684 
THE TROPICA]. AGRICULTURIST. [April 1; 1901. 
S2,097 lb., to be disposed of estimated to net E22'43 
cents per lb. 
Cost of productiou inclnding all charges and in- 
cluding cost of bought leaf was B20'355 cents per lb. 
of made tea. 
The Company's ^property consisted on 31st De- 
cember, 1900, of :— 
Tea in bearing 486 acres. 
Tea not ,, 15 i, 
Jungle 88 ,, 
Buildings and Waste 5 „ 
Total 594 acres. 
Estimated crop for 1901 is .300,000 lb. to cost R20-31 
cents per lb. 
Plumbago. — The mining rights were leased in March 
to a Syndicate o;) terms of l-5th royalty and work was 
immediately started. The nine months' work since 
that date has been mostly of a prospecting character, 
for the land near the first prospecting shalt, which 
was so favourably reported on by Capt. Tregay, turned 
out quite barren of plumb^igo Two distinct tunnels 
have been made, and from both cross cuts have been 
cut. Rnughly, 10 tons have been won to end of Decem- 
ber, 1900, at which time prospects may be said to have 
been better than at any time since the work was 
started. 
THE ROBBERY TEA COMPANY OF 
CEYLON. 
THE REPORT. 
of the Directors was submitted as follows:— 
ICBEAGB. 
Tea in bearing 
,, 3 years old 
„ 2 „ 
Cardamoms 
497 acres. 
109 „ 
36 „ 
642 acres. 
4 „ 
646 acres in •ultivation. 
The Directors have* now to submit their fifth 
annual report and accounts, being those for the year 
ending 3ist December, 1900. The yield of tea during 
the period has been 237,228 lb. costing R26-89 cents 
per lb., as against B30-32 cents last year ; and real- 
ising R41-60 cents as against E40-46 cents for the 
same period. 
After providing for commission due to Superintendent 
and making a liberal allowance for depreciation of 
buildings and machinery, the amount at credit of 
Profit and loss is R22,529-61 cents. T© this must be 
added the sum R541-15 cents brought forward from 
last year, making a total of R23,070-76 cents now 
available for distribution. 
The Directors recommend the payment ef a dividend 
at the rate of 5 per cent on the paid up capital of 
the Company, which will absorb R15,000"00 ; that a 
sum of R7,500-00 be placed to extension account, and 
the balance B570-76 cents be carried forward to current 
season's account. 
The Directors are pleased to state that i£l,000 ef the 
mortgage has been paid off during the year, and their 
future policy will be to finally liqudiate the indebted- 
ness as soon as possible. 
The estimate for this year is 2.50,000 1b. tea on an 
expenditure of R65,825'00, which includes a sum of 
R900-00 for clearing and planting up 10 acres of jungle. 
The retiring Director is the Hon'ble W H Figg, who 
is elighlo for re-election. 
The appointment of an Auditor for tlie current year 
xesta with the meeting. 
THE REPORT 
ACREAGE OF THE ESTATE. 
Queens- Palmer- 
land. Eton. Total, 
acres. acres. acres. 
Tea in Bearing 254 205 459 
Young Tea 4 0 4 
Total Tea 
Jungle 
TimlDer 
Grass, &c. 
258 
19 
0 
4 
205 
0 
7 
0 
463 
19 
7 
4 
Total Acreages 281 212 493 
The Directors have now to submit their Fifth 
Annual Report and Accounts, beini? those for the 
year ending 31st December last. The yield of tea 
during the period has been 235,579 lb., costing 
cts. 26'74 as against cts. 28'08 last year, and real- 
ising 44'17 as against 45-63. 
As will be seen from the accounts, the net profits 
for the year amount to R28,277-21 after writing off 
the sum of R5,26r88 for depreciation on Factory 
and Machinery. An interim dividend of 5 per cent, 
was paid on 7fch August absorbing R20,500, and the 
Directors recommend that a final dividend of IJ 
per cent, be declared, making a total of 6i per 
cent, for the year, and leaving a sum of Rl,627'21 
to be carried forward. 
In terms of the Articles of Association, Mr. Stan- 
ley Bois now retires from the Board, but is eligi- 
ble for re-election. 
The appointment of an Auditor for the current 
year rests with the Meeting. 
PRODUCE AND PLANTING. 
Cold Coscfobt. — The circular issued by members of 
the sub-committee of the Indian Tea Association, 
which we printed last week, does not meet witk the 
commendation of the " Grocer." That part of the 
•ircular in which " all interested in the production 
•f tea" are invited to communicate with their M. P. 'a 
irrespective of party, asking them to support Sir H. 
Seymour King in an endeavour to get the tea tax re- 
duced to its former rate of 4d per lb, is the subject of 
special criticism as " not altogether wise." Says the 
journal mentioned : " The next thing will be, we sup- 
pose, to denounce the Government as exacting ' tri- 
bute ' fsom India ; and possibly that may be foUovred 
by an outcry in India itself which may have the 
gravest effects far b«yond the effects of any 
duty on tea. Then we hear of ' the mischief ' 
and the great damage done by the imposition 
last year,' and so on. Is it fair to blame the 
Government either in such a tone or on such a ground ? 
If ' great damage' was done last year, was it not 
mainly the fault of those in the trade who intercepted 
part of an impost which would have fallen wholly on 
the consumer ? No one can say with fairness that 
tea at the price the consumer now obtains it is exces- 
sively dear ; on the contrary, it is excessively cheap 
compared with what it was only a generation ago. 
With as little reason can the fair taxation of tea be 
condemned. All alcoholic beverages are already 
heavily taxed (and rightly so), and there la no good 
economic reason why teetotallers should wholly escape 
taxation. Providing we do not thereby restrict or 
render unduly dear the supplies of the people, especially 
the poor, there is no reason why an article like tea 
which is almost universally consumed, should not bear 
a fair import tax for the purposes of revenue. The 
real question seems to be whether the tax falls or has 
fallen on the right shoulders. That is to say, in any 
change of duty, is it of such an amount as to be 
readily passed on to the consumer, who should rightly 
bear it ? That is a question on which experts in the 
wholesale trade may and should offer valuable advice 
to a Chancellor of the Exchequer, but that can surely 
be done without raising dangerous political questiona 
