June  t,  1893. J 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST, 
1 71 
THE  AGRICULTURAL  PARADOX. 
The  modem  lam  question  is  the  moat  perplex;ni 
that  was  ev-r  raised,  though  land  questions  have 
S led  the  world  ever  since  the  dais  of  ancient  R me 
and  protm.  !•  e ore  the  great  city  cime  into  existe:  ce. 
In  all  parts  ut  ffie  world  the  cry  is  going  up  that 
the  farmer  cannot  live  by  the  working  of  the  land — 
that  absolutely  be  is  bound  to  starve  with  plenty 
beloie  hi>  eyes.  He  is  the  modern  Tantalus,  who 
sees  over-fl  iug  etreams  which  fly  from  his  parched 
lips  when  he  attempts  t ■.  reach  them,  60  that  in  the 
midBt  of  all  that  he  netds  he  perishes  for  lack  of 
what  he  requires.  The  paradox  is  a straDge  one,  and 
yet  the  trouble  grows  more  iutens  r day  by  day,  and 
seems  to  be  spreading  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  In 
the  United  States  the  farmers  are  said  to  be  little 
better  than  bondmen  of  the  money-lenders,  for  they 
are  mortgaged  so  that  they  work  for  others 
rather  than  themselve3.  In  France  there  is 
an  ever-renewed  demand  for  increased  protec- 
tion, because  the  farmer  declares  that  he  cannot  live, 
and  must  have  help  from  the  state.  In  Great 
Britain,  wo  are  told  on  the  most  excellent  authority, 
unless  the  price  of  wheat  can  be  raised  considerably 
and  permanently  farming  caDnot  be  made  to  pay. 
Prioes  there,  alike  of  stock  and  of  grain,  are  so 
low  that  the  farmers  are  ruined  by  the  very  abund- 
ance that  exists.  In  Germany  there  is  a new  Agrari  n 
rising,  whnh  threatens  to  become  a power  of  ob- 
struction in  the  state,  for  the  farmers  deolare  that 
they  oannot  live,  and  will  impede  all  legislation 
unless  they  are  helped  by  heavy  protective  duties. 
Io  Australia,  as  we  know,  the  farmers  want  various 
things  for  their  special  benefit  in  the  different  colo- 
nies, ranging  from  a bonus  in  Yictoria  to  the  fixing 
of  a minimum  price  in  Tasmania.  Io  Italy,  Scandi- 
navia, and  other  places,  the  agriculturists,  formerly 
the  most  Btable  and  conservative  of  all  the  classes 
are  full  of  projects  for  the  re-distribution  of  land, 
combined  with  schemes  for  the  Governments  to 
pay  off  the  mortgages,  and  give  the  farmers  a 
bonus  (or  6toppiog  on  their  farms.  In  the  United 
States  there  are  organisations  having  for  their 
objects  some  of  the  wildest  proposals  ever  made, 
an  t we  are  told,,  on  good  authority,  that  the 
Asiatic  and  Russian  populations  “go  on  cultivating, 
though  half  of  them  get  nothing  out  of  their  labour 
exoept  tare  bread,  and  often  bad  bread,  and  in  Asia 
scarcely  any  clothes.”  The  ownership  of  land,  it  is 
broadly  stated,  once  the  very  acme  of  security,  is 
now  the  least  secure  of  all  forms  of  property,  as 
rovolution  is  stalking  on,  even  in  the  United  States, 
demanding  the  settlement  of  a whole  host  of  agrarian 
questions,  any  oue  of  which  may  be  said  to  involve 
a change  in  the  actual  state  of  society.  When  pro- 
tection is  found  to  fail— as  ii  has  been  found 
everywhere — the  next  damand  is  for  the  fixiDg  of 
rents  by  law  or  their  abolition;  aDd  that  fail- 
ing, too,  as  it  hss  failed,  the  farmer  demands  some 
new  regime , which  ia,  somehow,  to  make  something 
out  of  to'.hiog.  We  read  that  11  a new  class  of 
questions  will  come  up  for  settlement,  at  least  as 
difficult  as  those  raised  by  the  artisans,  ani  they  may  not 
he  settled  onywhere  without  revolution.” — Australasian. 
ADULTERATION  OF  COFFEE. 
Mr.  Thomas  Diokson  sends  us  the  following 
correspondence  as  of  interest  to  oeffee  planters  and 
others  : — 
Thomas  Dickson,  Esq., 
Dear  Sir, — With  reference  to  the  meeting  held  at 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce  yesterday,  we  beg  to 
enclose  you  a copy  of  a letter  we  recently  sent 
out  to  members  of  Parliament,  and  others,  with  the 
enclosed  draft  Bill. — We  are,  dear  sir,  yours  faith- 
fully, for  Joseph  Travers  & Sons,  Ltd., 
J.  W.  Rogers,  Chairman. 
119,  Cannon  Street,  London,  E.C.,  5th  April  1893. 
Dear  Sir, — The  adulteration  laws  have  been  long 
in  a very  unsatisfactory  condition,  for  they  do  not 
materially  interfere  with  the  practices  they  are  directed 
against,  as  a rule,  the  real  offenders  escape 
the  punishment  which  should  fall  upon  them,  but 
which,  too  often,  falls  on  innocent  individuals. 
A Bill  has  been  brought  into  the  House  of  Com- 
mons by  Dr.  Gamer  n,  and  others,  with  a view  to 
amend  the  Sale  of  Food  and  Drugs  Act  of  1875. 
This  Bill  contains  several  very  valuable  proposals, 
as  to  the  extension  of  liability  for  adulteration  to 
wholesale  dealers  and  manufacturers  ; new  con- 
ditions as  to  warranties  ; margarine  ; chicory  and 
coffee  ; and  the  proportions  of  water  in  butter. 
All  these  provisions  are  excellent,  so  far  as  they 
go,  but  any  warranty  which  may  be  arranged  for, 
should  certainly  bind  importers,  brokers  and  others, 
as  well  as  wholesale  dealers.  The  question  of  a 
warranty  with  goods  sold  in  bulk  is  a very  intri- 
cate one,  for  it  is  difficult,  without  facilitating  adultera- 
tion, to  safe-guard  the  interests  of  innocent  retailers. 
With  a proper  system  of  access  by  the  public  ana- 
lysts to  wholesale  warehouses,  etc.,  it  is  questionable 
whether  a warranty  for  goods  sold  in  bulk  would 
be  desirable  in  the  public  interest.  At  any  rate, 
any  such  warranty  should  have  a time  limit;  which 
limit,  however,  should  not  apply  in  the  case  of 
goods  originally  sold  in  small  packets,  where  the 
warranty  might  fairly  be  permanent.  Further,  the 
giver  of  a warranty  should  surely  have  notice  to 
be  present  at  any  action  where  his  warranty  is  to 
be  pleaded  as  a defence  to  a charge  of  adultera- 
tion. With  alterations  on  these  points,  and  one  or 
two  minor  detail  objections,  Dr.  Cameron’s  Bill 
would  be  a valuable  one,  but  it  only  goes  a short  way  in 
the  direction  which  should  be  taken. 
Indeed,  Dr.  Cameron’s  Bill,  while  it  affords  some 
proper  relief  to  the  retailer,  in  no  way  attempts 
to  put  down  adulteration,  which  is,  after  all,  the  main 
object  the  law  should  have  in  view  in  sueh  matters. 
It  is  questionable  whether  it  is  worth  while  taking 
up  the  matter  at  all  unless  the  following,  among 
other  points,  are  really  grappled  with, — 
(1)  The  opening  of  wholesale  warehouses,  sale- 
rooms,  etc.  to  the  access  of  officers  who  carry  out 
the  Adulteration  Acts,  with  full  power  to  obtain 
samples,  to  institute  prosecutions,  and  to  seize  adul- 
terated goods. 
(2)  The  creation  of  a Government  analytical  de- 
partment, with  large  discretionary  powers,  to  super- 
vise and  assist  the  public  analysts,  and  to  give 
them  a better  and  more  defined  position  than 
they  now  enjoy. 
$3)  A comprehensive  treatment  of  all  admixed 
goods  (for  instance,  mustard  and  cocoa)  not  confining 
the  amendment  in  the  law  to  coffee,  as  proposed  in 
Dr.  Cameron’s  Bill. 
(4)  Amendments  to  the  existing  law  more  closely 
dealing  with  detail  forms  of  current  adulteration, 
We  have  enclosed  in  something  like  Bill  shape, 
our  idea  of  the  general  direction  that  any  new 
adulteration  law  should  take  in  order  to  effectually 
cope  with  an  evil  that  is  not  only  injurious  to  the 
public  interests,  but  is,  at  the  present  moment, 
threatening  to  destroy  the  business  of  honourable 
traders  in  several  important  branches  of  business. 
The  present  Adulteration  Acts,  for  instance,  give 
practically  no  protection  in  one  branch  of  our  own 
trade,  that  of  wholesale  spice  grinding,  where 
adulteration  and  chicanery  are  more  rampant  than 
at  any  time  in  our  experiencs. — We  are,  dear  sir, 
yours  faithfully, 
(Sigd.)  for  Joseph  Travers  & Sons,  Ltd. 
April  11. 
J.  W.  Rogers,  Esq  , Chairman,  Joseph  Travers  & 
Sons,  Ld.,  119,  Cannon  Street,  E.C. 
Dear  Sir, — I am  obliged  by  your  letter  with  copy 
of  proposed  draft  of  bill  re  Sale  of  Food  and  Drugs  Act. 
I thoroughly  endorse  your  proposals  and  regret  my 
arguments  based  upon  the  lines  you  have  adopted 
were  not  accepted  by  the  majority  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  to(10  6)  yesterday,  owing,  no  doubt,  to  the 
constitution  of  the  majority  of  the  members  present. 
I have  supported  Dr.  Cameron  with  petitions  from 
myself  as  representing  the  Planters’  Association  of 
Ceylon,  The  Ceylon  Association  in  London,  and  the 
various  Ceylon  Companies  I represent. — I am,  dear 
sir,  youra  faithfully,  Thomas  Dicksps, 
