' 740 
THE TROPICAL AaRICULTURIST. [May 1, 1900. 
could obtain, ot would demand the return of the 
goods Bubject to any lien for faouoared drafts drawn 
against the goods and other legitimate charges." 
How defendant would have judged of plaintiffs had 
they so sold, may be considered from the fact that 
on receipt of their letter he did not wire '' sell 
best possible price," and honor their drafts, thus 
making his loss then, but elected to try the market 
further per another agent, who on the 3rd March 
reported the nuts were then worth ooly 35s per 
1,000, and declined to pay the draft and freight as a 
condition-precedent to their realising the invoice. 
No member of their firm however gave evidence for 
what " much better price " they could have sold 
them for the Christmas market. There is but little 
evidence (apart from Mr. Isaac's evidence as to 
sales '' to arrive ") of what the market rates were 
in and after March. They seem to have been 3/6 — 
4/3. Even on the 25th March defendant wrote to 
plaintiffs '' If you cannot obtain a better offer, 
deliver to Messrs, Scrntton. Owing to yonr non- 
experience in this line of business I had to suffer 
the loss." He evidently still believed that a better 
market conld have been and might even then be 
found, and, in the same faith as he there wrote, has 
defended this action. But the evidence does not 
shew that this defence was well founded. One 
witness examined spoke chiefly, if not entirely of 
■ales to arrive, which are more speculations than 
" Open Sales" and the other had no transactions in 
Dec. — May, except one in Feb. which was of assorted 
nnts and " to arrive.'' I have pointed out that 
defendant's general instructions to effect speedy sales 
were received after the plaintiffs had, as 
they thought it their duty to do, referred to him for 
instructions ere sacrificing the consignment at half the 
price he had anticipated, and I regard his action in 
desiring to see, could Messrs. Scrutton do better for 
him, and in not telegraphing or even writing " sell at 
once" is in itself approbating their having referred to 
him. I find no ground therefore for the strictures 
which the District Judge has passed in his Judgment on 
the plaintiffs. They appear to me to have taken all 
ordinary measures to bring the consignment to prompt 
Bale, and defendant's loss is attributable only to the 
market being overstocked. I would set aside the dia- 
missal, and enter judgment for plaintiffs as prayed for 
with eoBts. 
THE RUBBER INDUSTRY. 
At the sitting on Friday, February 23rd., in the 
House of Commons, Mr. Weir asked the Secretary 
of State tor the Colonies, whether he was aware 
that the value of rubber imported from the British 
Central Africa Protectorate through Chirorao 
amounted during the year 1898-99 to £10,233 18s, as 
compared with £1,044 17s 6d in 1897-98, allowing 
an increase of over £9,000 in one year; and would 
he state whether any efforts were being made 
to regulate the mode of collecting rubber juice, 
so as to prevent destruction of the rubber vines. 
Mr. Brodrick, who replied, said, — Yes, it is so 
stated in the last report on the Protectorate. 
Regulations regulating the manufacture and sale 
of rubber were issued on September 1st last. 

MORIB COOONUT ESTATES SYNDICATE, 
LIMITED. 
Hefr'stered on February 23rd by Heath and 
Hamilton, 50, Lincoln's inn-iields, W C, with a 
capital of £2,500 in £10 shares. Object, to ac- 
quire an estate in tiie district of Kuala Langat, 
Helangor, Malay Peninsula, and to carry on the 
business of coconut and rubber growers and mer- 
chants. The first directors (to number not less 
than three nor more than seven) are to be ap- 
pointed by the subscribers. Qualification, one 
»hB,vc,—Finomcial Neivs, March 2. 
CEYLON COMPANY DIVIDENDS 
FOR 1899. 
(AS COMPARBD WITH PREVIOUS DIVIDENDS). 
The following table has to do with 24 
Plantation (Tea) Companies, one for Coco- 
nuts and three Hotel Companies— 28 Limited 
Rupee Companies in all. And it will be 
seen that, with very few exceptions, the 
dividends declared for these Companies for 
1899 are better than for 1898. In only two 
instances do we find a less dividend paid ; 
in six other cases the dividends for 1898 
and 1899 are the same ; while twenty 
Companies declare an improved dividend 
for last year over 1898. Here are the 
figures : — 
Dn'iDENDs : 
Name of Co. 
1899. 
1898. 
1897. 
.1896. 
1895, 
1894 
p. c. 
p. c. 
p. c. 
p. c. 
p. c. 
D. 0 
Agra Ouvah 
20 
17 
23 
20 
16 
Bristol Horel 
8 
g 
u 
isj 
lU 
1 A 
Castlereagh 
12 
7 
6 
14 
XiM 
a 
Clyde 
2| 
4 
6i 
8 
Colombo Hotels 
18 
18 
18 
18 
IT 
16 
Galle Face Hotel 
8 
5 
4 
Gangawatte 
G 
8 
10 
Glasgow 
18 
16 
15 
17 
18 
18i 
High Forests 
.5 
4 
2 
Horrekelly 
5 
6 
5 
10 
7 
6 
Kalutara 
7 
4 
Kanapediwatte 
lOi 
9 
9 
Kelani Tea Gardens 5 
2 
5 
5 
Kirklees 
6 
4 
16 
13 
124 
Knave^ire 
5 
2J 
5 
7 
Maha Ouvah 
8 
6 
8 
9 
16 
8 
Nahavilla 
6 
13* 
20 
Neboda 
5 
2 
Ottery 
8 
7 
7 
10 
Palmerston 
5 
4 
8 
Pine Hill 
? 
4i 
6 
7 
7 
9 
Putupaula 
9 
7 
10 
10 
Rayigam 
5 
2 
8 
3 
Boeberry 
3 
3 
3 
Buanwella 
3 
3 
5 
Upper Maskeliya 
8 
5 
9 
15 
18 
20 
Vogan 
7 
b 
6 
8 
Tataderia 
25 
25 
20 
25 
25 
2t 
plus 
plus 
plaR 
plai 
20t 
7it 
20t 
6t 
* This is for 1895 and 1896. t Bonus. 
The Receipts from the Tea-Duty have 
recently been at the rate of £160,000 per week, 
or just double that usually charged at the begin- 
ning of a year, says the Grocer of Feb, 17th. 
This represents a clearance of about 720 tons per 
day, or a quantity sufficient to last the public 
two and a half days. The cold weather has 
caused a considerable demand for rum. In mild 
winters 90,000 gallons of that liquor is consumed, 
for the past few weeks 140,000 have apparently 
been required to help to counteract the action 
of frost. Possibly the existence of the suspicion 
that the duties on spirits will be raised may have 
something to do with these increased clearances 
from bond ; but as the Budget is two months 
off, merchants are not likely to bse the interest 
on the duty tor six or seven weeks if they can 
help it. Cocoa is advancing in popularity at a 
great rate ; for the month of January, 1897, the 
consumption was 1,082 tons, in 1898 the month's 
demand was 1,400 tons, in 1899 the quantity 
was 1,670 tons, last month it had risen to 
1,830 tons. 
