594 
THE TROPICAL ACRICULTURIST. [February i, 1892; 
pounds: — 
Ciiors 
In- 
Years. 
Ih. 
creases. 
1883 - 
■ i.fiei'i.ooo 
— 
1884 - 
- 2,.H9.'),000 
728, (XK) 
1886 - 
• 4,37.8,000 ■ 
1,980,000 
18811 - 
■ 7,8fi0,fKXl 
3,477,000 
1887 - 
. 13,834, (KX) 
,5,984,000 
1888 - 
- 23,821,000 
9,987,0(X) 
10,626,000 
J889 - 
- 84,84ll,(X)0 
1890 - 
- 4.6,800,000 
1 1,454, (XW 
1891 ■ 
- 67,000,000 
21,200,000 
ISO'S*- 
- 8.5,000,000 
18,000,000 
189.3*- 
■100,000,000 
15,000,000 
CEOPS OP CEYLON TEA SINCE J883; 
ANNUAL INCEEASES AND YEAULV 
PERCENTAGES OP INCREASE, 
A mistake bavinR crept into our article on crops 
past, present and luture, whereby the increase ol 1801 
over 1800 was understated by a couple of millions of 
pounds, we now give figures for crops, with 
absolute increases of succeeding years and peroentaga 
of inorease in each case since 1883, when, for 
the first time, our export exceeded a million of 
Pkucentaoes 
•13J 
704 
7H 
72 
41 
3Si 
4(!j 
2(iJ 
17* 
Our readers will sec from the above figures that in 
the third year of the series the inorease over the pre- 
vious year was sotually 82} per cent Tho rate of in- 
crease per cent then went gradually down until 
that of 1890 over 1880 was 33^, a rise of just 
one-third. Then came the year of exoeptiocal 
weather and exceptional yield, 1601, when the pir- 
oentage of increase approximated 60, the exact 
figure being 404- Our estimate for 1892 of 85 
millions of pounds is lower by 20 per cent than 
this rate, and lower by 7J per cent than the rate 
for the normal year 1890 over the normal year 
1889. Our estimate for 1893, high as it seems, is 
only at the rate of 17J per cent, or only a 
little more than one-half the lowest percen- 
tage of increase previously shown. We fear, 
therefore, in view of all the oiroumstanoes, especially 
in view of the fact, that the whole 250,000 acres, 
inoluding the 66,000 planted sabscquently to July 
1888, will then be as nearly as possible in full 
bearing, at the average rate of 400 lb. per core, — 
wc fear our estimatea are only too likely to be 
realized. As we have said already the general 
adoption of light plucking might lesson our figures, 
and wo believe that in a good many oaeoe the 
order for lighter plucking has gone forth. But 
we have more confidenoe iu the Ohioago crusade 
and similar efforts in regard to other markets, 
than belief in the general adoption of plucking 
BO light as materially to efleot the yields ws 
feel compelled to estimate. 
THE DUTY ON TEA. 
A FALLACY TO REPRESENT THAT ITS RE- 
MISSION WILL BENEFIT THK WORKING MAN. 
(Bv W. P. PoNDKH ) 
When the Colonial Troaenrer announced to the Honse 
and to the country with a fiouriab of trnmpots, and as 
B preface to announcing hie general taxation poliov. 
that it waB the intention of the Govornment" to take 
the duty off the poor man’s toa,” it was but too plainly 
evident that tbia oonrao waa adopted with the solo 
object of attracting the pnblio mind from the enormity 
of the proposals that were to follow, and Idinding them 
to tho eerione weight of the burdens it waa their 
intention to bind upon them. 
“ A free breakfast table at Inst, ’ luterjrcted tho 
member for Bourke, Mr. Willis ; an old Qladatonian 
cry of 30 ycare ago, tliat was doubtless intended 
should be taken up by the popiilaoe and echoed through- 
out the country. " A free breakfast table,” forsooth. 
* Estimates. 
with a ilnty on bread and butter, sngar and milk, 
coffee, crockery, cutlery, and every other reqnireniant 
that makes tho distiuotinn between onr eduoatod oivili- 
,atiun aud savsgo ignorance. And thiif, this protec- 
tionist Govotuaen" wishes to pose as Ibe " poor man's ” 
fiieiid, Ibe ohampious of the working man, and 
make a party ory of the faot that they have 
abolished the doty on tea, and thereby try 
to blind the public to the far greater faet that they 
will have to piy a much higher price for all the 
actnal neoecaries of everybody life, and that they are 
to be prohibited from enjoying any of its oomforta 
unless they are prepared to pay the high prices that 
will result from tho heavy duties placed upon what they 
characterise as “ tho rich man’s luxuries.” 
But wbat does this groat boon that it is proposed 
to confer upon the “poor man” really mean? Is Mr. 
Bee so igooraiit of the commeroial conditions under 
which the trade of the co'ony is carried on that ho 
ready believes tho actual consumer will be benefited 
by it in the eligbtest degree ? 
Iu point of faot, instead of the remission of the 
dnty npoii Tea being a benefit to gonoral oonanmers 
it will not benefit them in the least, but will simply 
confer a groat benefit upon tho rich importers and 
wholesale grooers who distribute this article of every, 
day consumption, and will leave in thoir pockets the 
anm of £110,000 annually that they have now to pay 
as dnty before tho Tea is released from bond, and 
which under present oiroumslanocs is one cf the 
fairest sources of indirect taxation for providing the 
necessary revenue for state expenditure that exists. 
To show that such is the case we have simply 
to look at the conditions under which tea is dis- 
tributed to the pnblio. In tbs first place it mnst be 
admitted that tho general pnrebaser is totally ignorant 
of tho actual value of the toa they buy. 'They may 
know tho class of toa they like wheu they have it 
iufnsed iu the cup, but this is simply the rcsnlt ol edu- 
cation of the paluto. They like a certain ola<s of tea 
becaneo they are aconstomed to drink that quality, and 
this education goes to the extent of their often pre- 
ferring a common inferior quality tea to a higher ols's 
and richer flavoured one, or to the class of blended tea 
Bupplioil by one grocer in preference to that supplied 
by another, altbongh the rejected sample may be wor'h 
from fid to Is per lb. more than the one that the buyer 
likea, simply through bis having acquired a taste for 
the iaferior article through constantly using it. This 
fact is taken advantage of by the general grocer, who 
always looks to get a large profit upon his tea. Ha may 
have to give the host valne in sngar, ao article the 
quality of which anyone oau judge. Ho may have to 
out down tho price of his bnttcr, cheose, bacon, jams, 
aud other standard goods to the finest margin to eom- 
pete with his opponents, hot he must make up for this 
by getting a large profit on his tea, beoanse in Ibis his 
customers cannot judge of ilie relative values offered, 
being in total ignorance of tho value of the article they 
are purohasing. 
The troth of this etatoment is ovidooced by the 
faot that uumorona grooers advertise aud pro- 
olsirn by large signs that “ they will give 5 lb. of 
the beat white sugar to each purchaser of 1 Ib. 
of their beat 2s tea. “ Now let any thinking mind ana- 
lyse this wonderful offer ; do they really imagine that 
they will get ” 1 lb. of the heat 2s tea,” and that the 
kind-bearlod grocer generonsly presents them with Sib 
white sugar ? If they do, let us inform them for their 
information that it is much more probable that they 
get lib. old exhausted rubbish, that once perhaps 
deserved the name of tea, and that would be now 
dear at any price, and that by this catch the grocer 
makes a profit on his sugar that otherwise he wonid 
not got. Tho working man can now buy his ten at 
any prior, from Is per Ib. upwards, aooordiiig to his 
tssle and rerjuiiemrnta. Lot us ask him to use his 
own common sense and pructioal kiiowlo.lge of the 
world, and say whether in the face of the foregoing 
facte it is at all probable that he would ha able to 
bay his tea cheaper, or get better value for his mouey 
through the faet of tho 3d per lb. duty being taken off. 
Wo can tell him he will not. Thu rumission of the 
