196 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [September i, 1890. 
WHAT “BI-METALLISM” AND EXCHANGE 
AT PAB MEANS IN BESPECT OP 
CEYLON PBODUCE— (1) COFFEE. 
Colombo, July 23rd. 
Sir,— Herewith is mem : showing the result of our 
coffee crop of last year at the then rate of exchange 
and what the result would be at the bi-metallic 
rate of exchange 2s. 
We in Ceylon can in no wise affect the question of 
bi-metallism, but the statement shows the effect it 
would have for planters. 
The change of currency has powerful influences in 
its favour at home, — Manchester and the farmers, — 
and so may probably come to pass. 
In •' Hazell for 1887 ” there is a very good article 
on bi-metallism explaining the matter in short space 
and showing how the present bi-metallic countries — 
the United States and the Latin Union — get over 
the difficulty. — Yours truly, NEMO. 
Statement showing the result in sterling of a coffee 
crop (year 1889) at the then average rate of exchange 
and the result as it would be at the bi-metallic rate 
of exchange 2s. 
The coffee sold averaged .,E66'85 p. cwt. f.o.b. 
R66’85 at exchange (the aver- 
age rate) Is 4§d .. ..92s7Jd 
92s 7Jd at 2s bi-metallic rate . .B46 31 
The costfof the crop f.o.b. was. .B31‘97 p. cwt. 
The value of crop as above ..B66-85 p. cwt. 
Less cost 31'97 ,, „ 
Leaving available for remittance K34 88 ,, ,, 
E34'88 at exchange Is 4|d £2 8s 3d ,, „ 
Value of crop as above 92s 7Jd 
at bi-metallic rate of ex- 
change 2s R46'3iJ p, cwt. 
Less cost . . . . . . . . 31'97 „ „ 
Leaving available for remittance E14'34J p. cwt. 
E14-34J at 2s exchange . . ±T 8s 8d ,, „ 
Summary. 
If the crop sold at the same rupee price, E66'8.’> 
per cwt., when the exchange was Is 4fd, there would 
be £2 8s 3d per cwt. to remit to England ; when the 
exchange goes to 2s there will only be £1 8s 8d per 
cwt. to remit to England. — N. 
[This is very interesting ; but we should expect 
to see sterling prices “ harden ” and advance if 
xehange went still further against us. — E d. T. A,] 
BUSHEL MEASURES AND ORDINANCE 
NO. 2 OF 1836; 
Dear Sir,— l am sorry you have made no comment 
on case No. 3,326 P. C., Panwila, as reported in 
Observer of 26th July last. 
In discharging the accused the Magistrate said ; 
“ The evidence of the complainant only goes to show 
that the accused was in the possession of the 
bushel measures described in the plaint ; and I 
hold that mere pos.session without proof that these 
mei.sures were used by accused is insufiioient to 
mdintain a charge against him.” 
What, however, says Ordinance No. 2 of 1836 
clause .5? “ Any person or persons selling by retail 
V ho shall use or attempt to use, or in whose shop, 
house, stall standing place, or premises shall he found 
any wag hi (rr measjire of length or capacity not being 
in cwiformity with the standards hereby established, 
shall, upon conviction, forfeit and pay for every 
such offence,” dec. 
Coolies are so frequently cheated by dealers in 
the issue of rice, that as desirable punishment 
should be sure as inspection should be effective. 
A. G. K. B. 
[“ Jove” sometimes nods 1 The acting Magistrate 
referred to is, of course, hopelessly wrong. Section 
267 and 268 of the Ceylon Penal Code amended 
by seotion 1 of Ordinance 11 of 1887 makes it a 
criminal offence for anyone to fraudulently use or 
fraudulently to possess a false measure, &c. The 
mere possession of a false weight or measure how- 
ever by a boutique-keeper, or shopkeeper is of itself 
a criminal offence, and no proof of any use or 
intention to use is necessary. — Ed. T. A,] 
THE INTERMINABLE SILVER QUESTION. 
July 26th. 
Sir, — Who will be able to agree when doctors differ ? 
Will you try your band ? — or if you have not the data 
(although I have no doubt it is, being so important 
a question, already in your new Haudboot) 
perhaps some of your readers may be able to throw 
light on this inquiry as to the silver production of the 
tuorld. 
In the Observer of the 19th instant appeared a long 
statement from the Economist, London, 28lh June last, 
in which figures are given as follows : — 
United States. All other Countries. Total. 
Fine ounces Fine ounces Fine ounces 
“1889 50,000,000 76,000,000 126,000,000.” 
Now at 48d per ounce this would give in sterling 
£10,000,000 £15 200,000 £26,200,000. 
The Economist’s figures for 1878 were as follows, in 
ounces : — 
34,960,000 38,516,000 73,476,000, 
showing that in twelve years the increase under the 
above headings was say roughly 
50 per cent 100 per cent 70 per cent, 
— a vast increase without doubt, when it is considered 
that it has been accomplished at a low rate per ounce 
during the period mentioned. But our eyes ate opened 
further by the Chairman of the New Oriental Bank 
Corporation, for in the Cetjlon Observer of the 21st inst. 
appears his statement as follows.- — “The amount of silver 
coined last year throughout the world is given as 
26A wiiKiows sterling” {z.e. all the silver produced in 
that year, according to so reliable a source as the 
Loudon Economist, was positively coined !) Then he 
proceeds to tell us, on his own authority apparently 
this time, that " the whole produce of silver through- 
out the world was only 32| millions sterling.” I suppose 
he used the word “ only ’’ advisedly. 
It thus left, says the N. O. B. C. Chairman, only 
over six millions for making spoons, &c., and there- 
fore it does not seem that there is any enormous 
overplus of silver ! 
Well, then, I turn for consolation to the Tropical 
Agriculturist for July last, and this is what I find, on 
page 45, written by one John Richards, whoever he 
may be, to the Adelaide Observer of May 10th : — 
“It is quite on the cards, judging from past progress 
that in less than twenty years, the output of silver 
(from Australia) will exceed in value any one of our 
long established staple products” — something very 
vast no doubt, but extremely visionary, yet it is 
consoling as far as it goes, for it indicates a cheap ru- 
pee — but I am afraid Mr. Richards’ figures are more 
or lees the result of a dream, for he says further on 
that the silver produced in the United States is equal 
to “ about half the production of the world” ! My 
confidence in his statements is further weakened by 
his saying (upon what authority I know not) that “426 
millions of dollars” (i. e 426,000,000 ounces of silver) 
issued by the United States in paper have got “ no 
back,” i. e. they are not represented either “ by gold, 
silver or bullion.” A rotten state of things to bo sure, 
and if true the United States Government’s demand 
for silver is not likely to go on unchecked for a long 
time to come: as Mr. Richards admits, “ the cause of 
the introduction of the Silver Bill is the glowing scar- 
city of gold which means dear money.” 
