coo 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



llpton and the indian committee each 

 Made an Exhibit 



which unfortunately involved the latter in a law 

 suit. The authorities seem to have treated 

 the Indian Committee badly. They were pro- 

 mised the sole right to sell tea and yet space for 

 tea was sublet to others through another source 

 and thus India's rights were disregarded. I am 

 very glad, therefore, that I spent no money on 

 this Exhibition. 



This year I shall employ the special funds 

 voted for 1908 in opening 



An Energetic Campaign in Bohemia, 

 in carrying on the work in Roumania, where 

 a capital beginning has been made by the 

 Agents of a Colombo firm, in supporting the 

 special Ceylon Tea Depots in Germany and 

 Austria and in erecting a tea room and 

 making a Tea Exhibit at the Munich Exhibi- 

 tion of 1908. This promises to be a specially 

 interesting Exhibition and will, I trust, be 

 visited by strangers not only from Western 

 but also from Eastern Europe. Since allot- 

 ting the funds for this year, a proposal to 

 supply the tea department and tho employees, 

 and to establish a tea room in one of the 

 new huge Stores to be opened shortly in Ber- 

 lin, has been put before me. But I had 

 already made my allotments for the year and 

 as the scheme demanded support for five con- 

 secutive years I had no funds wherewith to 

 carry it out, though I consider it a most desir- 

 able opening. This is another instance where if 

 the cess were continued, funds might with advan- 

 tage be made available for a special object. 



The German Figures 

 of Customs clearances are as under : — 



From : 



1006. 



1907. 





Kilos. 



Kilos. 



Great Britain mos.) 



1 7,300 (12 mos.) 



li 9,300 



British India 



510/00 



557,200 

 42S.60 ) 



Ceylon 



:«i,ioo 



China 



2,238,1(10 



2,202,200 



Japan 



2C0 





Java 



557,900 



841,100 



For use of ships and "\ 

 manufacture of Theine > 

 origin not given J 









37,800 







Klsewhere 



257,800 



61,100 



Total 





3,937,600 



The total increase in consumption of all teas 

 in Germany since 1900 is 884,100 kilos or close 

 on '2 million lb. 



In Holland, a small sum has been given for 

 Advertisements and Placards, Bill Posters and 

 Circulars, and I shall continue the same amount 

 in 1908 in order to meet the competition of the 

 Indian campaign in this country. 



In France all the same Agents have been em- 

 ployed as in the previous year with the excep- 

 tion of one— and most of the money has been 

 spent in Advertisements for the local Grocers, in 

 Circulars, Bill, Posters, Placards, and Illustra- 

 tions, in presents to purchasers in large quan- 

 tities and in Free Samples distributed by post. 

 The Tea Rooms in the Place de la Prefecture, 

 Marseilles, is the only one that has been 

 assisted. This establishment does not confire 

 itself to the sale of tea. To cover the heavy ex- 



penditure it is obliged to sell Coffee, Syrups, 

 Liqueurs, etc., but tea is its prominent feature 

 and it is well patronised by the best people in 

 Marseilles. 



In Denmark. 

 In Denmark, the principal firm has continued 

 to spend a very large sum on advertising and 

 general propaganda of which my contribution 

 forms a very small part. In Denmark last year 

 the quantity of tea imported from London was 

 considerably above the average, whereas much 

 less was bought in Ceylon, but on the whole 

 sales were not up to the average, whereas in 

 Sweden sales were much better, and a consider- 

 ably larger quantity was imported. 



I enclose for your information a copy of the 

 Indian Commissioner's Report for 1906-07, 

 kindly sent to me by Mr. Harington. You will 

 see that his plan is quite different from what 

 mine has been, The 



Indian Tea Cess Funds 



will be devoted to the establishment of one 

 special Agency for the sale of Tea on the 

 Continent. This Agency is to have its head 

 depot in Antwerp, to be managed by Mr. 

 Harington, who intends to acquire sub-agerts 

 and branches throughout Europe. I, on the 

 other hand, gave support to every firm or 

 Importer who was willing to push and advertise 

 Ceylon tea ; and as long as Ceylon tea was sold, 

 no restrictions were made as to where it was 

 procured, but each recipient had to provide at 

 least two-thirds of the funds for propaganda 

 from his own pocket— whereas the Indian 

 people provide all the money for propaganda, 

 but insist that their Agents shall buy their 

 teas from their one, agency only. The policy 

 may be a very good one, tor it ensures the 

 sale of specially selected Indian teas and will 

 force other competitors to keep Indian teas ; 

 but I fear had I attempted such a plan, it 

 would have laid me open to a charge of 

 favouritism, and I think that on the whole mine 

 was the better one for it gave me a command 

 of much larger funds anel a far large number 

 of Agents all over the Continent. If, however, 

 our plans are different, the methods of 

 carrying them out are the same. Mr Harington 

 works on the same lines that I have ad- 

 opted : Demonstrations (during which tea is 

 given away and sold in cup) Exhibitions, Dis- 

 tribution of Samples, and Advertising, and the 

 erection of special Depots for sale for the teas. 

 He generously admits that India will profit 

 much by our campaign. I feel quite certain 

 that she will reap where we have sown, for Mr. 

 Harington has tolel me personally that when 

 interviewing Retailers and informing them that 

 he has come to supply them with Indian teas, 

 he has received the invariable reply : " Oh, 

 you mean Ceylon ! " which shows that Ceylon 

 tea is known on the Continent to the General 

 Public, whereas Indian is not, — as yet. 



I wish the Indian campaign every success, 

 but I only wish they had commenced at the 

 same time as we, and had helped us to bear the 

 burden and heat of the day from the commence- 

 ment, instead of beginning when we leave off. 



J. H. RENTON. 



6th March, 1908. 



