642 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  [March  i,  1897. 
It  would  seem  no  more  than  fair  to  reduce  the 
tea  duty  to  2d  per  lb.  a?  in  the  case  of  coffee.  This 
could  not  fail  to  prove  a boon  to  the  great  bulk  of 
the  population  of  these  isles,  and  lead  to  an  increase 
of  consumption,  so  that  the  loss  to  the  E.Kchequer 
would  not  be  great.  It  is  sometimes  asser.ed  that 
consumption  has  already  reached  its  iimit,  but  if  we 
reflect  what  the  consumption  of  au  ordinary  house- 
hold with  servants  (but  exclusive  of  guests)  is — probably 
considerably  over  double  the  average  consumption  per 
head  of  the  population,  making  full  allowance  for  the 
coffee  and  other  beverages  used — it  would  seem 
reasonable  to  calculate  that  if  tea  were  cheaper  the 
consumption  per  head  would  soon  rise  to,  or  even 
exceed,  that  of  the  Australian  colonies  at  present. 
As  the  duty  affects  the  consumer,  the  case  may  be 
stated,  not  to  go  to  extremes,  as  follows : — For 
qualit/j  tea  Is  8d,  plus  duty  4d,  equals  2s  per  lb  ; on 
the  other  hand,  for  common  tea  8d,  plus  duty  4d, 
equals  Is  per  lb.  In  the  former  case  the  purchaser 
has  to  pay  one-sixth  of  his  money,  for  which  he 
receives  no  value  in  tea  in  the  latter  one-third  of  his 
money  goes  in  that  way.  Hare  1,  of  course,  take 
no  account  of  the  profits  of  the  dealer,  middleman, 
or  grocer,  which  may  likewise  weigh  proportionately 
against  the  lower-priced  teas.  It  is  also  well-known 
that  in  ‘‘stan'l-out”  teas  Id  per  lb  of  extra  quality  often 
adds  4d  to  fid  per  lb.  to  the  price  at  public 
auction.  This  while  in  no  way  benefits  the 
gre.at  bulk  of  producers,  is  doubtless  to  some  extent 
fostered  by  the  duty.  It  may  be  contended,  there- 
fore, that  an  adoalorem  duty  would  be  fairest,  but 
its  collection  would  doubtless  prove  much  less  con- 
venient for  all  concerned.  In  the  interest  of  the 
great  body  of  producers  it  is  to  be  hoped,  however, 
that  any  further  material  er  permanent  fall  in  the 
retail  price  of  tea  is  to  come  from  reduction  of  duty, 
or  it  may  be  of  profits  on  this  side. 
The  strongest  objection  urged  against  abolition  is 
the  withdraw.il  of  the  customs’  supervision,  and  the 
consequent  risk  of  adulteration  and  the  Hooding  of 
the  markets  with  spurious  teas.  But  there  is  not 
the  same  temptation  to  do  this  with  tea  at  its 
present  price,  as  there  would  have  been  twenty-five 
yeais  ago;  and  many  large  dealers  are  of  opinion 
that  the  Adulteration  Acts  iu  force  alone  afford 
ample  security  against  a uilteration. 
But  one  thing  about  w'hich  there  is  absolute  cer- 
tainty is,  that  any  advantage,  however  great  from 
the  customs'  supervision,  is  more  than  counterbal- 
anced by  the  injury  to  the  tea  industry  from  the 
objectionable  treatment  the  teas  receive  in  the  bonded 
warehouses.  This  need  not  be  enlarged  upon  here, 
as  the  subject  has  formerly  been  touched  upon  in 
these  columns,  and  may,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  be  dealt 
with  more  fully  on  some  future  occasion.  All  that 
need  be  remarked  is,  that  if  teas  were  exposed 
to  the  moist  atmosphere  in  bulking,  and,  worse 
than  this,  left  unsoldered  by  the  manufacturer, 
as  is  the  practice  in  the  warehouses,  they  would 
be  absolutely  ruined,  and  we  cannot  with  a clean 
conscience  go  iu  for  the  conquest  of  new  markets 
boasting  of  machine  manipulation  throughout,  and 
entire  freedom  from  objectionable  handling,  so  long 
as  the  teas  are  trampled  into  the  chests  by  the 
dock  labourer  on  refilling. 
For  Imperial  considerations,  however,  abolition 
would  seem  a mistake.  The  duty,  though  falling 
upon  nearly  all,  and  in  some  respects,  as  has  been 
shown,  more  unfairly  than  it  might,  is  but  little 
felt.  It  is  almost  the  only  tax  paid  by  abstainers 
and  non  smokers,  and  it  affords  Government  a means 
of  increasing  the  revenue  iu  any  emergency,  without 
causing  dissatisfaction,  as  was  done  during  the  Cri- 
mean war.  The  objection  to  further  reduction  is 
that  iho  net  revenue  would  be  unsatisfactory,  as  the 
cost  of  collection  would  remain  the  same;  but  why 
should  this  be  urged  in  the  case  of  tea  more  than 
coffee,  cocoa,  or  chocolate? 
As  abolition  does  not  seem  desirable  on  patriotic 
gr-ounds,  and  there  niay  not  bo  great  hope  of  mate- 
rial reduction  of  duty,  and  whether  or  not  it  be  de- 
cided to  agitate  for  either,  justice  to  the  producer 
and  also  the  consumer  demands,  without  delay,  the 
most  vigorous  and  persistent  efforts  on  the  part  of 
the  Association,  until  the  desired  reforms  be  secured 
iu  regard  to  the  treatment  of  our  teas  in  the  bonded 
warehouses,  wliich  no  one  can  deny  is  a discredit  as 
well  as  an  injustice  to  the  British  tea  industry. 
These  warehouse  abuses  have  doubtless  grown  up  with 
and  become  linked  to  the  Customs’  supervision  and  regu- 
lations, and  are  to  some  extent  due  to  the  London  re- 
presentatives of  the  industry  not  having  insisted 
upon  certain  details  that  ought  to  be  carried  out  at 
the  factories  being  attended  to  there.  But  the  sooner 
reforms  iu  those  directions  are  pushed  the  better 
for  the  great  body  of  producers,  as  the  warehouse 
abuses  may  be  continued  (if  strenuous  and  sustained 
efforts  be  not  made  to  remove  them)  even  after  the 
repeal  of  duty  and  the  withdrawal  of  the  Customs’ 
control. — I am,  sir,  yours,  &c.,  Planter. 
Feb.  3rd  1897. — H.  and  C.  Mail,  Feb  5. 
THE  RONDUHA  VALLEY  TEA  COMPANY 
OF  CEYLON,  LIMITED. 
The  tiist  General  Meeting  of  this  Company  was 
lield  at  the  registered  office  of  the  Company,  No.  6, 
Prince  street,  Fort,  Colombo,  today  when  Messrs. 
A.  E Scovell,  F.  W,  Bois  and  Alfred  Scovell 
were  reappoiiued  Directors. 
An  Extraordinary  General  Meeting  was  after- 
wards Held  when  the  following  resolutions  were 
carried  unanimously. 
(1)  To  consider  an  offer  made  by  the  Yatiyan- 
tota  Ceylon  Tea  Company,  Limited,  to  purchase 
the  Company’s  estates,  called  and  known  as 
Kondura,  Broadlands,  Yahainde,  and  Florence, 
as  from  1st  January,  1897,  the  price  to  be  paid, 
after  completion  at  the  expense  of  the  Kondura 
Valley  Tea  Company  of  Jeylon,  Limited,  of  the 
factory  and  road,  to  be  £33,23U,  payable  as  to 
£30,000  bj'  the  issue  to  the  Kondura  Valley  Tea 
Company  of  Ceylon  Limited,  or  its  nominees, 
of  2,OoO  ordinary  £10  shares  of  the  Yatiyantota 
Ceylon  Tea  Com]>any,  Limited,  at  an  issue  price 
of  £15  per  share,  the  remaining  £3,230  being  paid 
in  cash  at  cunent  late  of  exchange  on  date  of 
transfer,  for  telegraphic  remitances  from  London 
to  Colombo. 
That  (j  “ that  the  Kondura  Valley  Tea  Com- 
pany of  ejdon,  Limited  be  wound  up  voluntarily.” 
(Should  such  resolution  be  passed  by  the  requisite 
majority,  it  will  be  submitted  for  confirmation 
at  a second  Extraordinary  Meeting,  which  will 
duly  convened.  ’ By  order  of  the  Board  of  Direc- 
tors J.  M.  KOBERT.SON  A.  Co.,  Agents  and 
Secretaries. 
VARIOUS  PLANTING  NOTES. 
Royal  Gardens,  Kew.— Bulletin  of  miscella- 
neous information,  for  January:  Contents. — List  of 
Kew  Publications,  1841-1895.  Miscellaneous  Notes. 
— Mr.  W.  Thorpe. —Visitors  during  1896. — Bota- 
nical Magazine. —Journal  of  Sir  Joseph  Banks. — 
Australian  Myrmecophilous  Plants. 
Ipecacuanha  has  been  recommended  by 
Father  Baulez  as  a remedy  for  plague.  Dr. 
Cantlie,  in  a i>a[)er  on  ])lagae  re-published  by  the 
Government  of  India,  also  recommends  an  emetic 
in  the  early  stages  of  the  di.sease.  — JL  Mail, 
Feb.  24. 
nPAPMtQQ  essay  describing  a really 
ULnlllLuOi  genuine  Cure  for  Deafness, 
Kinging  in  Ears,  Ac.,  no  matter  how  severe  or  long- 
standing, will  be  .sent  po.st  free.— Artificial  Ear- 
drums ami  similar  appliances  entirely  superseded. 
Afliiress  niOMAS  KEMPE,  Victoria  Cha.m- 
REIW,  19,  yOUTHAMPToN  BUILU1NG.S,  llOLUORN, 
London. 
