a view  to  adopting  such  measures  as  are  advisable 
and  possib'e. 
We  cocoa  planters  are  not  in  the  habit  of  taking  up 
the  time  of  the  Association,  and  are  quite  content 
that  it  should  be  devoted  mainly  to  subjects  connected 
with  the  tea  industry  ; but  in  this  case  we  have  a 
distinct  grievance,  and  we  hope  for  the  support  of 
our  brother  planters,  and  also  for  it  in  your  columns. — 
Faithfully  yours,  Jas.  R.  Martin. 
Yatawata,  Matale,  22nd  January,  1893, 
73 
iDg  the  prevalence  of  cacao  thefts  has  appeared 
none  too  eoon.  Only  a horror  of  the  “ Cacoethes 
scribendi  ” has  kept  ms  silent  on  the  point  so  long. 
Mr.  Martin’s  statements  are  absolutely  true  of 
this  district  as  well  as  of  Matale.  Our  ooolies 
are  employed,  watohmen  corrupted,  kanganies  bribed, 
storemen  and  kanaekapulleys  bought  over  (and  in 
some  cases  conductors  too)  and  there  is  a huge 
system  of  wholesale  and  petty  robberies  on  a vast 
scaie,  carried  on  night  and  day,  by ? the 
ubiquitous  Moorman  (and  in  some  cases  Sinhalese 
traders). 
Many  proprietors  and  superintendents  are  much 
to  blame  for  giving  encouragement  to  this  nefarious 
trade  by  the  habitual  selling  of  produce  on  the 
spot.  I have  heard  of  some  who  own  to  selling  all 
their  crop,  good,  bad,  and  indifferent,  to  the  Moor- 
man at  their  store  doors  ! 1 Very  high  prioes  are 
occasionally  given,  simply  that  the  trade  may  get 
possession  of  a little  legitimately,  to  mix  with 
that  illicitly  bought,  rip9  and  unripe,  fermented 
and  unfermented  1 The  one  voucher  he  keeps  in 
case  he  is  questioned,  but  it  does  duty  for  several 
parcels  ! 
Proprietors  and  Colombo  agents  should  instruct 
their  managers  and  superintendents  on  estates, 
to  send  down  every  atom  of  produce  to  Colombo 
direct,  and  prohibit  strictly  Bales  to  Singalese  or 
Moor  traders.  Every  cocoa  planter  who  respects 
himself  and  his  fellow-growers  should  in  future 
boycott  tha  MoormaD,  warning  him  off  their 
properties,  and  summoning  him  for  trespass  when 
he  persists.  His  occupation  like  Othello’s  would 
soon  be  gone. 
LasheB  should  be  given  to  ooolie9  and  receivers  oon- 
vioted,  and  watchmen  oaught  sleeping  on  duty. 
Licenses  should  be  required  for  all  native  dealers 
in  coooa  in  Colombo,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  who 
should  be  required  ako  to  account  for  every 
hundredweight  passing  through  their  hands. 
Proprietors  might  with  advantage  form  a “Cacao 
Growers  Association  ” (which  Cardamom  growers 
might  also  join)  for  mutual  protection,  with  a 
subscription  based  on  bearing  acreage,  and  so  enter 
into  a Defence  League.  Those  refusing  to  join  -should 
be  put  in  Coventry,  as  it  is  a most  vital  matter 
concerning  every  honest  man,  native  or  European, 
among  planters  (applying  even  to  tea  growers)  for 
the  ubiquitous  Moor  will  buy  any  rubbish  for  mixing, 
hence  some  of  the  beautiful  blends  palmed  off  on 
passengers  and  others  in  your  port. 
On  the  round  250  acres  of  cacao  in  my  charge, 
there  have  been  last  year  Seventeen  distinct 
doteoted  robberies,  and  this  year  over  a dozen 
already ; and  this,  despite  seven  to  eight  night 
watchmen,  and  five  to  seven  day  squirrel  shooters 
and  poochie-hunting  coolies,  who  detect  many  of 
the  robberies  in  the  field,  but  of  oourse  fail  to 
find  the  culprits.  One  villager  was  shot  in  the  baok, 
but  disappeared  from  his  quarters  in  the  village 
(Udagoda,)  Two  men  were  caught  on  the  Govern, 
ment  road  at  11pm.  by  Wattegama  Peace  Officer 
carrying  off  a sack  of  newly-gathered  ooooa,  but 
struggling  from  him  they  got  off,  leaving  a coat  and 
sarong  in  his  hands,  and  the  coooa  (which  I recovered) 
on  the  road.  In  the  coat  were  found  two  tundus 
with  the  numbers  and  dates  of  oase  in  Panwila 
Court,  a maintenance  case.  The  names  are  known, 
but  parties  not  to  be  found  by  police  1 
The  latest  news  is  that  the  Ratemahatmaya  close 
by,  having  been  robbed  of  some  cocoa,  a Moorman 
boutique  man  on  the  Teldeniya  road  has  been  run 
in  and  convicted ! This  reminds  of  the  sugges- 
tion made  by  Mr.  Punch  to  plaoe  the  Directors  of 
Railway  Companies  on  the  engine  buffers  in  order  to 
avoid  collisions.  The  headmen  and  police  are  now 
under  the  Government  Agent.  Let  our  Randy  G.  A. 
