The next step must be taken at the Custom House in London. Let the importer or the producer’s agent attend and weigh each package himself nicely, any time before the weights are to be taken by the Customs. Then let him make each package 2 ounces above the even number of pounds. This will be easy enough, by the addition or subtraction of a few nails or hoop iron. For instance, suppose the chest to weigh 140 pounds 6 ounces, he would take away nails or hoop iron weighing 4 ounces. If it weighed 140 pounds 13 ounces, he would, by adding 5 ounces more nails or hoop iron, make it 141 pounds 2 ounces. All would then be finished, and each and every package so treated would give a loss in Tea of 4 ounces only.
If my plan could be carried out (as the minimum loss otherwise is 2 ounces, and the maximum 1 pound 14 ounces the mean is one pound), we save a loss of the said pound on each chest, minus the loss we compound for, viz., 4 ounces. That is to say, we gain 12 ounces on each package which, in a break of 2 or 3 hundred chests, means a good deal to the producer or Customs!
I will give one example in figures. Any other possible figures can be tried: it will always come out the same, if the weight of Tea is exactly 4 ounces above any given number of pounds.
No. 3. Example.
Were the plan feasible, the gain to the Indian planters would be large. Say this year (1883), fifty-seven million pounds are imported, and ninety pounds per chest is taken as the average, this gives over 600,000 chests, and 12 ounces saved on each = 450,000 pounds, of Tea, which at 12 annas per pound, Rs. 3,37,000.
The gain to the Customs would be 450,000 sixpences = £11,250.
This increase to the Customs would be attained by simply (though still keeping under the actual weight of Tea in each chest) taking the contents more correctly.
The above shows, if figures will show anything, that a great loss to both the producer and Customs takes place by the system in vogue. As the only object of the Customs should be to arrive at the true weight of Tea in the most expeditious and simple way, how very absurd is the system pursued! What the tare is can in no way signify to them; all they really want is the weight of the Tea. The absurdity of the system is proved by the fact (demonstrated) that the results to both producer and Customs can be altered by the addition or subtraction in the Custom-house of a few nails! How easy to weigh the Tea itself! What possible objection can exist?