492 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. Jan. 1, 1904,] 
some commodities, which Great Britain long 
enjoyed, to be indefinitely extended. In- 
dustrial and commercial supremacy is 
another thing ; and the mother-country has 
not awakened a day too early— she might well 
have roused herself ea.rlier— to the need of 
special eliorts and special technical educa- 
tion, in the face of the growth of knowledge 
and enterprise in other countries, notably 
in Germany and the United States, to say 
nothing of the yellow r^ces. There is iso 
reason why she should not be able to hold 
her own against all comers in industrial 
excellence ; but in the volume of her in- 
dustries her capabilities must be limited by 
population. We do not think it an idle 
boast of the Bi'itish iron master, when the 
taunt of business leaving the country is 
levelled at him, that he is fud up with 
orders. Barring the action of "Trusis"and 
" Cartels," which foster a.n unwholesome and 
artificial business,- British pre-eminence in 
uidustries is well maintained. In commerce, 
too, the growth of business in foreign hands 
does not necessarily mean loss of busineos 
to the Britisher, In this commodity and 
that, there may be less business done in 
the Lane than 20 or 30 years ago ; but is 
there net greater variety in the business, 
and is not the total volume more ? Even 
if the answer be ia the negative, it is a 
mistake to measure Bdtish enterprise by 
what is accomplished in London. British 
capital has found its way to all parts of the 
world ; and if all the commodities created 
tliereby do not &eek distribution from London, 
oftener than not it is because other markets 
are more remunerative ; and British capital 
benefits thereby. Such is the case with Tea. 
There has been an actual falling off in the 
quantity of Ceylon Tea shipped to London 
this year by about eight million lb , as 
compared with last year, and yet the local 
Tea industry is in a far hualthier condition 
than it was in 1902. British capital has 
benefited, notwithstanding the diminished ex- 
ports of Tea to the United Kingdom— or, in- 
deed, because of the diminution ! 
Cinnamon is not in precisely the same 
position, because the amount of British 
capital invested in it is very small- estates 
and gardens being chiefly in native hands; 
but this British dependency, the Island as 
a whole, benefits from the direct demand 
for the spice from foreign countries, whose 
knowledge of it and taste for it were 
acquired from London. And thus it comes 
to pass that, whereas only one sixth of the 
quilled Cinnamon we exported this year 
lound its way to the United Kingdom, 
America took almost half as much again, 
itnd Germany nearly double the quantity ; 
while Spain claimed in direct shipments more 
than three-fourths of the exports to the 
United Kingdom. In these circumstances — 
considering, that is, that the chief consumers 
of the spice drew their supplies direct 
from the Island, and tiiat the exports have 
up-to-date totalled more than the exports 
for any previous year as a whole— there is 
every reason to be satisfied both with the 
demand at the auction and the prices realised, 
'i'be drop of id to Id in some qualities anp 
marks is explained by the unexampled crop ; 
but even so, the prices, ranging up to Is 7d 
per lb-, Vv'ere far in excess ofthose ruling 
locally, which averaged 40 to 50 cents — 
showing that now, as in the past, the finest 
qualities of spice produced in the Island 
find their way to London for sale and 
distribution. 
The following is the Report on the sale from 
the leading Firm of Messrs. Forbes, Forbes 
& Co., Ltd.: — 
9, King William St., London, E.G., Ist Dec, 1903. 
Cinnamon. — The closing 9alea of the year were 
held yesterday, when 1,128 bales were ofiered against 
790 b'^lea in August, and 1,178 bales at this period 
last year. The ' worked ' quill comprised 403 bales — 
a larger supply than usual, the remainder being 
offered as lauded. Competition was brisk throughout 
and resulted in the clearance of 403 bales ' worked ' 
spioe, and o£ 473 bales ' unworked.' Prices quoted 
irregular and values all round must be quoted on 
average |d to Id per lb lower. 
The ' worked ' quill realised :— Firsts, 9|d to Is 7d ; 
Seconds, 8id to Is 5d ; Thirds, 7id to Is 4d : Fourths, 
63 to Is id per lb. 
' Unworked ' :— Firsts, 7d to Is 2d ; Seconds, 6id 
to OJd ; Thirds, 5|d to 8Jd ; Fourths, 5d to 6d per lb. 
Of 305 bags chips, &o., nearly 200 bags were sold 
Quillings, &c., 5Jd to 9d and chips common to fair 
^d to 3id per lb. 
A new show of Bark was passed without making 
a bid of Id per lb. 
1902. 1901. 
Stocks :— Ceylon 2,149 bales . . 2,599 2,585 
Wild" 983 „ .. 1,827 2,438 
Chips 1,969 bags .. 625 2,975 
Wild Bark 3,587 pkgs. . . 6 277 7,886 
The next auctions are fixed for 22nd February, 1904 
» 
THE BIG NEW EUBBEE COMPANY. 
CAPITAL £70,000. 
Bukit Rajah Rubber Co, Ld. ( 9,314).— Regd Dec. 
3, with capital £70,000, iu £L shares, to acquire 
the estates in the district of Klang, Selangor, Straits 
Setilenieuls, known as Bukifc Jiajah, Sungei 
Binjai, New EskdAle, Delabole, Bukic Daku. and 
Booneans, to plant, grow, produce, prepare for 
market and deal in India rubber, gutta perclia, 
bolata and other gums, coffee, tea, coconuts and 
other natural products, etc. The subscribers are : 
Shares 
A W Crichton, 17, Kensington Court iU'sions, 
Loud, barrister .. ... ..1 
J B A Dick Lauder, 52, Gracechurch St, E C, gent... 1 
CONaftel,l,VValpoleGdn8, Strawberry Hill, geut... 1 
W H Anderson, 52, Gracechurch St, E 0, gent . . 1 
C B Rendle, 15, Kensington Sq, W, surgeon .. 1 
G A Talbot, Harpenden, Herts, planter ,.. 1 
H K Rutherford, 20, Eastoheap, E C, mcht .„ 
N W Grieve, Ivy Chimneys, Tunbridge Wells, planter 1 
No initial public issue. The first directors are 
H K Rutherford, N VV Grieve, G A Talbot 
and C B Reudle ; qualification £-500 ; remu- 
neration £250 per annum, dividend. The Anglo* 
Ceylou and General Estates Co, Ld. (one of the 
ven<lors) may if holding -I of the issued share capi. 
tal nominate A W Crichton to be a director at 
any time after the expiration of 2 years from the 
incorporation of this company, subject to his hold- 
ing the requisite qualification and to his retiremeno 
if he ceiise to be a director of the said vendor co. 
Kegd office, 20, Eastcheap, E 0,~-Investors' 
Guardian, Deo, 12. 
