Sept. 1, 1898.1 
THE TEOPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
163 
THE IMPERIAL TEA DUTY. 
From the letters and hints, which reach us 
from planters in different parts of the country, 
there is evidently a good deal of difference of 
opinion on the subject of abolishing the duty of 
4d a lb. on tea entering the United Kingdom. 
The arguinent is used in some quarters that 
good sound tea is now sold, notwithstanding 
the duty, at a price well within the means of 
the British labouring-classes ; and this is clinched 
bv the turther aririiment that the abolition of 
tiie duty would tell all in favour of the lower 
grade teas. The fear indeed is, that with no 
duty to pay, inferior Chinas would be rushed in 
and by their extreme cheapness tend to deprave 
the taste and destroy tiie market, among a cer- 
tain proportion of the people, for good and 
sound teas. The answer to this is that a people 
once won over from China to Ceylon and Indian 
teas, are never likely to go back ; and that 
amont' the lower classes in the United Kingdom 
there "is often a keen appreciation of good tea 
and a determined intolerance of anything cheap 
and nasty—" fusionless " as many old wives de- 
scribe tasteless infusions. There is much truth 
in all this, and much encouragement to hope tor 
an increased consumption of Ceylon and Indian 
teas, were the duty reduced, it not removed 
altooether. Nevertheless, tliere is no denying 
the fact that at this moment, even with the 
barrier of a four-penny duty, there are shippers 
enterprising, or reckless enough, to send to 
England from Ceylon (and we suppose froni 
India) teas which are described as " rubbishy 
and a libel on the good name of the .country 
whence they are exported. Now, again, with 
this object-lesson before us,— asks a planter who 
is all for the maintenance of the duty,— wliat 
may we fairly expect if there is no dufcy ? And he 
goes on to insist that one result will be a large in- 
crease in the shipment from Calcutta and Co- 
lombo of the very cheapest and in many cases 
of " rubbishy " teas, to the great detriment ot 
legitimate trade and of good well-made teas. 
There is always a residue of the British people, he 
thinks, wlio cannot resist the attraction 
of great cheapness and the evil will spread 
among the rising generation around them, bo 
that, the typical Ceylon proprietor of whom we 
speak, would vote for the maintenance of the 
present imperial tea duty, as a protection against 
a "reatly increased export of cheap and even 
rubbishy teas. Now this is a "planting view 
of the case which never strikes the reformer in 
love with the policy of "a free breakfast 
table" or rather on the principles of free 
and unrestricted trade the latter woulc' welcome 
the increased influx of all sorts of tea-, 
"people will soon find out what they lUce 
and want, and that they ought to have, 
however cheap or even rubbishy in some persons 
estimation." There are also among the great 
■ tea-tift lers and Mincing Lane authorities those who 
welcome any change that brings a larger volume 
of trade ; although, we presume the leading brok- 
ers in the India and Ceylon tea trade would hesitate 
to approve of any step that affected the consump- 
tion of the better class of teas. Probably, the 
carefully weighed opinions of such experts on tlie 
questions wliich we have summarized and tor- 
mulated in the foregoing remarks would be of moie 
value, and carry greater authority, than any other 
utterances available, 
21 
For ourselves, we have long been inclined to 
advocate a medium course on the ground at once 
of prudence, expediency and feasibleness. We do 
not believe for one moment that the total abolitioa 
of the tea duty will be sanctioned or voted by 
the present House of Commons. In this time of 
war, anil rumours of war, there are stronger 
reasons tliau usual for resisting such a proposal. 
The Chanceller of the Exchequer has shown that 
each penny of the tea duty means very nearly 
a million pounds sterling in revenue. E'^en if 
all were "peace" with no warlike cloud on the 
horizon, to sweep away in one year four millions 
sterling of revenue, would bo well nigh impossible. 
Sir Michael Hicks-Beach shewed that in his last 
budget, the surplus would not permit of the 2d 
reduction in the tea duty which Sir Wm. Harcourt 
preferred to the amelioration of tobacco levies, and 
tht, latter on learning the fact, at once withdrew 
his opposition. It is difficult to surmise whether 
the current fiscal year's surplus will be equal to, or 
greater than the last ; but to our mind, the 
wise course to advocate is one of gradual 
reduction of the d>ity, and so the nearer we 
get to total " abolition," the better able shall 
we be to judge of the effect as regards tue 
export of, and market for, cheap and rubbishy teas. 
It may be argued that " abolition " ought to 
be memorialised for, even if the petitioners would 
be content with a reduction of the duty by 
one-half. We scarcely think so, and for this 
reason. There must be a large number of men 
on both sides in the House of Commons who 
would absolutely refuse to support a movement 
for " abolition " ; but who miglit well be won 
over to support a movement for gradual reduc- 
tion, and by their aid in speaking here and 
there during the recess, it could be made clear 
to the Chancellor of Exchequer that " some- 
thing must be done." If the Ceylon and Indian 
planters with their friends at home jjress for 
a reduction of the duty to two-pence, they would, 
we think, meet with far wider parliamentary and 
general support, and they might well hope 
that if Sir Michael Hicks-Beach did not see his 
way to sacrifice two millions sterlins' of revenue 
in 1899, he might, at the least, consent to spread 
the loss over two or three years— reducing the 
tea-duty to 3d from May 1899 and to 2d from 
May 1900 or 1901. By this means the effect of 
a policy leading to abolition could be fairly and 
fully judged by the tea planters and their 
friends. 
RANGOON RICE FOR CEYLON. 
Mr. Owen De Run, who was interviewed by 
one of our representatives recently stated that Ran- 
goon rice had been imported by Messrs. Lee, 
Hedges & Co., and distributed through the 
Chamber of Commerce, to several merchants in 
Colombo, who had sent it out to various estates 
in small lots of from five to fifteen bags, where 
it had been issued to the coolies. The superin- 
tendents had not had time yet to make any 
definite report, but it appeared that the coolies 
do not show any dislike to it, neither do they 
take to it readily. The rice appears to be sound, and 
considering the great difference in price between 
it and the Calcutta article it was in quality satis- 
factory. It would be an inducement for thecoolies 
to take it if they had to actually pay for it : and 
if only the planters could reason with the coolies 
and induce them to accept it. The quantity sent, 
however, was not large enough to give a faic 
