April 1, 1899.] THE TROPICAL 
" If plague subsides in Calcutta is the rice 
trade likely to be much developed." 
" So far there has been no falling-off in the 
exports of rice from Calcutta owing to plague. 
The crop in India this year is a very bumper 
one, and the exports from Calcutta should if 
anything increase, particularly as the 
Burmah and Siam crops are considerably 
below that of last year." 
"Do the native dealers compete much?" 
" Amongst themselves there is practically 
no competition. It is to their own interests 
not to compete with each other, 
particularly in Ceylon, as they have hi- 
therto had. control as a class of the entire 
rice-trade ; they have always taken their price 
from the head Chetties who set it as nigh 
as they dare, varying it nevertheless according 
to the tone of the market from day to day. 
Now that we have come, however, they have 
been forced to realise that their circum- 
stances are at last altei-ed by competition." 
"What was the origin of your starting 
business here ?" 
" It Avas at the latter end of last year that 
my partner, Mr. C. Shrager, had his attention 
drawn to the Ceylon rice trade ; and on look- 
ing into it — sending for samples with their 
prices and comparing these samples and prices 
with those current at Calcutta and those 
at which we could supply the same rice- 
he found that the Chetties were really having 
a lively time of it, fixing their own ex- 
orbitant rates and realising immense profits, 
without any competition at all. We were 
at the same time given to understand that, 
if we came and succeeded, as European dealers 
we should be supplying a long-felt want in 
the island, although we were at the 
same time informed that we would find very 
formidable rivals in the Chetties.' 
" How do you find the local competition 
now? Has your coming here affected the 
prices charged ?" 
"Distinctly. The Chetties shewed very 
strong feeling at first and hinted to the 
steamer agents that they had retaliatory 
measures in view and would boycott the 
lK)ats that our rice was carried in. But that 
feeling has subsided and already their prices 
have come do^wn considerably." 
"Which do you consider is likely to be 
th« more economical supply — South India or 
Bengal ?" 
" Bengal, taking everything into account. 
The steamer rates from Calcutta are really 
lower because the competition is greater. 
Far more steamers go to and from there 
than ever call at Madras. The resources of 
Bengal, too, in rice-p^'owing ar« fully equal, 
if not superioi', to those of Southern India." 
Hero Mr. Shrager rose to show us some 
samples of rice from the two regions just 
referred to. We asked if there was any 
method of testing the quality of the rice, 
as in tea-tasting, by some decoction therefrom 
or by tasting it in a boiled condition. 
Mr. Slirager said that such methods were 
never used, the .accustomed eye being able to tell 
both its quality and its native pl.ice from mere 
inspection. Placing samples of Calcutta and 
Madras rice side by side, as Mr. Slirager 
did for us, even the uninitiated could not 
fail to see that the more nortlierly gi-ain 
was the whiter, nurer, and richer, the Madia.«i 
species being, though darker, much more 
AGRICULTURIST. 
transparent. Burmah rice was also brought 
out and its resemblance to that of Bengal, 
although it was much better cleaned, appeared 
to be wonderfully close. The sight of it 
natm'ally led to the question : 
"Can Burmah rice compete with that of 
Calcutta ?" 
"With a normal crop, it ought to, most 
cex'tainly. We have ourselves imported 
a lot fi'om Rangoon, but the chief 
buyers say that they have never succeded 
in getting the majoi-ity of their coolies to 
like the Rangoon rice. Either the coolies didn't 
find it so good for them or they were more 
accustomed to the other kinds. Similar 
feeling was evidenced in India in the famine 
before last ; starving though the natives were, 
many of them refused to touch Rangoon 
rice. In the last famine, however, they 
were more ready to acceptwhatever was pro- 
vided, and a large quantity of Rangoon rice 
was disposed of in India, — several himdred 
thousand tons. In Ceylon, I am of opinion 
that there is not so general and genuine a 
dislike of Rangoon rice among the coolies 
as reports would lead one to believe. Com- 
plaints as to the kind of rice supplied are 
brought by the head kangani to the planter 
and ne takes them as such. But many of 
these complaints are invented. Kanganies 
get the coolies to say they dislike the rice 
supplied ; it is to the interest of the former 
to present such objections. They are for 
the most part either hand-in-hand with the 
Chetties, or under their thumb. But, con- 
sidering only the quality of the rice itself, 
there is absolutely no reason why it should 
not be largely imported. It would be just 
as well, too, for Ceylon to develop this source 
of supply, as far as possible, for if plague 
incretises in Calcutta the difficulties in draw- 
ing rice from that port will grow in pro- 
portion. 
"You have other branches of business than 
at Calcutta?" 
" Yes, beside this one at Colombo, we 
have branches at Singapore and at Paris." 
Here Ave bade Mr. Shrager good day, 
but as he CAme with us to the stairs we 
recalled one point which had half sm-prised us. 
"You spoke just now of the Chetties pro- 
posing to boycott the steamers which carried 
your rice. If they made this threat, Avhat 
prevented them from carrying it out ?" 
"Well, they didn't actually go so far as 
to propose the measure. They only hinted 
at the possibility of their taking that step, 
and we in consequence found some difficulty 
in engaging tonnage. Since my aii-ival, 
however, we have received advice from 
Calcutta that agents are now willing to book 
our rice to Colombo, and we do not now 
anticipate any fm'ther trouble on this score." 
" You return to India soon ?" 
"Yes; in a week. I came chiefly in con- 
nection with this move of the local dealers." 
"And you have been here — " "One week; 
I go upcountry tomorrow, for the last few 
days of my trip." 
Wo had heard that no business to which 
the Messrs. Shrager had put their Iiand.i 
had ever yet failed, and oiu- convorsation 
and brief personal contact with tlio senior, 
left us with the iniprestiiou that thia vecoixl 
was not to be broken. 
