THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  [March  t,  1897. 
614 
Subjoined  are  the  imports  of  tea  into  the  United 
Kingdom  from  the  1st  January  to  the  31st  Decem- 
ber 1896,  as  shown  by  the  Custom  House  returns, 
together  with  the  figures  for  the  two  previous  years. 
- The  first  line  (a)  relates  to  British  India,  the  second 
■ (b)  to  Ceylon,  the  third  (c)  to  China,  and  the  fourth 
(d)  to  all  o'her  countries,  including  Java  and  other 
Dutch  settlements. 
]894.~Lb. 
(a)  . . 118,400,000 
(b)  . . 76,300.000 
(c)  ..  43,900,000 
(d)  . . 5,600,000 
1895.— Lb. 
123,300,000 
83,400,000 
40,000,000 
8,400,000 
1896.— Lb. 
128,800,000 
94,600.000 
35,2tK),000 
7,400,000 
244,300,000  255,300,000  266,000,000 
• Thus,  while  China  imports  have  steadily  declined  from 
43,000,0000  lb.  to  35,000,000  lb.,  those  from  Ceylon 
have  risen  from  76,000,000  lb.  to  94,000,000  lb. — 
- Echo,  Jan.  23. 
. — ^ 
CEYLON  TEA  IN  CANADA. 
JNlv.  Mackenzie,  our  American  Tea  Delegate,  in 
• communicating  with  us  by  a recent  mail,  sends 
• us  the  following  extract  from  a letter  he  had  re- 
' ceived  from  the  Salada  Ceylon  Tea  Company  : — 
; ■ “The  Canadian  Grocer  of  this  week  made  a bad 
' mistake.  They  stated  that  there  were  ‘ ten  million’ 
' pounds  of  tea  imported  in  that  year,  1895.  They  must 
have  given  the  returns  for  the  Province  of  Ontario 
instead  of  the  Dominion  of  Canada,  as  there  were 
twenty-three  million  ’ in  1894.  I am  enclosing  you  a 
page  with  it  in.  I have  just  called  their  attention  to 
' it,  over  the  phone. 
“ You  will  also  notice  an  article  on  that  page  about 
• the  Japanese  gentleman  who  was  interviewed  in 
Montreal  a day  or  two  ago.’’ 
The  extract  from  the  Canadian  Grocer  is  as  fol- 
lows : — 
DUTY  ON  TEA  AND  KAW  SUGAR. 
"If  I could  only  foresee  what  the  Government 
intends  to  do,  I could  make  a barrel  of  money,’’ 
said  a leading  Montreal  wholesaler  to  the  Candian 
Grocer  this  week. 
Thie  expression  sums  up  the  situation  in  a 
sentence.  There  is  a pretty  general  impression 
, that  a duty  on  both  tea  and  raw  sugar 
' [will  be  among  the  methods  that  the  Govern- 
ment will  adopt  to  make  up  for  decrease  in  revenue 
eaused  by  readjustment  in  other  directions.  But 
though  this  belief  is  general  throughout  the  tradet 
It  has  so  far  failed  to  induce  any  buying  as  far  as 
Montreal  is  concerned  either  of  tea  or  sugar  in  anti- 
' cipation  of  profiting  by  the  change. 
■ From  the  opinions  generally  expressed  by  the 
Montreal  jobbers,  they  would  all  welcome  a duty  ou 
‘ tea.  With  a duty  they  think  that  it  would  sensibly 
■ .reduce  the  impertations  of  low-priced  Japan  and 
China  tea  into  Canada. 
■ As  is  well  known,  the  great  bnlk|of  the  tea  turned  over 
• in  Montreal  costs  from  10  to  15c.  in  a wholesale  way. 
- In  the  old  days  of  the  duty,  with  7c.  per  pound 
and  15  per  cent,  and  valorem  on  Japans  and  greens, 
and  4c.  per  pound  and  15  per  cent  ad  valorem  on 
blacks,  it  hardly  paid  to  import  these  very  low- 
grade  teas,  hence  their  consumption  has  enormously 
increased  since  tea  itnported  direct  was  made  free. 
No  trader  is  prepared  to  specify  what  the  duty  should 
be,  but  many  declared  that  they  would  not  object  to  a 
specific  duty  of  5c  per  pound  on  all  teas  and  a certain 
ad  valorem  charge.  They  figured  that  the  incx’eased 
cost  to  the  consumer  would  not  be  of  the  kind  that 
is  keenly  felt,  while  it  would  be  one  of  the  quick- 
est moans  of  the  Government’s  securing  uhe  increase 
in  revenue  that  it  requires. 
During  1895  there  were  10,083,310  pounds  of  tea 
entered  for  consumption  in  Canada.  This  will  afford 
some  idea  of  the  increase  in  revenue  the  proposed 
duty  would  bring  in.  With  regard  to  raw  sugar,  on 
which  many  expect  that  the  present  duty  will  be 
maintained  or  increased,  309,302,296  pounds  were 
entered  for  coiisumtion  in  1895. 
• The  othei'  article  we  will  quote  in  another  i.s.suo. 
THE  CLYDE  TEA  ESTATES  COMPANY, 
LIMITED. 
The  annual  ordinary  general  meeting  of  share- 
holders was  held  at  the  ollice  of  the  Secretaries 
Messrs.  Lewis  Brown  A'  Co.,  Fort,  at  noon  on  the 
loth  Feh.  when  the  following  were  pre.sent  per- 
sonally or  reiiresented : — Mr.  li  Lewis  M.  Brown  (in 
the  chair)  Mes.srs.  Frank  M.  Laurie,  W.  Forbes 
Laurie,  G.  11.  Austen,  Leyhourn  Davidson, 
Robert  Davidson,  Mrs.  Holdicli,  and  Mr.  A. 
Vanllenen. 
After  the  notice  calling  the  meeting  had  been 
read,  the  Chairman  moved  the  adoption  of  the 
report  and  accounts  as  published.  This  having 
been  duly  seconded  and  carried,  the  payment 
of  a final  dividend  to  31st  December  1896  pay- 
able on  1st  proximo  was  formally  proposed  and 
agreed  to. 
The  re-election  of  Mr.  Frank  Laurie  as  a Direc- 
tor and  of  Mr.  Hercules  J.  Scott  as  Auditor 
concluded  the  meeting. 
The  Directors’  report  was  as  follows  : — 
ACREAGE. 
Tea  in  full  bearing  . . 460  acres. 
„ „ partial  „ ..  61  „ 
Jungle,  A'c.  . . 172  „ 
Total..  693 
Your  Directors  beg  to  submit  their  Report  and 
Accounts  for  the  season  running  from  the  formation  of 
the  Company,  viz  :— 1st  October,  1895,  to  31st  Dec. 
1896. 
The  quantity  of  tea  made  dining  that  period  (inclu- 
ding bought  leaf)  was  220,884  lb.  which  realized 
E93,931‘07,  an  average  of  42'53  cents  per  lb. 
An  Interim  Dividend  of  5 per  cent  absorbing 
R13,500  was  paid  on  5th  August,  last  and  the  sum 
now  available  for  distribution  after  writing  off 
Rl,122'34  on  account  of  Preliminary  Expenses  and 
Rl,161'35  for  depreciation  of  Machinery  is  R9,155'86, 
out  of  which  the  Directors  recommend  payment  of  a 
final  dividend  of  3 per  cent  leaving  1,055  86,  to  be 
carried  forward  to  1897. 
The  Working  Expenditure  curing  the  period  now 
accounted  for  was  in  excess  of  the  estimated  amount, 
and,  while  the  Directors  much  regret  this,  they  will 
endeavour  to  i revent  a similar  excess  in  future. 
On  his  departure  for  Europe  in  October  last,  Mr.  A. 
VanRenen  handed  over  the  Estate  Superintendence 
to  Mr.  M.  J.  Alderson,  whose  management  of  the 
property  is  giving  much  satisfaction. 
The  prospects  for  the  current  year  are  good,  and 
with  normal  weather  and  prices  the  shareholders  may 
confidently  antic’pate  a very  favourable  return. 
Mr.  E.  D.  Harrison  having  left  for  Europe  in  Octo- 
ber last,  bis  place  as  a Director  was  filled  by  Mr. 
Leybourne  Davidson.  Mr.  Frank  M.  Laurie  retires 
from  the  Board  by  rotation,  and  being  eligible  offers 
himself  for  re-election. 
CEYLON  PATENTS. 
The  following  Grants  of  Exclusive  Privilege  have 
been  gianted  under  the  Inventions  Ordinance,  No. 
16  of  1892,  during  the  half-year  ended  December  31, 
1896 
No.  !304. — To  William  Jackson,  of  Thorn  Grove, 
Mannoficld,  Aberdeen,  North  Britain,  engineer,  for 
improvements  in  or  connected  with  machinery  or 
apparatus  for  drying  tea  leaf  or  the  like.— July  7,  1896. 
No.  505. — To  William  Jackson,  of  Thorn  Grove, 
Manuofield,  Aberdeen,  North  Britain,  engineer,  for 
improvements  in  or  connected  with  webs,  trays,  llap®, 
or  carriers,  for  carrying  tea  leaf  or  other  substances 
in  drying  machines. — July  7,  1896. 
No.  492. — To  Dick  Edward  Radclyffe,  of  56,  Glouces- 
ter Croscout,  Regent’s  Park,  Ijondon,  England, 
gentleman,  and  'Taylor  Burrows,  of  88,  Upper  Keii- 
■ ingtou  lane,  London,  England,  engineer,  for  im- 
proved apparatus  or  incthod  or  system  for  preparing 
