394 
THE TROPICAL AGKICULTUKIST. • LDec. 1, 1898. 
up to the (')th July, visiting iu the meanwhile Buda- 
pest, Prague, Leniberfi, Krakau, KarUbud, Pressburg, 
Pilsen etc., etc., all bf.ing important ctntres of the 
Monarchy and at which places I made adequate so- 
journs. 
Everywhere I met with a hearty reception and 
ready response to my inquiries uiu. I desire to place 
here on lecord niy deep sense of gratitude to Llerr 
Ritter von Mauthncv (Pref-ident of tlie Vienna Cham- 
ber of Commerce), Herren Hofr^th Ebn«r von Ebeu- 
thal and Baron Alexander KoUer (of the Imperial and 
Royal Board of Trade), llerr Ritter von Jarsch, 
General Af^ent Au-triin Lloyds Company, Herr 
Hemrich Klinger and a host of others who helped 
a great deal affording uie statistical and other infor- 
mation, and supplying me with letters of introduc- 
tion. I enlosc herein 
TWO STATISTICAI. ST.VTIvMtN'l'S. 
(a.) Showing the quantities of tea entered for Uome 
consumption duving the years 181)1 to 181)7 inclusive. 
J3. Showing the population of the Empire and 
giving a list of cities having more than 50,000 in- 
habitants. 
The consumption of tea in Austria-Hungary may 
at first sight appear a small one if calculated in 
proportion to the population, but if one would take 
into consideration tlial coUee (of which over 81,000 
tons were imported in 1897) is (hjcidctth/ the hcvcraiie 
of the country, and also the existence of large tracts 
of wine producing districts, the quantity of tea con- 
Bumod should be regarded as satisfactory. 
From the statement A you will observe that the 
ficures for last year when contrasted with those of 
1894 show an increase in consumption of about 
200,000 lb. equal to 10 per cent, in the space of four 
years and such a result may be safely taken as a 
good sign for the future chances of tea drinking iu 
the country. 
There is certianly a distinct inclination towards 
tea drinking and the casual observer cannot fail to 
detect the existence of a desire on the part of some 
people to drink tea as an alternative to coffee at 
certain time and this change of habits is especially 
noticeable in the hotels patronized by the indigenous 
population. 
So far however the wants of the trade have been 
supplied by China, the product of which country 
holds sway as you will galhor from the annexure A., 
the share taken by our own staple being indeed 
very small r.nd hardly worth recording. 
I endeavoured to find out the reasons for such a 
discrepancy, espcsially considering that Ceylon tea 
is wcll-knov,'n to the principal dealers, two of whom 
indeed take nothing else for their private use. 
In the course of my inquiries I certainly heard 
many views and Avas also confronted with conflict- 
ing statements, due no doubt to the desire on the 
part of dealers to protect " vested interests," but 
all the same there appears to be a consensus of 
opinion that Ceylon 'teas are too strong, give too 
dark a liquor and have a rather too pungeut a taste 
as compared to the delicate China teas hitherto im- 
ported and to which the palates of the majority of the 
consumers are accustomed. There is no doubt that the 
teas imported from China and sold here in retail, are 
of very good quality and of this I had the corrobora- 
tion in the report given by Messrs. G.White A' Co., 
upon a collection of teas Mr. Ryan and myself pur- 
chased at Vienna and sent on to Mr. W. Martin Leake 
for valuation. 
I report the foregoing merely as what is being said 
by the dealers, not being in any way prepared to back 
altogether their opinion because from my own experi- 
ence iu this line I have always found that Ceylon teas 
of superior quality and of high cultivation have pleased 
those wliO gave to them an earnest trial and 1 fully 
believe in oonsanueuce that Csylon teas will be appre- 
ciated and consumed in larger quantities by the bulk of 
the public if only properly brought before th^m which 
has been the eaa§ t(? this time fgr reasons 
which it is needless to er quire into, more than what is 
disclosed by the opening remarka of this paragraph 
taken in connection with the one imoiediately pre- 
ceding. 
Unfortunately for our staple the duty on tea iu Aus- 
tiiaisvtry heavy and certainly acts as a barrier to 
the natural expansion of the now uoticeuble te* 
drinking proclivities and so long as the duty remains 
as it is, there are uo hopes of a developnieut greater 
than what is shown by the gtatisiical iuformatioa. 
Duty on tea in Aafatria Hungary is as follows : — 
For teas irarorted by ^ea (Austrian Ports) W Kreuzers 
in Gold per Kilogram, equal to 9Jd per lbs. For tea* 
imported by land the duty is 10 ptr cent, dearer. 
I shall not concern myself with the latter as it does 
not alTcct our interests uor is it of any real signifi- 
cH.nce as it falls upon importations of so called Cara- 
van Tea and also of small parcels of tea coming 
from abroad per parcel post. 
In actual workiijg however the duty by sea comes 
to lt)id. owing to the system of collecting the same, 
which consists of taking the groi^s weight of the 
packages deducting thtrofiom 2:i per cent, and charg- 
ing duty on the remainder 77 per cent, which are 
considered to repres(;nt the actual net contents but 
which are invariably much more, and thus the duty 
becomes heavier in proportion of the packag<-8 being 
smaller, so much that for one lb. packets the duty 
may be fully reckoned at Is 2d per lb. 
This is certainly very excessive and in the in- 
terests of Ceylon Tea I deemed it a good thing 
to write to call the attention of the authorities to 
such heavy taxation which is a distinct hindrance to 
trade. 
I addressed therefore a detailed circular letter to 
the principal Chambers of Commerce of the Monarchy 
and posted also copies of same to the Imperial and 
Royal Ministries of Finance and of Commerce. 
Herewith enclosed I send you also a copy of the said 
circular to which I have attached a precise trausli- 
tion for your information hoping thai you will ap- 
prove of my action. I have received many replies, 
some being mere acknowlfidgemeuls, others promising 
to consider my remarks, but of all answers the most 
important, to my mind, is the one vouchsafed by the 
Vienna Chamber of Commerce and of which I send 
you the original with a translation attached, and from 
the same you will gather that the Vienna Chamber has 
recommended to the Govern -nent a reduction of 50 
per cent all round in the rate of duty on tea. This 
very authoritative suggestion in support of my letter 
ciicnlar will certainly produce a good impression with 
the Government and I am iu hopes to hear that 
the recommended reduction in the tea duty may 
become a fait accompli some time next y«ar. In the 
conrse of an interview I have had since with the 
President of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce I 
have acquired further persuasi.n that we have in 
him a good ally in the endeavours to obtain a re- 
duction of th3 duty. All the teas importeJ by sea 
come via Trieste where every facility is offered 
to the trade in the same way as obtained 
in London and Hamburg, there being a por- 
tion of a huge warehouse specially devoted 
to the bonding of tea and where also importers can 
carry their packiiig and blending operations paying 
duty as the teas go out of the warehouse, and these 
arrangements give much satiifaction. 
I have had interviews with officials at the Board of 
Trade who have all shown disposition to see that the 
tea trade be fostered and I gathered from them that 
the Railway Companies will be approached with some 
recommendations for the treatment of tea transports 
and from the Austrian Lloyd's Co's Directors I have 
been promised that instructions will be given to the 
eSect that tea be speciallj' attended to. Altogether I 
am glad to say that from all quarters I have received 
assurances testifying to the good disposition enter- 
tained towards the development of the tea trcide and 
the Press is generally in favour of such an 
expansion. 
As a noticeable feature that Ceylon Tea is now being 
t^keu intg serigus cousideiatiipn X send j-gu ^ natab« 
