Edible Products. 



70 



1,000 lbs. of tea leaf plucked on their estate for the preceding six months, and 

 that such monies so collected be used for the advertising and pushing of Ceylon 

 tea in such manner as the Association may from time to time see fit, and in 

 the first instance (should funds permit) that the Association do support the 

 Glasgow, Melbourne and Brussels Exhibitions of 1888." 



In his preamble he says: — " I come to ask you to 'invest' your money, 

 and I use the word advisedly." The Resolution was seconded by Mr. Wm. Mackenzie 

 and carried unanimously, and a second Resolution asking for the Chamber of 

 Commerce to appoint a Committee to confer Avith the Committee of the Planters' 

 Association was also carried. This was practically the origin of the present 

 "Thirty Committee," though a Tea Syndicate Fund met with failure in 1886. 



The Ceylon Tea Fund thus inaugurated supported the various Exhibi- 

 tions all over the world and closed in 1894, but previous to that— in view of 

 the Chicago Exhibition of 1892 — it was felt that to enable Ceylon to make a 

 good show, it was absolutely necessary to raise a large sum, so that tea should 

 be well advertised, and this Resolution passed in September, 1892, unanimously: — 



" That in view of the great importance not only to the Planting Industry 

 but to the Colony generally, of Ceylon being adequately represented at the 

 Chicago Exhibition, Government be requested in the first instance to levy a 

 royalty upon tea at the Customs of 10 cents per 100 lbs. from 1st January, 

 1893, and until such date as shall be agreed upon between the Government and 

 this Association, and in the meantime from 1st October next to continue the 

 present Railway rates on tea and to get the sum so received, namely, the 

 royalty on Tea and the difference between the old and new railway rates as 

 a Planters' contribution towards the cost of the Ceylon Court at the Chicago 

 Exhibition and the subsequent furthering of the tea enterprise in America, and 

 further to supplement these contributions by equal amounts from the Revenue." 



After the Chicago Exhibition had been paid for, the Planting commu- 

 nity, seeing the necessity of continuing the advertising of tea in all parts of 

 the world, the Ceylon Government agreed to continue the royalty or cess on 

 all tea exported from the Island, and Ordinance 4 of 1894 was passed. 



In 1894 Ceylon exported 85,376,3221b. of tea:— 



lbs. 



United Kingdom ... ... ... 76,434,117 



Australia and New Zealand ... ... 7,218,838 



Other British Colonies ... ... 184,017 



British India ... ... ... 952,751 



Other Countries (Asia) ... ... 178,084 



Africa ... ... ... 57,087 



United States of America ... ... 46,873 



Canada ... ... ... 22,858 



Europe, 11 Countries ... ... 281,697 



(Germany :— 170,8131b.) 



Russia:- 43,1521b. 85,376,322 



The Ceylon Tea Fund had spent Rs. 140,000 during the seven years of its 

 existence, during which time it had spent money in advertising Ceylon tea at 

 Glasgow, Brussels, Melbourne, New Zealand, South Seas and Paris Exhibitions, 

 and in Russia, Austria. Germany, America, and elsewhere, and the Tea Kiosk 

 in Colombo, 



The "Thirty Committee" has now been in existence eleven years. 



The satisfactory increase of deliveries in Great Britain and the annually 

 increasing amounts shipped to Australia showed that where Black Tea was 

 drunk Ceylon would win its way on its own merits, and all advertising at 



