THr TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[August i, 1891. 
io6 
anyone acquainted with the working of tea here, as 
foolieh aB it is untrue. I apologize, sir, tor enoroaching 
BO much upon your valuable epaoe. and will only 
add in ooualueion that 1 do not hold a brief for 
the dock oompanies or wharves, nor am 1 in an^ way 
whatever interested in any of them, but simply 
write in the desire that the truth should be known 
and in the interests of justice and fair-play, — 1 
am, «ko., THEO. SXBETOH. 
OUR LABOUR SUPPLY AND OOMINQ 
LARGE EXPORT OP TEA; LOSS 
IN WEIGHT. 
Deak Sib, — As an export of from 100 to 120 mil- 
lion pounds of tea in the course of a few years is 
considered possible it will bo interesUng to consider 
what labour is necessary to produce that quantity. 
Prom what data 1 can get 1 find that it takes the 
labour of 10,000 oooltes working flve days per week 
lor 60 weeks to produce five million lb. of tea: there- 
lore our present labour loree is for tea alone, at this 
rate, 120,000 coolies for 60 millions of lb.; and ii we 
are to export 120 millions in five or six years this 
labour force will have to be doubled in that time. 
This is a big order, and it is probable that our pro- 
duction of tea will not increase at the rate some 
expect as the yield will be limited by the labour 
available and not by what the planted acreage is 
capable of giving. No doubt, our exports this season 
would be larger with more available labour, but it is 
probable that the loss will be partisdly balanced by 
this restriction of yield as with a larger export prices 
would have fallen lower than they have done. 
It is strange that an old-established imposition 
should be tolerated with scarcely a murmur, while a 
new one such as the increased military contribution 
raises such an outcry. Tbe loss in weight on Ceylon 
tea this season wiU be at least a million ipounds 
which at lOd per lb. comes to more than Td0,00, 
Bterling, and the loss on other products, such as 
cacao etc,, would swell this large total still more. 
It would he better for us if this million lb. were 
destroyed, as under the present system it assists 
in depressing the market without in any way 
benefiting the producer. Could not the Home 
Government be moved to help us as some return 
tor our increased contribution ? It would pay us 
to lay out £10,000 or £20,000 to have our teas 
refired and packed to correct weights alter or 
before passing Customs in London, any surplus to 
be sold on snipper’s account. Perhaps the Com- 
mittee of the Tea Euod will find a way to save 
some, at least, of this large loss which will grow 
still larger with an increased export, the loss on 
120 millions would about pay the whole military 
contribution. What is considered an unbearable 
tax on the whole Colony will, if things are not 
altered in a few years, have to be paid by a 
lection only, viz., £60,000 to £100,000 loss in weight 
on Ceylon tea alone. — Yours truly, R. R, R, 
120,000,000 lb. at 2% loss i— 2,du0,000 lb. at lOd = 
£ 100 , 000 . 
PROSPECTS OP TEA. 
Deab Bib,— Is it not strange that in England 
and Victoria the reduction of the duty has bean 
followed by prices, lower perhaps on the average 
than tea ever fetched before— that is Indian or Ceylon 
tea ? Yon may remember how cofiee bounded up- 
wards, newly twenty years ago, when Lowe's budget 
took IJd per lb. ofl the duty. It shows toe keenness 
of the competition now-a-daye, when the large 
firms dealing on tbe packet system push their 
ttkde among (he ouitomcri ot $rttj Tillage grosw, 
An extensive tea dealer in London told me a short 
time ago that he had sent out 1,000 circulars to 
gentlemen, clergymen and leading householders 
throughout Britain ; and that, to those from whom 
he had no reply or order, he made the members 
of his family send out a second reminder. He also 
said that since the establishment of the large 
London houses in the packet trade, tea once down 
had never risen again unless in a temporary 
spurt, because those large houses advertised lower 
and lower rates, and have never once raised their 
prices. 1 see it is proposed to raise the duty again 
in Victoria. 
Here is a report on Ceylon teas in Melbourne 
received from a leading broker by last mail : — 
“ Ceylon Teas , — Business has been very dull in this 
description of tea, and sales when made, have been at 
a sacrifice, 600 packages were ollered at public 
auction this week. Many teas sold, several parcels 
under cost price, and the highest bid for a very choice 
hill tea was 2Id under invoiced price." — Yours faith- 
fully, PLANTER. 
THE LABOUR ORDINANCE. 
Deab Sib,— The Labour Ordinance has been, ever 
since Sir John Phear's time, the one piece ot 
legislation must frequently construed in utterly 
unexpected directions. Tbe last ordinance was 
delayed in order that it might bo perfected ; 
Sir A. Gordon certainly sought to make it eu: 
our present Governor told us only lately that 
the best thing be could do lor us was to leave 
us alone ; our Planting Representative was eom- 
mended at every district and at the Planters 
Association meeting, for his poKfrful grasp of tbe 
subject ; — and yet there never were so many weak 
points discovered — 1 will use no stronger word — as 
during the last three months. We don’t at the present 
moment know, who has authority to give orders : 
whe h one-third of our force (minors) are amenable 
to any Labor Ordinance whatever ; or what are tbe 
advances which we are entitled to set against 
wages. Surely it is not beyond the ingenuity of 
our. Government's legal advisers so to define these 
matters, that no one can be dull enough to mis- 
understand, or misconstrue, the intentions of the 
framers of the act. 
Meantime we cannot deny that many stupid 
oases have been brought into Court recently, and 
that others have failed for waut of evidence which 
might easily have been forthcoming. But 1 think 
we should all try to manage our coolies out of Court. 
Be true to ourselves, refuse all coolies not holding 
a proper discharge from previous employers, keep 
out of Court as one avoids endless troubles. 
Btick to tbe kangani system, and have none of 
busybodies however polysyllabic, and Ramasamy 
will in future, as of old, prove the most docile and 
useful ot laborers. His lot in Ceylon was never so 
good as now— and he infinitely perfors tea-plucking 
to cofiee-picking, with its attendant heavy transport 
of wet cherry. ONLOOKER. 
Tubxe Rciiies, uncut, were sold by auctioners yet- 
day, of a size, never before seen in England, or 
even in Europe. Those were the property of the 
Burma Ruby Mines Company (Limited). The first, 
which weighed 1,185 carats, was irregular in form, 
and resembled quartz, save in colour, which was 
deep red. Biddings commenced at 2001., and rapidly 
advanced to 4001., at which it was sold. The 
second lot weighed 602 carats. This was yellowish 
red in colour, and sold lor 65(. Lot 8 weighed 
281 carats, was dull ted in colour, and brought 
9‘i gaio(»8,->G, Mad, June 19, 
