79a  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  [May  i,  1896. 
owing  to  labour  difficulties,  the  tendency  ism 
in  the  same  direction. 
“ It  is,  therefore,  necessary  to  apply  a free  port 
principle  to  the  London  docks  and  wharves,  because 
our  arrivals,  Germany,  France,  Belgium,  Holland, 
Austria,  A.,  are  placed  as  follows : — Geimauy 
Hamburg,  a free  section  of  the  port  adjoining  the 
Elbe,  where  the  Custom  House  official  has  no  locus 
standi.  In  Germany  certain  firms  in  the  interior 
are  given  every  possible  facility,  coffees  in  their  own 
warehouses  being  still  in  bond.  France  : Differential 
duties  against  all  European  competitors  and  ports, 
subsidised  steamer  lines,  the  producing  countries  and 
New  York  being  the  favoured  place.  Bringing  in 
New  York  as  not  subject  to  the  differential  duty  is 
clever.  In  France  the  ports  become  practically  free, 
because  a shipper  sending  his  coffee  there  secures 
all  options  of  other  ports,  and  yet  saves  the 
differential  duty  if  it  eventually  suits  him  to 
sell  his  produce  in  France.  Belgium  ; Antwerp, 
coffees  invoiced  in  and  invoiced  out  of  warehouses 
without  any  reference  to  ships,  marks,  packages,  &c. 
Stocks  taken  at  intervals,  on  notice  being  previously 
given,  the  warehouse  keeper  being  subject  to  a fine 
of  ten  times  the  ordinary  duty  on  any  weight  of 
coffee  missing.  What  a wise  action  on  the  part  of 
the  Belgian  Government,  as  otherwise  the  whole 
tra,de  would  have  gone  to  Holland:  No  duty.  Austria 
Trieste,  practically  a free  port. 
“ We  would  therefore  hirmbly  suggest  : (a)  That 
the  import  or  the  owner  should  have  facilities, 
so  as  to  handle  coffee  in  any  way  he  may  desire, 
in  order  to  put  it  before  the  buyer  in  a con- 
dition agreeable  to  each  special  market  and  each 
special  buyer,  (b)  That  he  should  be  allowed  to 
dry,  pick,  bulk,  or  mix,  blend,  and  polish  coffee 
in  the  same  manner  as  owners  can  in  Continental 
ports,  (c)  That  he  should  be  able  to  roast,  grind 
and  pack  any  quantity  in  bond,  with  the  option  of 
using  it  either  for  export  or  for  home  consumption. 
(d)  That  all  packages  should  be  weighed  to  an  even 
pound,  and  closed  up  after  the  weight  is  taken,  (e) 
And  that  the  system  of  taring  should  aim  at  giving, 
as  near  as  possible,  the  actual  tare  of  a package. 
“In  fact,  the  owner  of  the  coffee  should  have  absolute 
freedom  in  handling  and  working,  either  in  the 
public  docks  or  private  warehouses  owned  by  firms 
of  repute,  such  farms  to  give  guarantees  or  a bond 
for  the  due  fulfilment  of  carrying  out  what  they 
undertake.  The  committee  recommend  that  the 
Antwerp  system  should  be  adopted. 
“ In  England,  especially  in  London,  there  has 
existed  for  many  years  a policy  of  laisser  faire, 
but  we  maintain  that  abroad  the  greatest  interest 
is  evinced  by  the  different  Governments  in  the  vari- 
ous trades  with  very  beneficial  results. 
“In  London  we  have  cheaper  money  than  any- 
where else,  and  many  things  are  more  favourable 
than  on  the  Continent  for  developing  business,  Lut 
we  find  our  port  is  nevertheless  decreasing  rapidly 
as  an  entrepot,  and  we  believe  that  as  our  market 
becomes  smaller  our  home  trade  will  be  forced  to 
buy  m the  Continental  markets,  and  will  eventually 
die  a natural  death. 
“ Take  away  the  local  market  and,  in  our  opi- 
nion, the  consumption  will  further  decline  ; we  shall 
then  require  no  facilities,  and  the  Exchequer 
will  suffer  accordingly.  Your  petitioners,  therefore, 
pray  you  will  grant  them  the  facilities  asked  if  you 
still  find  it  impossible  to  abolish  the  duty.” 
Mr.  Keeblo  asked  whether  it  was  proposed  to 
benefit  the  home  trade  or  the  export  trade. 
The  Chairman  replied  that  the  object  they  had 
in  view  was  to  benefit  the  export  and  import  and 
the  home  trade;  therefore,  they  desired  to  do  wiiat 
was  for  the  advantage  of  the  whole  trade. 
A di.scussion  took  place  on  the  question  of 
over-weights,  which  Air.  Boyes  averred  went 
somewhere,  but  did  not  reach  London,  and  also 
on  the  subject  of  the  tare,  and  dn  the  suggestion 
of  Mr.  Keeble  the  paragraph  (e)  in  the  memorial 
dealing  with  the  latter  was  left  out. 
Mr.  Asser  said  it  was  the  practice  of  the  Cus- 
toms authorities  to  put  weights  again.st  the  sample 
of  coffee  which  was  taken  out,  and  Uio  buyer  had 
to  suffer  the  less  occasioned  thereby.  He  thought 
the  bags  ought  to  be  weighed  alter  the  sample  w 
taken  out. 
Mr.  Rouse  said  that  the  question  raised  by  M 
Asser  was  one  of  the  questions  involved  in  t 
statement  which  they  had  laid  before  them.  The 
trade  as  a whole  suffered  from  certain  grievances, 
and  something  must  be  done  to  remedy  them  if 
possible.  These  grievances  were  capable  of  settle- 
ment, and  their  object  was  to  arrange  a conference 
between  persons  acquainted  w th  the  coffee  market 
and  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  on  the  various 
matters  affecting  the  trade,  with  a view  to  their 
being  thoroughly  threshed  out. 
The  Chairman  said  their  main  idea  was  to 
abolish  the  duty  on  coffee,  but  if  they  could  not 
do  that,  to  benefit  the  whole  trade  by  improving  it.s 
working. 
It  was  resolved  to  add  to  the  memorial  the  sugges- 
tion that  all  packages  should  be  weighed  after  the 
sample  was  taken. 
On  the  motion  of  Mr.  Asser,  seconded  hy  Mr. 
Brown,  it  was  unanimously  resolved  that  the  memorial 
should  be  forwarded  with  the  alterations  made. — It.  S 
('.  Mail,  April  10 
KELANI  VALLEY  TEA  ASSOCIATION, 
LIMITED. 
The  tenth  ordinary  general  meeting  of  the  Kelani 
Valley  Tea  Association,  Limited,  was  held  at  the  offi- 
ces of  the  company,  16,  Philpot  Lane,  E C.,  on 
Wednesday,  April  8,  1896,  at  3 p.m.,  the  chairman  (Mr, 
G.  W.  Paine)  presiding. 
Notice  convening  the  meeting  having  been  read, 
and  the  report  and  accounts  having  been  taken  as 
read,  the  Chairman,  in  the  course  of  a few  remarks, 
said  that  w'ith  regard  to  the  new  clearings  16  acres 
had  been  planted  on  Degalessa  during  the  past  year, 
and  65  acres  of  jungle  had  been  felled,  and  would  be 
lanted  up  during  this  year.  On  Parusella  18  acres 
ad  been  planted  last  year,  and  12  acres  were  felled  and 
burnt  off  this  year. 
The  Chairman  then  gave  particulars  of  the  com- 
pany’s investments  amounting  to  £3,000.  and  he  said 
the  shareholders  would  no  doubt  be  glad  to  hear  that 
their  investments  were  today  valued  at  .£3,256.  They 
would  also  be  pleased  to  notice  that  they  had  been 
able  to  pay  off  he  mortgage  for  .£'4,000  over  Werea- 
galla  on  which  7 per  cent  interest  was  paid,  and 
therefore  the  item  of  £'280  for  interest  on  mor  gage 
would  disappear  from  next  accounts.  With  regard  to 
the  item"  Sundry  receipts  in  Ceylon,"  a small  portion 
of  the  amount  was  derived  from  profits  on  rice  sup- 
plied to  the  coolies,  but  the  directors  had  agreed  in 
future  to  sell  the  rice  to  the  coolies  at  as  near  as 
possible  cost  price,  instead  of  making  a profit  on  the 
transaction  as  had  been  the  case  in  the  past,  which  would 
doubtless  be  appreciated  by  the  coolies,  and  approved 
of  by  the  shareholders.  In  profit  and  loss  account 
there  was  a nominal  increase  of  £48  19s  2d  in  “ general 
charge.^,”  but  the  item  of  £.508  17s  Id  included  the 
honorarium  of  £100  paid  to  the  directors  last  year. 
The  Chairman  then  gave  doiails  of  the  charges 
making  up  the  amount  named.  The  Chairman  men- 
tioned that  the  £2,000  placed  to  “ special  account  ’ 
was  treated  in  this  way  under  the  advice  of  the 
auditor,  the  money  used  in  prying  the  mortg.ige 
already  referred  to  having  been  for  the  present  taken 
out  of  the  immediate  resources  of  tlie  company. 
The  6 per  cent  debentures  were  rapidly  falling  in. 
there  being  only  ,£850  bearing  6 per  cent  current,  of 
which  £600  exnires  on  July  1 next,  and  £2.')0  on 
January  1st.  18.17.  Tlmse  that  expire!  during  the 
past  year  had  been  renewed  for  a further  period  of 
three  years  at  b per  cent. 
No  ([uestions  being  forthcoming,  the  Chairin.in 
then  proposed:  th.it'’  the  reports  and  acc  nuts  as  pre- 
sented to  the  sharehol der.s  ho  received -in  1 aloptod.” 
The  resolution  was  .seconded  by  Mr.  L.  F D.ivies, 
and  carried  unanimously. 
Mr.  G.  W.  Paine,  seconded  by  Mr.  D.  Andrew, 
(propose!,  “That  a final  dividend  of  10  p n-  cent 
free  of  income  tax),  making  15  per  cent  for  the 
year,  and  a bonus  of  24  per  cent  for  the  ye.ir 
(al-o  tree  of  income  tax)  bo  declared  p.iyable  forth- 
with.’’— Carried  miauimoiislyi 
