594 THE TROPICAL AQRiCULTURIST. [February i, 1892* 
CROPS OF CEYLON TEA SINCE 1883: 
ANNUAL INCREASES AND YEARLY 
PERCENTAGES OF INCREASE. 
A mistake having crept into our article on crops 
past, present and future, whereby the increase ot 1891 
over 1890 was understated by a couple of millions of 
pounds, we now give figures for crops, with 
abaolute increases of succeeding years and percentage 
of increase in each case since 1883, when, for 
the first 
time, our export exceeded 
a million of 
pounds: — 
Crops 
In- 
Percentages 
Years. 
lb. 
creases. 
OF Increase. 
1883 - 
- 1,665,000 
1884 - 
- 2,393,000 
728,000 
431 
1885 - 
- 4,373,000 
1,980,000 
82§ 
1886 - 
- 7,8.50,000 
3,477,000 
79i 
1887 - 
- 13,834.000 
5,984,000 
76 
1888 - 
- 23,821,000 
9,987,000 
72 
1889 - 
- 34,346,000 
10,525,000 
44 
1890 - 
- 45,800,000 
11,454,000 
33^ 
1891 - 
- 67,000,000 
21,200,000 
46^ 
1892*- - 85,000,000 
18,000,000 
26 j 
m 
1893*- 
-100,000,000 
15,000,000 
Our readers will see from the above figures that in 
the third year of the aeries the increase over the pre- 
vious year was actually 82i per cent. The rate of in- 
crease per cent then went gradually down until 
that of 1890 over 1889 was 33J, a rise of just 
one-third. Then came the year of exceptional 
weather and exceptional yield, 1891, when the per- 
centage of increase approximated 50, the exaot 
figure being Our estimate for 1892 of 85 
millions of pounds is lower by 20 per cent than 
this rate, and lower by 7j per cent than the rate 
lor the normal year 1890 over the normal year 
1889. Our estimate for 1893, high as it seems, is 
only at the rate of 17§ per cent, or only a 
little more than one-half the lowest percen- 
tage of increase previously shown. We fear, 
therefore, in view of all the circumstanofs, especially 
in view of the fact, that the whole 250,000 acres, 
including the 66,000 planted subsequently to July 
1888, will then be as nearly as possible in full 
bearing, at the average rate of 400 lb. per acre, — 
we fear our estimates are only too likely to be 
lealized. As we have said already the general 
adoption of light plucking might lessen our figures, 
and we believe that in a good many cases the 
order for lighter plucking has gone forth. But 
we have more confidence in the Chicago crusade 
and similar efiorts in regard to other markets, 
than belief in the general adoption of plucking 
BO light as materially to effect the yields we 
feel compelled to estimate. 
THE DUTY ON TEA. 
A FALLACY TO REPRESENT THAT ITS RE- 
MISSION WILL BENEFIT THE WORKING MAN. 
(By W. F. Pondeb.) 
When the Colonial Treasurer announced to the House 
and to the couutry with a flourish of trumpets, aud as 
a preface to announciug hia general taxation policy, 
thRt it was the intention of the Goveroment" to take 
the duty off the poor mivn's tea," it was but too plainly 
evident that this course wns adopted with the sole 
object of »ttraoting the public tniud from the enormity 
of the proposals that were to follow, and blinding them 
to the eerioDB weight of the burdens it was their 
intention to bind upon them. 
" A free broakfast tnble lit last, " interjected the 
member for J5ourke, Mr. Willis ; an old GIndstonian 
cry of 30 years ago, that was doubtless intended 
should be taken up by thu populace and echoed tlirough- 
out the couutry. " A free breakfast table," forpoolh. 
with ft duty on bread aad b'ltter, enprar and milk, 
coffee, crockery, cutlery, and every other requirement 
that makes the dietinctioii between onr educated oivili- 
fatiou and savago iguorfince. And thus, tbii proteo- 
tioaist Governa en'; wishes to pose as the " poor man's " 
friend, the champious of the working man, and 
make a party cry of the fact that they have 
aboli.shed the dnty on tea, and thr-reby try 
to blind the public to the far greater fact that thoy 
will have to piy a much higher price for all the 
actual necessaries of everybody life, and that they are 
to be prohibited from enjoying any of its comforls 
uiileas they are prepared to pay the high prices that 
will result from the heavy duties placed upon what they 
characterise as " the rich min's luxuries." 
But what dors this great boon thit it is proposed 
to confer upon tbe "poor man" really mean? Is Mr. 
See fo ignorant of the commercial conditions under 
which the trade of the co'ony is carried on that he 
really believes the actual consumer will be benefited 
by it in the slightest degree ? 
In point of fact, instead of the remisnon of the 
duty upon Tea being a benefit to general consumers 
it will not benefit them in the least, but will simply 
confer a great benefit upon the rich importers and 
wholesale grocers who dietribate this article of every- 
day consumption, and will leave in their pockets the 
sum of £110,000 annually that they have now to pay 
as duty before the Tea is released from bond, and 
which undtr present circumstances is one cf the 
fairest sources of indirect taxation for providing the 
necessary revenue for state expenditure that exists. 
To show that such is the case we have simply 
to look at the conditions under which tea is dis- 
tributed to the public. In ths first place it must bo 
admitted that the general purchaser is totally ignorant 
of the actual value of the tea they buy. They may 
know the class of tea they like when they have it 
infused in the cup, but this is simply the result of edu- 
cation of the palate. They like a certain class of tea 
because they are accustomed to drink that quality, and 
this education goes to the extent of their often pre- 
ferring a common inferior quality tea to a higher ola's 
and richer flavoured one, or to the class of blended tea 
supplied by one grocer in preference to that supplied 
by another, although the rejected sample may be wor'h 
from 6d to Is per lb. more than the one tint the buyer 
likes, simply through his having acquired a tasto for 
the inferior article through constantly using it. This 
fact is taken advantage of by the general grocer, who 
always locks to get a large profit upon his tea. He may 
have to give the best value in sugar, an article the 
quality of which anyone can judge. He may have to 
out down the price of his butter, cheese, bacon, jams, 
aud other standard goods to the finest margin to com- 
pete with his opponents, hut he must make up for this 
i>y getting a large profit on his tea, because in this his 
customers cannot judge of ihe relative values offered, 
being in total ignorance of the value of the article they 
are purchasing. 
The truth of this statement is evidenced by the 
fact that numerous grocers advertise and pro- 
claim by large signs that " they will give 5 lb. of 
the best while sugar to each purchaser of 1 lb. 
of their best 2s tea. "Now let any thinking mind ana- 
lyse this wonderful offer ; do they really imagine that 
they will get " 1 lb. of the best 23 tea," and that the 
kind-hearted grocer generously presents them with 51b 
white sugar? If they do, let us inform them for their 
information that it is much more probable that they 
get lib. old exhausted rubbish, that once perhaps 
deserved the name of tea, and that would be now 
dear at any price, aud that by this catch the grocer 
makes a profit on his sugar that otherwise he would 
not get. The working man can now buy his tea at 
any price, from Is per lb. upwards, according to his 
taste and requirements. Let us ask him to use bis 
own common sense and practical knowlelge of the 
world, and say whether in the face of the foregoing 
facts it In at all probable that he would be able to 
buy his tea cheaper, or get better value for his money 
through the fact of the 3d per lb. duty being taken off. 
yfs can tell hm be wiU (lotf. The r^fuie^ioQ of tti« 
