352 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Nov. 1, 1899. 
failed where few h.ave succeeded, and the 
latter doubtless owe their success to excep- 
tional business capacity and enterprise, for 
which all credit is due to them. The fact, 
however, remains that the London Tea Market 
is dominated by a few,— a comparatively 
very few,- large wholesale blenders. There 
are, of course, numerous other buyers, for 
the trade of the dealer has not yet been com- 
pletely wiped out ; but the possible opera- 
tions of these few very large buyers is an 
additional and hampering element which all 
others have to take into consideration. The 
great influence on the market of the laige 
buyers is also felt bj^ sellers of Calcutta or 
Oolonibo-bought teas, as also, it is asserted 
in nine cases out of ten, by growers who 
do not accept the best bid at auction, and 
who "take out" any break. The general 
policy, it is alleged, is, as far as possible, 
to render the character of the auctions 
" without reserve " sales, and to discourage 
all teas not put ivp on growers' account, pre- 
sumably because a grower is more squeez- 
able than an importer who has a merchant's 
cost to cover and profit to fight for. The 
essence of public auction, of course,- is that 
there should be free and unrestricted com- 
petition for the article exposed for sale ; and 
anyone with any knowledge of the subject, 
I am assured in some quarters, can hiirdly 
contend that these conditions apply to the 
tea auctions in Mincing Lane, except on the 
rare occasions when any particular grade of 
tea may be in very short supply. 
That the conditions obtaining in the London 
market are felt to be unsatisfactory seems to be 
proved by the suggestions which have from 
time to time been put forward by producers. 
It has been proposed many times that growers 
should combine to distribute the produce 
themselves; but presumably such proposals 
have been made without consideration as to 
the enormous extent of the trade, and of the 
very large capital and personal which would 
be necessary. The first desideratum, however, 
woiild be a complete combination of grower-s, 
which would practically amount to a " pool- 
ing " of the produce. If this could be secured, 
there would be no object in going much 
further, for the existing distributing com- 
panies and firms would be available as a 
means of distribution, and that on very 
reasonable terms, even on the basis of their 
present profits, taking them all round. 
Another suggestion is that in place of 
sending all teas to London several other 
centres should be fixed on, such as Manchester, 
Glasgow, Leeds, etc. Assuming, however, 
that the initial difflcultv rould be overcome 
of sending to each centre exactly the class of 
tea required for the districts it would serve, 
the competition would be less than it is at 
present ; foi-, although all the very large 
buyers might be represented, only a propor- 
tion of the smaller ones could be expected to 
attend the sales at each centre. 
The great obstacle in the way of reverting 
to the system of "private contract" is the 
large number of breaks now put on the 
market. To some extent this might be im- 
proved upon without much trouble on the 
estates, but not to the extent necessary to 
admit of the change indicated, imless the 
whole system of packing teas for the London 
market be revised. Breaks of at least 200 to 
300 chests, i.e. of each grade of tea, would 
have to be the general rule, and the larger the 
break the better— especially of the principal 
grades which might run up to 500 or 600 
chests. Such breaks could only be secured 
by bulking together teas of the same char- 
acter from different estates, and this could 
only be undertaken by large companies or 
combinations of proprietors. Such a change 
would be very difficult of arrangement, 
except perhaps gradually. 
So long as sales by public auction cannot 
be avoided, it is undoubtedly to the seller's 
advantage to place his teas on the market 
where they are most likely to meet with 
the greatest com])etition, and the Calcutta 
and Colombo markets would seem to answer 
this requirement. Several of the large London 
buyers have representatives on these markets, 
and in addition there .-ire buyers for direct 
shipment to Australia. America, Russia and 
other parts of the world ; while there are 
also merchants operating for the Mincing 
Lane market. But it is pointed out these latter 
are at present at considerable disadvantage 
owing to the action of the large buyers in 
London. It is, however, not going too far to 
say that, if the whole of the Indian and Ceylon 
crops were respectively sold in Calcutta and 
Colombo, the competition of merchants pre- 
l)ared to take merchants' risks would be a 
most important factor in counteracting the- 
overweighting influence of the large London 
buyers, and that the London stocks of tea, 
not in grower's hands, would be very much 
m.ore generally held, which could not fail to 
have an advantageous effect on prices. 
As a means, therefore, of improving the 
grower's position in the matter of marketing 
their produce, it is now suggested for con- 
sideration: — (1) that a more extended use be 
made of the Calcutta and Colombo markets, 
especially by gardens unable to pack large 
breaks ; and (2) that for London very large 
breaks should be made up wherever possible, 
and be placed on the market for sale hy 
private contract. The excessiA'e cost of work- 
ng teas in the London warehouses is now 
(as I have already said) engaging the atten- 
tion of importers, and doubtless this matter 
will be dealt with earnestly at an early date, 
when the charge for bulking will receive 
attention. With an appreciable reduction 
under this head, it would be easier, both for 
the large plantation companies and for import 
merchants, to bulk together teas from difl:- 
erent gardens, and so appreciably diminish 
the number of breaks. The grower is, of 
coiirse, entirely free to select his own market; 
but there are two parties to a contract of 
sale, whether it be public sale or private 
contract. It is hinted, however, that certain 
of the buyers would probably prefer to see 
private contract the customary condition; 
but in any case that it would not be intro- 
ducing a radical change, as the bulk of China 
teas are still sold privately and private con- 
tracts of Indian and Ceylon are not unknown. 
With an overstocked market the seller is 
at a disadvantage in endeavouring to make 
his voice heai-d. There are indications that 
the demand for British-grown teas is ap- 
proaching the supply more nearly than has 
been the case for some years, and, therefore, 
