330 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST 
[Nov.  2,  1896. 
a monthly  telegram  advising  the  state  of  the  weatiicr 
and  the  prospect  of  the  crops  in  the  principal  tea 
districts,  it  was  decided  to  arrange  a telegraph  code 
for  the  purpose  of  reports  oir  the  different  crops  in 
the  following  districts  : — Assam,  Cachar,  Syihet, 
Dooars,  Terai  and  Darjeeling.  The  Assam  Branch 
■were  making  arrangements  with  their  district  Com- 
mittees to  supply  the  information  direct  to  the  Asso- 
ciation in  Calcutta,  and  telegrams  were  being  received 
regularly  from  the  Honorary  Secretary,  Cachar 
Branch.  It  was  decided  to  communicate  with  the 
Darjeeling  and  Dooars  Sub-Committee  with  a vievv 
to  obtaining  regular  telegrams  from  the  Dooars,  Terai 
and  Darjeeling  districts. 
Considered  letters  of  20th  and  31st  August  and  2nd 
September  from  Messrs.  Williamson,  Magor  and  Co., 
stating  that  their  attention  had  lately  been  drawn  to 
several  cases  in  which  chests  had  been  found  on  inspec- 
tion at  the  London  Warehouse  to  be  as  much  as  from  18 
to  241b.  short  of  the  invoice  weight,  and  giving  particu- 
lars of  the  shipments.  They  feared  that  the  thefts  of  tea 
which  had  been  stopped  by  the  vigilance  of  the  Police 
last  year  were  commencing  and  suggested  that  the 
attention  of  the  Commissioner  of  Police  should  be 
called  to  the  matter.  It  was  decided  that  the  infor- 
mation furnished  by  Messrs.  Williamson,  Magor  and 
Co.  should  be  commirnicated  to  Sir  John  Lambert 
with  a request  that  the  same  vigilance  on  the  part 
of  the  Police  which  had  such  good  results  last  year 
should  be  maintained  daring  the  present  season. 
The  Committee  had  before  them  extracts  from  the 
Planter  on  the  subject  of  slack  packing  of  tea  at 
gardens,  both  of  which  contained  many  useful  hints. 
The  remarks  on  the  economic  side  of  the  question 
of  slack  packing,  they  considered,  were  deserving  of 
attention,  as  slack  packing  necessitated  11  to  12  per- 
cent. more  packages  than  were  actually  required, 
meaning  a considerable  extra  expenditure  mi  the 
^**’c^^nsidered  letter  of  13th  August  from  Messrs. 
Duncan  Brothers  A'  Go,  giving  extracts  from  a letter- 
addressed  to  them  by  an  experienced  Assam  planter 
as  to  the  manner  in  which  tea  chests  wove  stowed 
and  handled  on  board  the  iliver  Steamers, 
which  he  considered  had  much  to  do  with  the 
daraac'e  now  being  complained  of.  A further 
letter°  of  28th  August  had  also  been  received  from 
Messrs.  Balmer,  Lawrie  & Co.,  with  reference  to 
tea  chests  which  have  arrived  in  a disgracefully 
damaged  state  from  Dibrugarh  via  Goaluudo.  In 
this  case  the  boxes  were  all  made  of  good  half  inch 
wood  and  could  only  have  been  damaged  by  rough 
usage,  and  Messrs.  Balmer,  Lawrie  & Co.  were  of 
opinion  that  it  was  the  result  of  the  boxes  being 
thrown  into  the  hold  in  the  course  of  shipment.  It 
was  decided  to  follow  up  the  letters  already  written 
to  the  Assam  and  Cachar  Branches  on  the  subject 
of  damage  to  tea  in  transit  by  placing  before  thchn 
the  substance  of  the  letters  now  received,  and  it  was 
also  agreed  to  address  the  River  Steamer  Com- 
panies with  reference  to  the  matter,  as  proof  had 
been  now  obtained  that  a certain  amount  of  damage 
accrued  to  tea  on  board  the  River  Steamers. 
Considered  letter  No.  lllG-96  of  5th  August  from 
the  Secretary,  Bengal  Chamber  of  commerce,  asking 
to  be  furnished  with  a copy  of  the  report  of  the  Sub- 
committee on  the  handling  of  packages  of  tea  in  the 
Port  commissioners.  Warehouse  and  Jetties  which 
had  been  done  in  due  course,  and  also  further 
letter  No.  1237-69  of  1st  September,  thanking 
the  committee  for  the  information  given,  and  asking 
if  the  committee  of  the  chamber  could  be  kept  in- 
formed from  time  to  time  as  to  any  action  taken  by 
the  general  committee  in  connection  with  the  bandhiig 
or  shipment  of  tea.  This  was  agreed  to. 
Considered  file  of  replies  received  to  the  Com- 
mittee’s Circular  No.  335  O of  14  August  with  re- 
ference  to  a eug^cstiou  made  that  shippers  of  tea 
should  issue  a circular  to  the  Liners,  stating  that 
they  authorise  and  direct  steamer  officers  to  refuse 
any  and  every  chest  they  were  not  perfectly  satisfied 
with,  and  that  they  would  guarantee  tluit  no  lino 
would  suffer  or  lose  shipment  of  tea  owing  to  the 
strictness  of  its  officers.  The  general  concensus  of 
replies  received  was  Against  the  adoption  of  the  sug- 
gestion, vai  ions  objections  being  raised  to  it  and  tbe 
Committee  had  consequently  110  alternative  but  to 
allow  the  matter  to  drop. 
Exi’Orts  of  Ixdi.an  Tea  from  Calcutta. 
1896. 
1895. 
1894. 
Clearance  to  Gre.rt 
lb. 
lb. 
lb. 
Britain  in  Aug  . . 
Clearances  to  Great 
Britain  from  1st 
18,991,425 
15,033,258 
17,808,631 
April  to  31st  Aug. 
Clearances  to  Aus- 
tralia and  New 
42,969,248 
41,176,840 
39,820,750 
Zealand  in  Aug. 
Clearances  to  Aus- 
tralia and  New 
Zealand  from  1st 
769,895 
765,598 
612,180 
April  to  31  Aug. 
Clearances  to  Ame  ■ 
1,736,810 
2,479,121 
1931,4.33 
ricain  August.. 
Clearances  to  Amer- 
ica from  Lst  April 
*178,734 
194,761 
.53,817 
to  31st  August. . 
Clearances  to  other 
322,471 
281,426 
111,817 
places  in  Aug.. 
Clearances  to  other 
places  from  1st 
898,103 
751,969 
607,114 
Apiril  to  31st  Aug. 
. 1,610,312 
1,570,061 
1,210,003 
Total  Clearances  from 
1st  April  to  31st 
August..  ..  46,668,871  45,507,448  43,104,033 
Actual  shipmonts  to  Great  Britain 
from  1st  April  to  3 1st  Aug.  1896  ..  45,817,468  1b- 
Actual  shipments  to  Great  Britain 
from  1st  April  to  31st  Aug.  1895  . . 45,643,011  lb. 
Exports  of  Tea  from  Ceylon. 
Total  Exports  from  1st  January 
to  18th  August  1896 
Total  Exports  from  1st  January 
to  18th  August  1895 
Total  Exports  from  Ist  .Tiinuary 
to  18tli  August  1891 
Total  Exports  from  1st  Jani'-ary 
to  18th  August  1893 
* Exports  to  United  States  . . 
,,  to  Canada 
— Indian  Planters'  UaZefte. 
HOPE  FOR  THE  CHINA  TEA  TRADE, 
In  another  column  will  be  found  a letter  and  an 
article  reproduced  from  the  Foochow  Echo  in  which 
an  important  announoeraeut  is  made,  namely,  that 
foreign  machinery  and  foreign  methods  have  at  length 
been  introduced  in  the  preparation  of  tea  in  one  of 
the  districts  near  Foochow.  The  commencement  is  a 
small  one  and  how  the  experiment  will  result  remains 
to  be  seen.  The  machinery  has  been  got  up  to  Peeling 
without  opposition,  but  whether  immunity  from  man- 
darin obstruction  will  continue  to  be  enjoyed  is 
doubtful.  There  can  be  no  doubt,  however,  that  if 
the  adoption  of  foreign  methods  wero  officially  ap- 
proved they  would  speedily  become  general  and  a 
great  revival  in  the  tea  trade  would  result,  notwith- 
standing the  heavy  taxation  to  which  the  article  is 
subjected,  amounting  in  all,  it  is  said,  to  40  per- 
cent. If  at  the  same  time  that  foreign  methods 
are  introduced  the  taxation  wore  either  wholly 
abolished  or  reduced  to  a moderate  amount  the 
China  tea  trade  would  soon  regain  its  ancient  glory 
and  wealth  would  once  more  flow  into  the  districts 
that  have  become  impoverished  by  the  loss  of 
their  principal  industry.  If  foreign  capital  were 
allowed  to  be  freely  invested  in  the  interior  wo 
would  soon  have  numerous  planting  companies  es- 
tablished whoso  prospects  would  bo  even  brighter 
than  that  of  the  Shanghai  cotton  coinpanioe  from 
which  so  much  is  expected.  Following  its  usual 
lolicy,  however,  China  would  probably  object  to 
oroigne.rs  acquiring  any  vested  interest  beyond  the 
reaty  ports.  In  the  case  of  the  Foochow  entor- 
. . 70,284,878  lb. 
. . 65,630,006  lb. 
. . 57,437,427  lb. 
..  53,921,473  1b. 
...  126,5,->9  lb. 
..  52,175  1b. 
