344 
a profit of f .8,048,775, or f.3,500,000 more than the 
estimate. As regards 1891 it is expected that the 
estimated deficit ot £23,333,333 will be about £.10,500,000. 
The fiual figures for the Budget for 1892 are as fol- 
lown : Expenditure in Holland, f. 25, 573, 217 ; expen- 
diture in India, f 110,780,123— or total, f.136,353,340. 
Tho revenue in Holland is f.21,751,268, in India 
f.97,798,445— or total, f.119,549,713, the Budget closing 
thus with a deficit of f. 16,803, 627. When compared 
with 1891 the revenue is estimated at f.5,697,368 more, 
and the expenditure f.825,502 less. The following 
revenue is estimated higher: — The sale of coffee, 
f.1,460,000; the sale of tin, f.395,000 ; the opium farm, 
f.1,340,000; the sale of salt, f.305,000; the working of 
railways, f. 697,000; post and telegraph, f. 130,000; 
banking business, f. 327,400 ; import and export duties, 
f. 540,000; excise, f. 382,000; license duty and other 
duties, f. 327,000; and revenue of the Departments of 
War and Navy f .146,000 ; the revenue from the trade 
tax is estimated at f.250,000 lower, and that from the 
sugar cultivation f.325,000 less. The increase of the 
revenue is totally absorbed by the expenditure, 
chiefly by that of the dtpartment of home Govern- 
ment, in consequence of the lower estimated purchase 
of coffee. The deficit on the Budget is caused by an 
amount of f.3,500,000 for the purchase of 190,000 
piculs coffee more than the quantity estimated for 
sale, which amount will be an advance in favour of 
following years. On the other hand the production 
of tin is estimated at 80,000 piculs, while the quantity 
to he ^sold will be 100,000 piculs. The price of 
purchase for those 20,000 piculs more is about 
i. 500,000 by which the deficit is to be increased in order 
to know the exact amount of it, which will be thus : 
— f.13,800,000 or f.14,000,000 m case the export duty 
on sugar remains Buapended. An amount of f.7,335,000 
is proposed for tha construction of hsrbonr works 
near Batavia, and for Government railways and 
f.B, 105,000 for new irrigation works. Against the 
extraordinary expenditure there appears some extra- 
ordinary revenue, the difference of which is f.9,8I9,000. 
If this amount is deducted from tho deficit it is re- 
duced to f.3,981,000 on the ordinary expenditure. It 
is not improbable that the Budget tor 1892 will close 
later on with a less unfavourable final figure, bnt the 
minister will not agree with the opinion that this 
Budget is to be considered as nob being a normal 
one. The revenue from coffee is estimated for 1892 
at f.13,510,000, but it is not to be expected that the 
average o£ followiag years will be larger. Although 
an increase of revenue is probable out of the Bullion 
Minea and the Ombilien Coalfields, a decrease of the 
production of the Banca Mines is anticipated, and 
in the event of larger proceeds from the license duty 
there will be on the other hand an increase of other 
expenditure, euoh as remunerations, pensions &o. The 
Minister therefore considers the condition of the 
finances as being nnsatisfaotory, and he states that 
India should independently provide lor its fiaanoes is 
for this reason an urgent necessity. In order to 
arrive at this an economical administration is required, 
for which efforts will be made, and an inquiry will 
take place into the whole organisation of tho Go- 
vernment. Beoides this measure the revenue is to be 
increased, for which proposals will be made shortly. 
Moreover, the strengthening of the productive power 
in India must be taken up, and in connection herewith 
the Minister proposes already an amount of f. 3,105,000 
for irrigation works, to which ho intends to add 
to commence with the construction of the works 
for the irrigation of the Solo Valley. As soon as 
he has received information he will propose the 
improvement of the means of coinmuuicatioa. Going 
on to the items of the Budget the Minister aslcs 
f. 000,000 for the coaslructiou and equipment of two 
fast steamers for an effective restraint of the opium 
smuggling. The question what ought to Lc done with 
regard to opium will be co3si<.'e'cd by the Java 
Uoveriiuient in connootion with the report of Mr. 
Groeneody. lu anticipation of advices from Java an 
oppropriaie packing of tho quantities asked by the 
cousumers is wnnted, the greit importance of which, 
in counectiou with the preparation by tlu^ Govcrnnieut 
is acknowledged, as well by the promoters as the 
oppouvuts oj thu farm eystem. As to the Govern- 
ment's coffee cultivation, the Minister has followed ia 
this Budget the existing regulation, but it is his in- 
tention to make a proposal, as eoon as the advicei 
from India upon the report of the Stalee CommisBion 
have been pubbsheJ. An amount of f. 756,700 is pro- 
posed for waterwoika at the eist side of Sourabaya; 
t. 630,000 for a dock in the harbour ofTandjo ug Priok; 
f. 6,565,100 for tho construction of railroidg, ot which 
f. 3,772,500 for the lire Warong-Bandoug.Tjilatjap ; 
f. 225,000 6re requirei for the comp'etion of vescels 
for the Indiin Navy, while f. 1,100,000 are «sked for 
the coflstructioQ of two other veisels for the Military 
Navy in India. The coudit:o:i of the material of the 
Indian War Navy, iu connection with the ueceasity to 
blockade a part of the coist of Aoheen, does not permit 
of any delay for the decision upoa the report ot the 
States Commissioa. The quantity of coffee to be fold 
in 1892 is estimate-! at 235,000 piculs, the probable 
proceeds of whith will be about c. 48 per J kilo, As 
the temporary freedom o£ export duty oa bugar will 
expire on June Ist, 1892, tLe procee Is are eitimated 
at f. 300,000 more than the proceeds in 1890. The 
question is still considered whe'ber it is rot necessary 
in the present circumstance', to propose a prolonga- 
tion of the tuspeusioa for one year. In the meantime 
another pending question could then be solved, whether 
it is possible to introduce ano'her tax, ,vhioh would 
burden not fo heavily, but compensate the loss suf- 
fered by the Exchequer. — L. and C. Express. 
The Tea Fund Committee and the Peosecu- 
TioN OF Fraudulent Tea Deaieks, — We have been 
asked to contradict the erroneous report that has 
got about to the effect that the Tea Fund Committee 
will not sanction further tea proseoutions. It 
appears to have originated through eome careless 
reading of the minutes of a former Committee 
meeting. The Committee declined to advise any 
further pro3eoution at present — a very different thing 
— and will no doubt be ready to prosecute again, 
whenever good reason exists. Such prosecutiona 
are always expensive things, and only to be indulged 
in on good cause shewn, but this false rumour 
may do harm if uncontradicted 
The Quinine Syndicate Kdmotjrs, — The rum- 
blings of the recent outbreak still reverberate 
through the pages of the Indische Mercuur. Mr. 
Kessler, a Java planter now in Holland, gives 
it aa his opinion that the way to establish a 
successful combination is for the planters to place 
the sales of all their bark into the hands of a 
central body in Europe, which shall have the 
control of the analyses, in order to avoid the 
uncertainty which now attaches to these, and which 
often causes two lota of the same parcel of bark 
to be sold at 25 per cent difference in price because 
the analyses have been made by different people. 
The central body would also fix the total quantity 
of bark to be harvested by estates forming the 
syndicate, and it should agree to sell no bark below 
a unit of say, 12 cents, or about 2Jd per lb. which 
is fully double the present price. A joint com- 
mittee of the two great planters' associations in 
Java would be asked to lay clown after personal 
inspections the quota which each individual planta- 
tion should contribute (o the total amount fixed 
by the central body. The combination, it ia 
thought, would be sufficiently powerful to leave 
the two or three e.sfcates now making direct ship- 
ments to the Brunswick works out of account, the 
more so as those estates would be sure to join 
the syndicate as soon as they regained their liberty. 
If no combination is effected, Mr. Kessler foresees 
a further considerable decline in the price of bark, 
to be followed either by the wholesale uprooting of 
plantations or by the gradual purchase at rubbish 
prices of most of the cinchona estates by some 
individual financier, who will in this manner succeed 
in obtaining ultimate control of the market.— 
Ohmiet and, JJruggist, Sept. 26th, 
