March i, 1892,] 
THE TROPICAL A0R1CULTURI8T. 
679 
the other bamt, are ecarce, and economical conditions 
generally triumph. 
A great increase in the sale of quinine might be 
looked for, it is believed, if it were given in a form less 
objeotiouable to the palate (ban that of a powder. 
Might not this difiSoulty be overcome by compressing 
the drug into easily-swallowed tablets ? Another 
step in toe direction of supplying a cheap drug for 
nativeoansumption has recently been taken by deciding 
upon the distribution, at cost price, of purgative pow 
ders, composed of quinine and of jalap grown in the 
ludiau Govarnmeut gardens.— C/iemist and Druggist 
TALGASWELA TEA COMPANY. 
The following is the Diroatorn’ Report for the year 
ending December Slst, 1891 
The Directors have pleasure in placing before the 
Shareholders their Fourth Annual Report, together 
with a duly audited stateineut of the Company’s 
atfairs and Anaucial position as ou3lst Ueoember, 1891. 
During the past year the Company’s property baa 
beou visite I twice by Mr. E. S. Urigson, in the ab- 
souoe of the Mauagiug Director. Mr. Grigeon’s first 
Report upo.i the pr 'perty, a very full one, was printed 
and oircuiatod amongst the sharuboldors. Hie second 
Report was read at the extraordinary General Meet* 
iug bul I on December 29th, 1891. 
Mr. W, Agar beoame ilisqualifiod to act as a Direc- 
tor and resigned his seat at the board Mr. Laos 
having left the Island, and resigned his seat, Mr, 
VanOnyleubnrg was elected a Director in bis plaoe. 
In oonaequeooe of the larger acreage of tea planted 
?n Talgaawnis than was originally intended, 681 acres 
tostead of 500 acres if tho immediate necessity for 
steam p.ivver which was not originally contemplated, 
jud of tiij increased factory expenditure necessitated 
by theUrger acreage, a debit balnnoe of 1119,51916 
rnmainod at the close of the year 1891, A Inrtlier 
expenditure on factory and maoliincty has also 
to, be faced during 1892. Realising that to charge all 
this capital expenditure against present revenues was 
to postpone uudulv the payment of dividends to the 
shareholders, the Directors called an extraordinary 
gen erul meeting on December 29 h to submit a pro* 
posal for raising the necessary extra capital (1{80,000) 
by the is me of 7 per cent preference shares of RIOI) 
each. The propotal was carried unanimously and its 
confirmation will be asked for at a special meeting 
^medintoly following the annual general meeting on 
Febrnury 23rd next. 
The Managing Direotor’a estimate for 1892 shows an 
bkpenditnre of R1(),616'80, estimated crop 180,000 lb. 
“*1 » price of 10 cents, a little over 1125,000 profit will 
be realised. This should allow for a dividend of ton 
8®r cent after paying interest on the preference shares. 
”''ould it be pissiule to do so, tbe Direotors will reoom. 
^bd the payment of an ad-interim dividend during 
*“a Sear. 
Ihe slow rate at wbioh the construction of the 
Railway Extension to Ambatangoda has been proceeded 
oAbsad general diesatiafaotion. 
•Messrs. T.W. Hall and H. Van Ouylenburg retire 
Aom the Directorate by rotation and offer themselves 
or xe-eleotion. 
COFFEE ADULTERATION: A CRUEL FRAUD 
UFON THE rOOR. 
To THE Eiiitok of the Rohsenoale Division Gazette. 
o have road with equal pleasure Sir Thomas 
rooks address to his constituents in the valley and 
a speech at Uawtonstall last evening, when as tho 
n,. bb'bdidato, ho opened thei yo-eloction - 
doeidod manner. Comin 
J 8 moiitioued in his address, h 
to see, in tl ■■ ■ 
, wriiTlQ* 
,, CO tho Hub- 
referred, I was glad 
coming gonern^ '*’ '"““.w, co “temperance.’' In the 
i aT* ®^®c£ion hundreds of Kpeeches will be 
th^anviira electors of tho United Kingdom on 
nie aubiGfi. Ko Hcores of candidates for their 
first plan^ 
«nffror»«c i , 'V Huurtm oi canaiaaces lor ineir 
pressinff distinctly a very 
lliiln fl,? much more so than that of Home 
*vmo lor Ireland, and one that will not brook of any 
^nrther delay. This ie now admitted by the leaders 
of both partiee. 
I now come to the sobjeot matter of this letter, and 
in order to do so as brieliy as possible, will feel obliged 
by yonr giving pnblioity to the following extracts from 
letters which have lately reached mo, viz. : — 
From the Secretary cf the London Chamber of 
Commeroe. 
“ I am fairly conversant with the question of coffee 
mixtnres. Messrs. , one of the largest distribut- 
ing Arms in the heart of Loudon, and who confess to 
the introduction of 75 and 85 percent, of ohioory in 
their tins without the slightest intimation to oonsumers 
as to the extent of the adulteration, have, for years, 
declined to sell ooffee mixtures at all, and have only 
given way lately owing to the pressure — if not the 
necessity— of supplying the demand for them, as tbe 
trade generally continaes to sell them in tins as 
mixtures only. As regards the purity question you 
are right in assuming that this Chamber waa in- 
terested in tho matter, and some years ago, when 
Mr. Gladstone's Bill, to which yon refer was passed, 
we did all we oonld in Farliameut to get the exact pro- 
portions of the different iogredieute indicated on the 
labels. — The president of the Chamber, at that time, 
Mr. Magniac, M.F., brought in an amendment to 
this effect, bat the Grocery interest which preferred 
that no indioatioD should be given was too strong for 
ns and we had to accept the compromise contained 
in tbe Act as it now stands. 1 will, however, consult 
the oommoroial legislative committee of the chamber 
with the view of considering whether eufficienl 
time has elapsed to move for an amendment of the 
old Act.” 
From Alfred W. Stokes, r. c. 8., f. i. o., Fublio 
Analyst for Paddington and other London 
Fariehes.- December 23rd, 1891. 
“ 1 entirely agree with you aa to tbe idiocy of the 
present exemption (practically) of ooffee (P) from the 
Adulteration Act. 1 have tried to bring public opinon 
to bear on tbe matter, but it is only from outside 
pressure (bat we can hope to have the law altered. 
— Agaiu, under date 5th January, 1892, Dr. Stokes 
wrote to me as fallows: — "I oonld not send you the 
particular report referred to by the Btmtdard , — vide 
the leading article on coffee adulteration la that paper 
under date 12th November, 1891, because I bad not 
one left. I sent yon, however, another that covered 
the same gtoand. In my opinion there are a greet 
number of people who have never bad the chance of 
tasting pure ooffee, so universal is the adulteration, 
I am very very pleased to see the vigorous way you 
are trying to rouse the public conscience in the matter. 
Would th.it i could rouse the conscieuce of Mr. W. 
E. Gladstone, for he it was who under preasure of the 
Grocers' vole, not only gave them licenses to sell in- 
toxicating liquor, but at the same, time under tbe 
Coffee Adulteration Act, 38 and 39 Viet., o. 63, per- 
mitted free license to Uiouera to adulterate coffee to 
any extent, even to 99 per cent of chicory if the pre- 
sence of one per cent of coffee could be proved 
provided the vile cumponud was labelled simply *• ooffee 
mixture ” and “ sold as a mixtnre of coffee and chicorv” 
on alternate sides of the tins or paokets. Morrav'er 
even althougii "Ooffee” should be asked for, and r, Un, 
of this vile mixture be proffered the public anj^i^gt is 
under this truly vicious law, unable to exact any 
penalty whatever, the magistrates ruii*^- ,i,at the words 
printed on tho tine were un-';^ a •• sufficient 
defence.” ri,U Stand- November 12lh, 1891. I 
oaimot better shocking state ot 
things thsj^ quoting some of Mr. W. B. Qladstoee a 
“"’J. words in his last speech in London before de- 
parting for Biarritz:- . , 
“ 1 indicate it with loelings of pain, of recoil, almost 
of horror— no word short of horrible is fit to deaeribe 
it. We have to blush for snob a state of things. We 
must let every man know nliat is and what is not 
an offence by clear enumeration. I look forward to 
the issue with cheerfnl faith when the population 
may sit down under tho shadow of beneficent legisla- 
tion, and with coufidouee in the Legislatare to live 
and die in oontentment and in peace.” 
