754 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[May  I,  1896 
THE  DUTY  UN  TEA. 
WASIUNOTON  (I).  C.)  “roST." 
The  iiDpovtei's  “ cail  at  the  wrong  shop  " when 
they  ask  a Republican  House  of  Representatives  to 
tax  tea.  The  policy  of  that  party  is  to  impose  pro- 
tective duties,  not  duties  ‘-for  revenue  only.”  We 
could  get  <iliU>0,0UO,O00  a year  out  of  tea  and  coffee, 
which  do  not  compete  with  our  home  industries,  and 
let  our  markets  bo  overrun  by  foreign  manufacturers 
which  do  compete  with  our  own  labor  and  capital. 
This  is  the  English  revenue  system,  and  it  has  a 
few  advocates  in  this  country.  It  is  in  high  favor 
with  the  Mugwumps.  But,  us  we  have  seen,  the 
Democratic  revenue  reformers  did  not  venture  to 
tax  tea  or  coffee.  Instead  of  being  logical,  they  pre- 
ferred to  be  Populistic,  and  adopted  the  income  tax, 
MIInV.VUKEE  (wis.)  “ .JOUltN.VL.” 
xVny  duty  on  tea,  coffee  and  other  goods  not  pro' 
duced  in  this  country  at  all,  is  a revenue  tariff> 
pure  aird  simple.  That  is,  the  entire  tax  goes  to 
♦ ho  Treasury  and  none  of  it  to  private  parties. 
This  is  the  way  free  traders  would  raise  revenue — 
by  taking  only  those  things  on  which  there  is  no 
competition,  which  are  of  general  use  in  all  parts  of 
the  country.  But  this  demand  does  not  come  from 
free  traders,  nor  is  it  asked  for  the.  revenue  it  may 
yield  ; it  comes  from  the  dealers  for  the  purpose  of 
excluding  a poor  article,  even  at  the  cost  of  higher 
prices.  This  is  the  curiosity  of  it  all.  It  is  expected 
that  the  protectionists  will  oppose  any  such  tax,  and 
there  is  little  shov/  that  it  will  be  considered  by 
Congress.  But  it  gives  food  for  thought 
CnATTAXOOG.V  (XENN.)  “ TIMES.” 
There  is  no  doubt  about  the  fact  that  w'e  import  a 
good  deal  of  mischief,  in  the  form  of  cheap,  adul- 
terated, verdigris-poisoned  teas.  But  the  main  point 
is  that  we  need  the  j-evenue  that  ought  to  benv.ised 
from  this  ideal  article  for  taxation.  It  and  our 
coffee  imports  ought  to  yield  nothing  less  than 
$30,000,000  to  tho  Treasury.  Add  another  to  the 
dollar  now  levied  on  each  barrel  of  beer,  and  w'e  get 
say  a round  $35,000,000.  A total  of  $65,000,000.  This, 
wo  say,  is  the  main  point;  but  w'o  need  for  the 
protection  of  the  people  against  fraud  and  swindling 
and  deleterious  trash,  a more  thorough  inspection 
of  teas,  coffees,  wines,  liquors,  etc.,  imported  from 
the  other  continents.  And  a stiff  duty  on  all  of  them 
will  not  make  the  system  complete.  Inspection  of  the 
most  rigid  kind  ought  to  go  with  tho  tax — be  a part 
of  the  custom  system. — American  Grocer,  March  11. 
< 
A M ER lU AN -M A 1) E C A E F EINB. 
Ever  since  caffeine  came  into  such  general  use  in 
this  country,  there  has  been  more  or  less  said  about 
the  possibility  of  its  being  made  here  some  day. 
So  ion"  as  the  supply  of  tho  sweepings  in  London 
was  ample  for  all  tho  requirements  of  the  makers 
of  caffeine  in  England  and  Germany,  and  the  price 
for  the  alkaloid  remained  low,  it  was  realized  that 
it  could  not  be  made  here  profitably,  even  with 
the  protection  of  twenty-five  per  eent.  ad  valorem 
afforded  by  the  tariff.  The  question  was  thoroughly 
investigated  by  interested  parties  hero,  who  decided 
to  wait  for  a more  opportune  time.  The  rapid  in- 
crease in  the  demand  for  caffeine  last  year,  which 
sent  the  price  up  to  very  high  figures,  and  caused 
a shortage  in  the  supply  of  tea  sweepings  in  Lon- 
don set  the  statisticians  at  work  once  more, 
and  vve  learn,  as  a result,  that  a plant 
has  been  established  in  a nearby  New  Jersey  town, 
to  make  caffeine  and  place  it  on  the  New  York  mar- 
ket The  gentleman  who  is  the  moving  spirit  in  the 
undertaking  is  a chemist  of  note,  who  has  had  a 
wide  e'xpeiisnce  in  Germany  in  the  manufacture,  not 
only  of  Weiuc,  but  of  all  of  tho  finer  chemicals 
used  in  medicine  and  the  arts.  What  effect  tho 
nroduct  of  this  plant  will  have  on  tho  price  depends 
somewhat  on  the  amount  that  can  lie  produced. 
Somewhai  over  a year  ago,  wiien  a report  was  in 
circulation  that  caffeine  was  being  made  here,  we 
made  a thorough  investigation  with  a view  to  dis- 
covering just  what  quantity  of  the  sweepings  could 
be  secured  here  or  contracted  for  at  a price  that 
would  permit  of  the  profitable  manufacture  of  caffeine. 
The  result  of  our  investigation  was  published  in  our 
issue  of  December  3rd,  1891.  Vv'e  ascertained  that 
possibly  one  hundred  tons  of  Japan  tea  dust  could  bo 
secured  per  annum,  at  about  four  cents  per  pound. 
Allowing  for  a yield  of  two  percent,  of  caffeine,  four 
thousand  pounds  of  the  alkaloid  could  be  obtained, 
and  this  amount  we  now  learn  is  about  die  amount 
the  new  plant  will  produce.  The  first  cost,  therefore, 
would  be  two  dollars  per  pound,  to  'which  must  be 
added  the  cost  to  manufacture,  which  is  comparatively 
light,  as  water  is  used  as  a menstruum.  The  market 
price  of  caffeine  has  declined  materially  since  the 
article  above  alluded  to  was  published,  owing  to  the 
use  of  cheap  teas  to  make  up  to  some  extent  for  the 
shortage  in  the  supply  of  sweepings,  but  even  at 
present  prices  there  is  a fair  profit  in  making  caffeine 
here,  under  the  protection  of  the  duty,  providing  the 
tea  dust  is  available  in  tho  quantity  and  at  the 
price  we  have  stated.  It  must  not  be  forgott  n 
that  some  chemists  constantly  obtain  a greater 
yield  of  the  alkaloid  than  others  do,  and  with- 
out a doubt  the  gentleman  who  is  an  as- 
pirant for  the  honor  of  establishing  a new  industry 
in  this  country  of  the  character  indicated  is  one  of 
this  class. 
It  will  be  claimed  that  four  thousand  pounds  is 
not  a great  quantity  of  caffeine  to  offer,  and  that 
it  cannot  possibly  affect  the  price,  all  of  which  is 
quite  true.  It  nisy,  however,  set  the  other  makers 
guessing,  and  tempt  them  to  lower  their  prices,  es- 
pecially if  they  are  assured  of  an  ample  supply  of 
cheap  raw  material.  In  the  light  of  the  past  it  does 
not  appear  likely  that  the  price  will  be  as  low  as  it 
was  in  October,  1893,  when  caffeine  sold  in  this  market 
at  two  dollars  and  ten  cents  per  pound,  so  long  as 
the  consumption  remains  at  the  present  high-rate 
mark.  There  is  one  elcmeut  in  tho  situation  which 
we  have  not  touched  upon,  and  that  is  the  possi- 
bility of  the  new  American  maker  being  considered, 
at  some  future  time  sufliciently  formidable  to 
be  taken  into  the  English-German  combination. 
Over  a year  ago  it  was  understood  that  caffeine 
tvas  being  made  here,  but  subsequent  events  re- 
vealed tho  fact  that  there  was  no  foundation  for 
the  claims  put  forth. 
There  is  some  effort  being  made  to  have  a duty 
placed  on  tea,  with  a view  to  furni.shing  the  Go- 
vernment considerable  revenue.  Should  its  advocates 
score  .a  success,  there  is  no  reason  for  believing  the 
cost  of  the  tea  dust  w'ould  be  increased  for  the 
making  of  caffeine.  No  doubt  an  arrangement  could 
be  made  with  the  Government  similar  to  that  in 
vogue  in  London  by  which  the  sweepings  are 
denatured. 
Tho  outcome  of  the  new  undertaking  will  be 
watched  with  much  curiosity  by  those  who  are 
interested. — Oil  Paint  and  Druq  h'cporter,  Feb.  21. 
« 
THE  I^LANTING  PROSPECTS  OF 
SELANCORE. 
Mr.  Robert  Fraser  writes  to  the  local  “ Times”  : — 
With  reference  to  the  “ Belangore  land  fiasco  ” — 
as  it  was  recently  so  designated — concerning  which 
BO  much  has  appeared  in  the  public  prints,  and  the 
outcome  of  w’hich  cannot  be  anything  but  inimical 
to  tho  planting  interests,  and  the  future  deve- 
lopment of  the  coffee  enterprise  in  the  several  pro- 
tected native  states  of  tho  Straits  Settlements,  I 
hope  you  will  permit  me  space  for  a few  lines  in 
defence  of  that  country,  which,  from  exiiericnce, 
and  having  been  engaged  in  planting  there  ^r  three 
years,  I can  speak  of  with  some  degree  of  con- 
fidence. 
It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  without  thorough 
perquisition  in  the  first  instance,  tho  land  acquired 
by  Messrs.  Christie  and  Forsythe  should  have  been 
taken  up  by  them,  as,  from  what  has  now  trans- 
pired, and  been  givqn  publicity  to,  intending  in- 
vestors in  the  Straits  will  naturally  conclude  that 
the  bright  prospects  and  inducements  held  out  to 
