THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
136 
Mr H C Eichards, M.P.. writing from Darjeeling, 
February 6, says: "I was in Calcutta when the tele- 
gram came out recording the production of the Giffen 
sugKestion to still further tax tea, whilst leaving un- 
touched the hundreds and thousands of foreign pro- 
ducts ' made in Germany ' and manufactured in France 
or the United States. I was asked by some of the re- 
presentatives of the great tea industry in British India 
if I would help to lay their protest, accompanitd by 
statistics, before the Chancellor of the Exchequer, 
and this I did by the second January mail, since 
which time I am glad to say that His Excellency 
the Viceroy has telegraphed his support of the prayer 
of the Chambers of Commerce. I have by last week s 
mail sent to Downing Street the accompanying 
statistics, which prove most couolusiyely that each 
penny increasing duty renders the work of the British 
tea grower in India less remunerative; and I trust 
that my many grocer suppotters will recognise that 
in my visit to Darjeeling I am seeking on the spot 
the necessary statistics to oppose this latest sugges- 
tion to further tax them. Average rate of dividends 
on the sixty tea-growing companies which appear 
in the Calcutta share lists : 1898, 3'75 per cent ; 
isqq 4-70 percent; 1900, 2'42 per cent., represent- 
ing a canital of R20,169,800, equal to il,3M,620. 
Average rate of dividends on sixfcy-two Indian 
tpa-srowing companies registered in London: 
1898 4^04 per cent; 1899, 5 per cent; 1900, 
3 per cent., representing a capital of £5,422 829. 
Again • Exports from India and Ceylon during 1900, 
334 000 no01b; world's consumption during 1900. 
314 000 OOOlb ; surplus, 20,000,000 lb ; add excess of 
nro'duction over consumption at end of 1899. 14,000,000 
lb ■ total 34.000,000. During 1900, consumption ex- 
ceeded production by 9,000,000 lb owing to the open- 
ins UP of new markets, but there still remains a surplus 
n London of something like 23,000,000 lb. The 
above figures show clearly that any curtailment of 
consumption, such as would result from an increased 
duty would be fatal to the industry and would not 
only involve the loss of capital, but would throw out 
of employment thousands of natives of India. 
Mr Henry Cooke, of Moscow, the British Commer- 
cial Agent in 
RUSSIA, 
is doing his best to promote trade between 
the two countries. He addressed a meeting 
at the Manchester Chamber of Commerce on 
Monday at which he set forth the obstacles and 
encouragements to British trade with Enssia, a 
Bartially developed country presenting to us, he said, 
in some senses, greater possibilities than more fully 
developed regions. When in London Mr Cooke, as 
was mentioned in our issue of February 14 was 
approached on the subject of the probability of the 
Eussian Government reducing the high duty levied 
on tea from India and Ceylon, ana he urged that some 
efforts should be made by those interested to 
secure representation on the subject. la 
Manchester Mr Cooke referred to the tariff diffl- 
cultv as regards general trade, but in view of the 
desire frequently expressed recently in Eussian circles 
for a further and fuller development of trade between 
Eussia and Great Britain, he thinks that some at- 
tempt should be made here to remove obstacles. 
He said that Eussia was in some respects more like 
a vast colony that wanted opening out. It was 
mainly owing to foreign capital, foreign machinery, 
and foreign skilled workmen that Eussia had been to 
some extent opened out. Ofacially foreign capital and 
industry were welcomed in Eussia, although to a 
fuller development of her own industries many ob- 
stacles were placed in the path 'of foreigners. 
AnronoH of Eussian trade, we notice that Mr George 
Collins L-voy, the British Commissioner for the 
British Exhibition in St. Petersburg, has made a long 
statement in reply to the criticisms of the Lord 
Mayor of London and other gentlemen who have 
withdrawn their support from the exhibition. In this 
he says • In reference to the recent withdrawal by 
[May ], 1902. 
the Lord Mayor of London and Lord Avebury, froiu 
their positions as members of the British Advisory Com- 
mittee for the St Petersburg Exhibition, I have to 
state that the Eussian Administrative Uommittee 
would have felt the action of their lordships very 
strongly if they did not feel convinced that it was 
taken on erroneous information forwarded by British 
subjects resident in St Petersburg, whose trade in- 
terests, either as manufacturers or merchants, make 
it quite natural for them to be unfavourably disposed 
towards the exhibition.— 27. and C. Blail, March 14. 
THE WORLD'S FAIR IN ST. LOUIS. 
The International Exposition to be held in 
St. Louis, Missouri, next year, will, as is 
common with Americans, recognize a, senti- 
ment. Having in 187G commemorated Inde- 
pendence, and in 1893 the discoveryof America, 
they now choose the centenary of the pur- 
chase of Louisiana as the occasion for their 
third World's Fair. As this was, perhaps, 
the largest peaceful transfer of productive 
lands known to historj', it comirienJs itself 
from a practical as well as from a sentimental 
point of view. Its political effects are scarcely 
less m evidence than those of a material 
character. But the latter challenges atten- 
tion by the fact that the 12 States and two 
territories carved out of the purchase now 
have a population of more than 15 million.s, 
and that they have become a granary for 
the world, and alsosupply much of its minerals, 
so that its property and annual products 
exceed those of many of the old kingdoms 
which have played a great part in the world. 
The price paid for this tract, just exceeding 
a million square miles, was the equivalent of 
£3,000,000. 
Preparations have been made upon a scale 
hitherto unknown. Congress has recognized 
it as amatter of interest to the whole country, 
and not merely to that portion included in 
the original transfer. The Federal Govern- 
ment has contributed $5,000,000, or one-third 
of the capital sum deemed necesary. St. 
Louis, as the largest city was chosen a« the 
place, and the duty of providing the re- 
mainder of tfee funds has been accepted by 
her people. A second $.5,000,000 has been 
raised by an issue of municipal bonds, while 
the third $5,000,000 was subscribed to a com- 
pany upon which is laid the responsibility, 
under rigid laws and regulations, of organ- 
ising and carrying on the Louisiana Purchase 
Exposition. This body includes 93 of the 
leading professional and business men. At 
their head, as president, is ex-Governor David 
R Francis, who was Secretary of the Interior 
in the Cabinet of President Cleveland, 
The chosen site appropriates about one- 
half of the 1,300 acres which make Forest- 
park, with enough adjoining land to cover 
about 1,000 acres. Fortunately it was pos- 
sible to make arrangements by which the 
grounds of Washington University, with its 
110 acres and new building, to the value of 
more than a million dollars, were acquired 
temporarily for the use of the fair. These 
grounds are within the boundaries of the 
city, closely related with one of the most 
comprehensive systems of internal traction 
known even in America. Some railways al- 
ready run through these, and all others 
