THE I’ROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
95 
Aug. 2, 1897.] 
B. C. AFRICA CHAMBER OF AGRICUL- 
TURE, AND COMMERCE. 
LaBOUI! ANJ) Taxus. 
Owing to numerons complaints with regard to the 
restrictions put upon Augoni coming to work in the 
Shire Highlands, an extraordinary Meeting of above 
was held in the Mart Blantyre on 22ud March. The 
Meeting was open to the Public, and a laige nnm- 
ber assembled, representing every interest in B.C.A. 
T'..’ action of the Administro '.ion in requiring 
Planters and other Employers c-f aibour to pay over 
to the Government the tax of ..r was strongly ob- 
jected to ; and exception was t .;en to the Uollector’s 
stipulating the wages to be ]. .id to Angoni. After 
an animated discussion in which the majority of 
those present took p’art, the following resolution w-as 
unanimously agreed to : — “ The Chamber having re- 
ceived many complaints from Planters and others 
regarding the scarcity of Angoni labour, and having 
learned that the chief hindrance lay in the mamner 
of collecting taxes, pursued by the Government, and 
after evidence led, and discussion of the matter, is 
of opinion that": — 
(Ij “ The time has not yet come for the levying 
of a tax of 3s per hut upon Angoni as levied in more 
properly civilized districts.” 
(2) “ The manner in which Ihis tax is being levied 
makes it a poll tax and not a Hut tax.” 
(3) “ The restraining and arbitrary directing of 
Angoni labour practised by the ColI;cl:j- is (1) Out 
of form (the Collector should not be a labour Agent ;) 
(2) injurious to to the Planting industry ; (3) above 
all prejudicial to the freedom of the Angoni (prac- 
tically making him a slave).” 
(4) “ The alleged intimidation by the soldiery and 
Police keeps the villages and gangs of labour in a 
state of terror, brings the district intothe state cf a 
conquered country instead of a Protectorate, and tends 
to create a block in the labour supply of the district. 
(5) “In no case could the Employers of labour 
be asked to do the proper work of Government in 
piactically collecting taxes for the Government. (6) 
The rate of pay to each labourer being so different 
in different districts it should be left to the free contract 
between Employer and Labourer, the Angoni’s wel- 
fare being in every case the Planter’s interest.” 
(7) “The difficulties put in the way of a free ferry 
across the river should be taken away and the River 
be free to anyone desiring to cress.” 
It was also arranged that a special committee 
should be appointed to draw up a latter to be sent 
to H, M. Acting Commissioner on the subject, along 
with evidence in support of the resolutions adopted. 
ANOTHER CEYLON TEA COMPANY. 
Mooloya Estates, Ld. — Registered on May 12th 
with a capital of £50,000, in illO shares to acquire and 
carry on the business of a tea planter, carried on by 
R. J. D’Esterre, in Ceylon, and to adopt an agreement 
with him. The s uhscribers are ; — Shares. 
F. S. Long, 10, Mincing Lane, EC, broker .. 1 
A. W. Edwards, 5, Newman’s Court, B C, broker 1 
G. Pitman, do do do 1 
A. Brown, 5, Dowgate Hill, E C, director . . 1 
J. A. Ri-berts, do do secretary .. 1 
R. S. Fairhiu'st do do clerk . . 1 
H. J. King, do do clerk . . 1 
The number of directors is not to be less tliau 2 
nor more than 5 ; the first are R. J. D'Esterre, A. 
Brown, J. A. Roberts, and R. E. D'Esterre ; quali- 
fication £1,000 ; remnneTation, as fi.xed by the com- 
pany Registered by Pitman & Sons, 14, Clement’s 
Lane, Loudon, E.C. — lavestort’ Guardian, May 19. 

DARJEELING AND DOOARS TEA. 
The second ordinary general meeting of the Dar- 
jeeling Consolidated Tea Company, Limited, was 
held yesterday, at Winchester House, E.C., — Sir 
Alexander Wilson (the chairman) moved the adoption 
of the report and accounts. The ont-turn of tea 
for the season had been 45G,586 lb., the general 
average price realised being 11 annas 6 pies per lb. 
The gross profits amounted to £6,203, and the com- 
missions to the agents and the managers absorbed 
£771. The directors recommended the declaration of 
a dividend of 4s 2d per sh.rre, nliich would take 
£1,250. With regard to the present season, an out- 
turn of 456,000 lb. was estimated for an area under 
cultivation of 2,200 acres. — Mr. Gibbons urged the 
desirability of the company’s tea being sold in the 
home market instead of at Calcutta, The Chairman 
said the point would be carelully considered. The 
past year had been a disappointing one. and coming 
in as they aid, the directors had not felt justified in 
upsetting ail existing arrangements. Certainly the 
board had reason to regret the they had ob- 
tained for the company’s tea, and probably their 
experience would enable them to benefit from tlie 
mistakes of tlie past. — The reports and accounts were 
unanimously adopted. 
Dooars Tea. — 'The directors’ report for the year- 
ended December 31 last states that the new gardens, 
Hilla and Grassmore, are nearly completed, though 
further expenditure is required during 1897, mainly 
for machinery. Hilla in 1896 yielded 187,3051b. of tea 
and Grassmore 152,356 lb. On the company’s gardens 
the year 1696 was fairly healthy, and no casualties 
occurred among the European officers. The weather 
early in tlie year was marked by drouglit and again in 
the months of June, part of July, and August. The 
total rainfall was much less than in 1895, a maximum 
of 130 in. being recorded at Bhogotpore, -as against 
193 in. in 1695 registered at Hilla. The total out-turn 
increased from 3,017,945 lb. in 1895 to 3,025,866 ib. in 
1896. In the tea market the prices were, on the 
whole, higher than during the previous year, and on 
the gardens a sustained effort was made to improve 
the quality of manufacture. The company’s tea thus 
fetched an average of 8’26d. per lb., as against 7’52d. in 
the season of 1895. The average price of the Dooars 
district was 7'62d. 'The rise in the Indian exchange, 
whereby the company’s remittances to India to meet 
the working charges cost Is, 2 15-32d. for every rupee, 
as against Is, 1 15-32d. in the previous year, has 
largely reduced the company's profits. The latest 
reports from the company's properties are favourable. 
The weather has been fairly good for tea, and the 
labour force is stronger than in any previous year. 
The net profit for 1896 is £29,954, to which must be 
added £245 balance foiward from last year. After 
the payment of the preference dividend, the directors 
recommend a final dividend of I5s and a bonus of 5s., 
making, with the ad interim dividend already paid, a 
distribution of 12J per cent, per annum on the ordinary 
shares. Of the balance the diiectcrs propose to carry 
£5,000 to the reserve fund, bringing it up to £45,000, 
leaving a balance of £300 to be carried forward. 
THE AMSTERDAM CINCHONA-MARKET. 
Our Amsterdam correspondent writes on May 17th 
that since the public auctions of May 6th, 193 bales 
of balk, representing' 1,022 kilos of sulphate of qui- 
nine, i.ave been sold privately at steady prices. A 
few parcels of Succiriibra druggists’ quill have also 
been sold. — Chemist and Druggist. 
TEA PLANTING IN CEYLON. — Oiidei' tills heading 
Mr. John H uglies contribiite.s to last Saturday’s 
Field an article of about a coiumii in lengtli, 
from wliich 1 may quote the concluding pariigrajih 
wliich illustrates tlie practical diaracter of the 
teaching: — “ To .succeed as a tea planter a man 
must be energetic in body soutul in constitution 
and have some scientific knowledge of the compo- 
sition of soils and the nature of plant food, in 
order to produce the best qualitiy of tlie green 
leaf while for the manufacture of sucli leat into 
tea. further acquaintance witii tiie principles of 
organic cliemistry sli -nid be of great practical value 
and likely to assist m modiifyiiig the \arious 
operations according to special circumstances 
of the season’s soil and situation oi the estate.” 
