THE  TROPICAL  AGRICHLTURtST. 
Jan.  I.  1896.J 
4fi 
British-grown  tea  industry  ; for  it  is  upon  the 
opening  up  of  new  markets  for  Indian  and 
Ceylon  tea  that  the  prosperity  of  that  industry 
now  mainly  depends.  So  generally  is  this  fact  ad- 
mitted by  the  proprietors  of  tea  estates  that,  in 
response  to  a petition  from  planters,  the  Ceylon  Gov- 
ernment imposed  an  export  tax  upon  tea  for  the 
Sose  of  raisinr  a fund  to  open  np  new  markets, 
3 Indian  planters  have  riiaed  a voluntary  levy 
among  themselves  for  the  sa  no  purpose,  the  two 
funds  annually  reaching  somewhere  about  £10,000. 
You  comment  upon  a report  having  obtained  circu- 
lation which  en-oneously  states  that  ‘ up  to  the  end 
of  September  the  deliveries  abroad  were  3.5,000,000  lb, 
against  28,000,0001b  for  the  wh  >le  of  1894.’  The 
total  quantity  of  Indian  and  Ceylon  tea  used  abroad 
for  the  first  nine  months  of  1895  was  about 
27,000,000  lb,  against  about  20,000,000  for  the  same 
period  in  1894.  Of  this  quantity  only  8,000,000  lb 
were  re-exported  from  the  United  Kingdom  in  1895, 
and  6,000,000  lb.  during  the  same  period  in  1894,  the 
remainder  going  direct  from  the  countries  of  pro- 
duction. The  total  quantity  of  Indian  and  Ceylon 
tea  used  outside  the  United  Kingdom  during  the 
whole  of  1891  did  amount  to  28.000,000  lb.,  as  stated  in 
your  article,  and  if  the  increase  whicli  has  taken 
place  during  the  first  nine  months  of  1895  should 
continue  in  the  same  proportion  to  the  end  of  the 
year  the  use  of  J5ritish-grown  tea  outside  the  United 
Kingdom  should  reach  aearly  40,000,000  lb. — a quan- 
tity sufficient  to  materially  affect  the  welfare  of  the 
enterprise.  This  matter  is  of  such  importance  to  one 
of  our  great  national  industries  that  v/e  feel  sure  you 
will  consent  to  give  it  publicity.” — II.  S C.-3Iail. 
TEA  DEALERS  IN  COUNCIL 
The  annual  meeting  of  the  London  Wholesale  Tea 
Dealers’  association  is  always  interestir  g to  the  growers 
and  importers  as  a reflection  of  the  views  of  the 
tea  trade.  Mr.  Francis  Peck  presided  over  the 
meeting  held  last  week,  and  the  annual  report  was 
as  follows  : “Your  Committee  have  delayed  the  issue 
of  their  repoit  until  now,  as  they  wei'e  anxious  to 
complete  tlu-  negotiations  respecting  an  amendment 
to  Clause  4 of  the  Public  Salts  Conditions.  These 
negotiations  were  only  concluded  at  the  end  of  Oct., 
and  the  clause  as  hereinafter  referred  to  come  into 
operation  on  the  1st.  The  subject  of  robbery  of 
tea  returns  for  sampling  has  again  engaged  the  at- 
tention of  your  committee,  and  a special  fund  was 
raised,  which  assisted  in  the  prosecution  of  another 
receiver  and  sampler.  The  case  on  being  tried  at 
the  court  resulted  in  conviction,  the  receiver  being 
sentenced  to  eighteen  months'  imprisonment  with 
hard  labour,  and  the  youth  to  three  months.  An 
account  of  the  receipts  and  expenditure  in  connection 
with  this  fund  is  printed  with  this  report,  and  shows 
a balance  in  hand  to  be  used  in  future  cases.  In 
connection  with  this  subject,  the  warehouse  pro- 
prietors have  a plan  for  abolishing  the  system  of 
using  returns  for  .sampling  still  under  their  consider- 
ation, and  your  committee  will  favourably  entertain 
any  well-devised  scheme  which  may  not  be  opposed 
to  the  interests  of  wholesale  dealers.  A caes  was 
reported  of  some  tea  sweepings  being  exported,  and 
after  being  subjected  to  a particular  treatment  re- 
imported, and,  although  then  of  an  objectionable 
character,  passed  by  the  Customs  authorities.  Steps 
were  promptly  taken  to  effectually  prevent  such  rub- 
bish being  used  for  home  consumption.  A further 
representation  was  made  to  the  Customs  authorities 
respecting  tea  collected  in  what  are  commonly 
known  as  damaged  holes  in  some  bonded  warehouses, 
and  an  assurance  was  given  that  such  tea  should 
in  future  be  destroyed.  Complaints  have  been  re- 
ceived of  teas  being  put  up  for  sale  without  any 
indication  whether  the  teas  were  bulked  here  or 
abroad,  also  of  the  bulking  operations  being  in 
some  cases  imperfectly  performed,  and  steps  have 
been  taken  to  prevent  sucb  irregularities.  A 
measure  was  drafted  during  the  last  Parliament, 
entitled  the  ‘ Warehousemen’s  Certificates  Bill  and 
as  it  appeared  to  facilitate  advances  upon  warrants 
without  enquiry,  and  thus  render  fraud  easy,  your 
cnnHn.  « ‘=°"®i«ered  It  most  objectionable,  and  will 
inUorceh  i‘'Pr\^'‘  «teps  are  taken  to 
introduce  It  in  the  House  of  Commons  With  reference 
leieirea  to  in  the  first  paragraph  of  this  renm-t 
Ser'an'd'^f?  have  very  carefully  considered^ the 
lattei,  and  after  several  interviews  with  the  brokers’ 
opeltbn  N™’™SeT"l«  'S;!'’ 
..'n.ply  ..a.ed  thr'’Yhe'‘'ieJ'’;„„”;r‘b“e  SX 
for  delivery  on  the  day  of  sale  but  tbpro  ^ 
UO  pe„»%  to,  o„y 
ta  ring,  and  m practice  it  was  found  that  fresuentTv 
delivery  could  not  be  obtained,  and,  moreovel 
packages  were  often  allowed  to  be  left  open  for  a 
long^  time,  and  the  teas  seriously  affected  therebv 
whereas,  by  the  amended  clause,  the  operations  to 
be  completed  on  the  day  of  sale  are  clearly  stated 
all  packages  nailed  down  within  six  days,  and  deli’ 
very  given  on  the  day  after  the  dav  of  sale  on  a 
notice  being  given.  This  will  not  prevent  any  pack 
ages  which  are  urgently  required  being  in  ordinary 
cases  delivered  on  the  day  of  sale,  but,  what  is  more 
important,  gives  the  buyer  the  option  of  refusinc 
any  packages  as  to  which  the  conditions  have  no^ 
^To\pTil"'‘^  catalogues  the  words 
o be  taken  without  allowance  for  any  irregularity 
of  against  the  mteres^t 
01  tlie  buyer,  and  your  committee  are  glad  to  renort 
that  upon  the  injustice  of  the  condition  being  brom^ht 
I ider  the  notice  of  the  Brokers’  Association  an  as- 
be'Zitted^^'''f”ture’’'^'"  objectionable  words  should 
.^e  Chairman  said,  with  regard  to  the  amendment 
of  Clause  4 the  Public  Sale  Conditions,  he  suppS 
evep  one  of  them  knew  what  an  important  Matter 
t^hat  wis  They  had  had  to  have  a very  great  num! 
mterviews  with  both  importers  an<f  also  with 
tffid  satisfactorily  set- 
end' concluded  at  the 
end  of  October,  and  the  clause  came  into  operation 
on  the. first  of  the  month.  He  hoped  it  .UKe  a 
Two  or  three  mtm- 
bers  of  their  committee  had  taken  a great  deal  of  in- 
terest  in  that  matter.  As  to  the  question  of  robbery  of 
tea  returns  for  sampling,  he  was  afraid  they  had 
not  got  to  the  end  of  that  yet,  but  at  all  events 
action  had  had  some  effect.  He  did  not 
think  they  would  really  stop  it  until  they  got  a 
S’ sampling,  but  that  at  preaen/se^emed 
as  far  as  ever.  There  was  a balance  of  £34  on  the 
!p?fi  that  prosecution.  The  cost  did  not 
reach  the  sum  subscribed,  and  so  it  was  decided 
o carry  the  balance  to  a prosecution  fund  in  the 
event  of  a similar  case  heing  taken  up  With  le 
paid  to  the  paragraph  as  to  the  wai-ehouse  proprie- 
tors’ plan  for  abolishing  the  system  of  usi^  Srns 
thU^esm  'T’  1°“^^  difficulty  was  that  fhe  more 
t ley  came  to  think  over  the  different  proposals  the 
more  difficult  it  was  to  arrive  at  any^really  satis 
factory  substitute  for  that  which  Ky  ^ow 
had.  'They  would  probably  all  know  to  what 
the  next  siih.i^ect  referred— that  of  tea  sweopinus 
bmng  treated  and  re-imported.  The  sweepinis 
of  wWehouses  mixed  with  dirt  and  every  elL  ^wefe 
fc^^  “’"d  reimported  as  good 
tea.  The  Customs  passed  it— how  or  why  he  had  never 
bom,  Me  to  make  out.  He  was  in  correspoiiKe 
th  the  customs  personally,  and  so  were  also  the  com 
mittee,  but  smnoone  lot  the  teas  go  through— they 
were  very  white,  and  he  supposed  the  people%l,o  S 
they  were  Tekoe  tips.  They  proposed  to  add  one  pai^ 
giaph  to  the  report  on  a matter  which  had  ^been 
oimagmg  the  attention  of  the  committee  as  follow^ 
Ihe  subject  of  dust  teas  being  imported  in  packages 
not  canvassed  or  otherwise  protected  has  been 
mider  the  consideration  of  the  committee,  and 
they  urge  on  importers  the  desirability  of  having  such 
packages  properly  packed.”  He  supposed  everyone 
knew  there  were  a considerable  number  of  compli^ints 
m lespect  to  dust  teas,  that  when  they  arrived  at  their 
destination  they  were  short  weight.  The  general  feel 
mg  was  that  both  in  the  interests  of  thi  hnporVers 
and  themseves  such  teas  should  be  canvassed  ^at  the 
