Aue. 1, 1901.1 THE TEOPICAL AGRICULTUEIST. 
tea and eoff'ee imported into France from British 
India from the prohibitive tariff, which comes into 
force next January. The favourable solution of 
this impoitaat subject — which will be hailed with 
thanksgiving by the large community of planters 
thoughout India — is in a great measure due to the 
exertions of Monsieur Yves Guyot, editor of the 
Paris Siecle, who has thoroughly studied the con- 
ditions of the case. — 31. Mail. 
BENGAL AND MADRAS INDIGO. 
THE CUSTOMS DUTY IN EGYPT. 
Calcutta, May 14. — The Bengal Chamber of 
Commerce has addressed tlie Government of India, 
drawing attention to the very heavy incidence 
of the Customs duty in Egypc on Bengal indigo 
as compared with the duty imposed on Madras 
indigo, which has worked adversely to the interests 
of Bengal indigo, and requests that a fairer basis 
of assessment should be arrived at, more in 
accordance with the relative values of the two 
descriptions of indigo. The difference in the 
tariff rate between the two descriptions of indigo 
is extreiuely disproportionate to the prices ruling 
for tiie past three years. The average price of 
superior Madras qualities has been B,.5) to R55, 
while the average price for ordinary Bengal 
qualities has been R60 to R65 per maund of 
25!b. The difference between the ruling raies of 
the two qualities is under 17 per cent., while the 
difference in the tariff rates on which duty is 
charged is about 45 per cent., thus giving the 
Madras dye an enormous advantage over the 
Bengal product. The Committee is informed that 
the Customs duty in Egypt on all foreign goods 
and produce is 8 per cent ad valorem, and it is 
clearly apparent that Bengal dye is valued too 
high for the purpose of levying duly. The equi- 
valent of 8 per cent, on 48 piastres, the Egyptian 
valuation for Customs purposes of Bengal indigo, 
is nearly 4 piastres per kilogramme, while the equi- 
valent of 8 per cent on 28 piastres, the SgypHan 
valuation for Customs purposes of Madras in'!igo, is 
only a little over 2 piastres per kilograiniue. The 
method of assessing duty on indigo which at pre- 
sent prevails in Egypt is unfair and requires re-ad- 
justment. The Committee does not ask any con- 
cession in favour of indigo cultivated in one 
Province to the detriment of that cultivated in 
another. It siniply desires that the whole of the 
indigo exported from India to Egypt should be 
placed on the same footing as regards assessment 
of duoy in the latter country. — Madras Mail. 
MEDICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN INDIA. 
THE MALARIA COMMITTEE. 
The delegates of the Malaria Committee 
of the Royal Society, Doctors Stephens and 
Christopher, whose main object in visiting 
India is to seek for and investigate cases of 
black-vv'ater fever, a most deadly disease to 
jiuropeans in Central and West Africa, and 
some cases of which have been reported from 
the Dooars, Sylhet, and other malarious 
localities in India, are "now at Simla, where 
the following plan of work has been arranged, 
in consultation with the Sanitary Commis- 
sioner with the Government of India: -Dr. 
Christopher goes to Mian Meer and Amritsar 
to make preliminary arrangements for the 
autumn campaign (in co-operation with the 
Medical Officers of those military Canton- 
ments) against malaria. He then joins Dr. 
Stephens m Calcutta, by which time Captain 
b i James, I.M.S., will have returned from 
China. All three will then go to Darjeeling, 
the Terai, and the Dooars to investigate the 
black- water fever.— Ma c^ms Mail, June 19. 
39.—— 
CINNAMON IN LONDON. 
The information which the last English 
mail has brought does not disclose any special 
features in the Quarterly Auction of Cinna- 
mon held in London on the 20th ultimo. 
The tone of the sale was quiet; and natur- 
ally so, in view of the large leavings from the 
heavy catalogues of February, when 2,132 
bales had offered. The offerings last month 
were a fairly average quantity, having been 
1,088 bales, against 1,058 at the correspond- 
ing auction last year. It was, therefore, 
scarcely to be expected that the fall in prices 
experienced in February would be recovered, 
the more so as heavy shipments of bark con- 
tinue from this side, although the amount 
is not as large as it was last year. Unless 
there is a rush soon, following the big 
harvest which is now fairly on, prices may 
be expected to recover somewhat. It would 
be something, even if they were maintained, 
looking to the dullness of trade and the 
unhinging of business through the prolong- 
ation of the troubles in South Africa and 
China, the shuffling which there has been in 
the home duties on produce, and the recent 
scares in Wall Street and the London Stock 
Exchange. 
As it was, more than half the quantity 
of spice offered was sold at prices which 
were on the whole satisfactory, and should 
pay producers. Whether they leave any 
profit to middlemen is another matter. Local 
traders are rather fond of paying fancy 
prices when there is a demand, hoping to 
make a profit by mixing with coarse bark, 
and they often burn their fingers, as London 
buyers are wide awake. The fate of ship- 
ments of wild cinnamon is proof of this. It 
may take some time for traders to recover 
who have embarked in "wild," but with stocks 
fairly easy in London, there is room for 
legitimate trade. 
We quote as follows from the Report of 
Messrs. Forbes, Forbes & Co., Limited :— 
London, May 21. 
Cinnamon.— The perioclical anotions were held yes- 
terday und went off with a very quiet tone. The 
total offering was 1,088 bales plantation quill, com- 
pared with 2,132 bales at the February sales, and 
1,058 bales at this period last year. Of this supply 
ouly 77 bales were good and fine "worked" quill. 
The steamer '• Sfcentor " with fresh parcels of fine &a.', 
some 240 bales, only arrived in the river yesterday', 
via Amsterdam, and her shipments were consequently 
shut out. 
There w.is scarcely any change in prices, the 77 
bales " worked" realising about last sales' rates and 621 
bales "unworked" going irregularly and ocoaaionallv 
easier. 
