SD6 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Dec. 1. 1698 
Doubtless when the tariff was framed tea was 
considered a luxury and, as such, was heavily 
taxed, but now things have changed and thanks to 
careful cultivation and most perfect machinr-s, lea 
can be produced cheaper and of better quality, 
and forms, now a part of every day requirements in 
almost of every household in the world. 
I would therefore 8uf.'gest that the tariff upon tea 
i)e reduced and brought to a point in proportion 
of other duties now existing ; and to stimulate direct 
importation from the centres of production I would 
further suggest that duty on such teas be reduced 
by 50 per cent whilst remaining the same as now for 
teas imported by land or otherwise. 
Once the tea duty is reduced the importations of tha 
leaf will be rendered easier and elieaper, thus the 
poorer classes will be the first to bene tit from such 
a reduction besides avoiding to the trade resorting to 
manipulations which in tome cases coutaiua leai 
quite delet- rioHS to health. 
In the end the State will also be the gainer by the 
enhanced importations that are sure to follow a reduc- 
tion in duty. 
Finally i beg to point out that in ]lolgium the tea 
duiy has been abolished since the 1st January of this 
year. 
EEPI.Y. 
Translation of reply received from the Chamber of 
Commerce in Vienna: — 
"With reference to ycur letter of lat June, de pras. 
z. 6,.3,S7. with regard to Reduction of the Duty on Tea 
in Austria-Hungary, the undersigned institute beg to 
say that it has asked the k.k. Miiiisli j of Commerce, 
to submit the matter to the Industrial and Agricul- 
tural Board, which is an effective corporation, tor the 
consideration of alteration in Custom duties, which 
will meet soon. 
The undersigned institute have recommended tliat 
the duty on tea be reduced without regard to t!ie origin 
and to be as follows : — 
50 kreuzer per kilogramm for tea imported by land, and 
45 ,j ) ,, sea. 
(Signed) The Vice-President : Kitscuelt. 
The Secretary : Maresoh. 
THE PROSPERITY OF THE COLONY :-IS 
IT DUE TO CAPITAL INTRODUCED 
AND LOST, OR TO PROFITS ? 
October 8. 
Dkar Sir,— I have been ilisseu.ssing tlie fullowing 
problem witli a iniitnal friend and we have agreed 
lo refer the question to yon as arbitrator. Is 
it trne that a great deal more money lias been 
brought into Ceylon than has ever been or will 
ever be taken out of it ; and that Ceylon owes it.s 
prosperity not to what the soil lias produced, 
but to the constant inli'i.x of capital, a jjropor- 
tion of wliicli is lost every year ? 
It would be very interesting to know tiic extent 
of the los.ses or profits in connection with coffee, 
cacao, cardamoms, cincliona and tea — of course 
crediting all cultivated area on the basis oi the 
present profits. On which side would the balance 
be, think you?— Yours truly, 
COFFEE AND TEA PLANTER. 
[Our friend has set us a hard nut to crack, 
and we do not see how the necessary informa- 
tion as regards the estates of private projirictt rs 
is to begot, to enable any reliable reckoning to he 
made. In respect of Limited Coni|iaijies, all 
their financial business — capital, expenditure, re- 
■ turns — being public, a fair appro.xiniation can 
be made. But that would be but a small pro- 
l)ortion of the whole, especially if we count 
from the beginning of the Tea Enterprise. 
The late R. B. Tytler made out after 40 years 
of coflee, and before tke final crash came, that 
only 10 per cent of all the planters he knew 
from the practical beginnin-' of tul in.» ■ ' 
.n 1637, I'-l iK-tteredSbemreheB mateS^ 
conm.g to cey on. Let our two friends make 
a similar calculation for tea-only it is mher 
too .soon to do ,so. until we see what the nevt 
few year.s aie to brin" about n,„ , ■ • 
certain: thatwhether the.e h a due " 
CEYLON AND ITS DISTURBANCES. 
Dkar M,t. Ewtor, -There are two errors 
>■> he foot note to your article on the caJei?' 
in Ceylon, of the late Capt. J. K . 011^ 
oi ?he Bmh ^^t''7^;:;r'"Th/",r:i^ 
handed . at all; TcoT, 
Maitial for treason, the Kandyan Territories 
be ng at the imie under Martial Law 
I hc man xv i« was .set up temporarily by the 
lobeU a... a king, w.as tiied by the Suifrei e 
Court, and .sentenced to be l.anged 
Ji;:;^ ihe ^i^jr^Hitr-^^'"""'''" 
ihe p..^eudo.King was Hogged in Kandv nf 
c:h;i:rr"^.%j-7'"^lr^fc^ -'^"^^ 
^efq"g;,fTiS(-!;i«y^,'^^^ 
old jail bird and nuttd ma/auder. PooS 
co..t, that rogues lawyers were of no avS 
hefore a General C.n.rt Martial, and t e 
Fai;ifi;;;;tnrr --^ 't^r 
PLANTING COCONl^^T^CEGALLA. 
[When a witness in the Crown case denosed 
that coconut plants in this District bore fruft« 
within hve years our Solicitor-Ceneral Mr 
Kamanathan, who elicited n,o * Mr. 
say on that point.— Cor.] ^ " ±j. aas to 
7v-*n «,„ IT'- ■ ^^^S-'^l'a Library, Oct 12 
D..AR SIR,-^\uh reference to the let er of 
^ctobe^ri'Ts ^'^^'1^ iistate I^ela 
Sant'i',!;i;^"\':f p^i- 
method of plantilS'eoconits has'aTw.''''','"^ 
head topinoJt. AfFer four or ^'^^^ 
nuts sprout and i^ots IVadu.l '""i"'*'-' 
appearance through the lu si on^all"ln' '^V' 
young plants are then placed i ut" \ V" 
previously prepared for that p.'n o4 and JVl^ 
SIX or eight weeks the roots of T 
plants enter into the soil Ind nou.iO, 1? ^T"^ 
