71 



Edible Products. 



Exhibitions was stopped in Great Britain, and, with the exception of the 

 Coolgardie Exhibition in Australia, as our geographical position helped ns 

 there with weekly boats running between Colombo and Australia. 



Russia was a country we looked to, and the Tea Fund assisted Mr. 

 Rogivue in 1890 by tea and funds to start a campaign there. Ceylon tea met 

 with great opposition at first, owing partly to the Tea Trade of Russia being 

 in the hands of a few very wealthy large Houses ; but Mr. Rogivue's business 

 grew, and the result was that when he had made a good business for himself, 

 the Russian dealers in self-defence had to handle Ceylon Teas, and in 1898 

 Russian Tea buyers supported the Colombo market by their presence. 



The necessity of any advertising of Ceylon Tea in Russia was done 

 away with and the Trade left to itself ; but should the Russian Government lower 

 their very heavy duty on Tea to a reasonable amount, it may be necessary to again 

 bring Ceylon Tea before the Russian public, as we have there a large population of 

 Black Tea drinkers ; but owing to the heavy cost, of Tea the poorer classes are 

 not able to purchase any large amount, as the consumption per head is but a little 

 over 1 lb. against Great Britain's 6 lb. per head. The Duty in Russia is about ljShd. 

 per lb. America is the country in whi^h we have expended most money. The Chicago 

 Exhibition cost a lot of money, but any good it might have done was not followed 

 up until 1895, when Mr. Mackenzie started work there. He met with great oppo- 

 sition from the old established Arms, but by adopting the system of supporting 

 men who would push Ceylon Teas, he has seen the direct shipments of Ceylon Tea 

 from Ceylon rise from 46,873 lb. in 1904 to 12,465,219 lb. in 1905. 



How much is due to the money expended — it is impossible to say, in the 

 words of Mr. A. M. White, the Chairman in 1894, at a General Meeting held in 14th 

 April, when speaking of the Ceylon Tea Fund : " With a Fund of that nature it was 

 impossible (demonstration was impossible) that they could say they had spent Rs. 5 

 here and had got back Rs. 5 or Rs. 10." 



The same remark applies now ; but when we consider that during the 

 eleven years the "Thirty Committee" has been in existence some one hundred promi- 

 nent Planters and Members of the Chamber of Commerce have given their time and 

 money to carry on the work, it seems reasonable to suppose that a large amount of the 

 exports to other countries is due to the advertising of these teas ; and certainly no 

 member has ever in any way attempted to benefit himself. In fact it is esti- 

 mated that it cost the " Thirty Committee " members at least Rs. 10,000 a year to 

 attend the Meetings for which they receive nothing. 



Early in 1895 Mr. Mackenzie advised the Ceylon Planters to turn their 

 attention to green teas if they wished to capture the American market. Little was 

 done until 1898, when to encourage Planters the " Thirty Committee " gave a bonus 

 of 10 cents per lb., and some 90,0001b. were made from October, 1898, to the end of 

 1899 ; in 1900 some 600,000 lb. were made, and in 1901 1,800,000 lb. 



1902 ... ... ... ... 2,796,000 lb. 



1903 ... ... ... ... 3,647,000 „ 



1904 ... ... ... ... 5,107,000 „ 



1905 ... ... ... ... 3,169,000 „ 



Owing to a bonus given, the manufacture of Green Tea went ahead fast 

 from 1900 to 1903, with the result that the end of 1903 and during 1904 saw a large 

 stock of green teas in stock in America and Colombo, with the result that green 

 tea fell to a very low figure. They have recovered since, and there is a steady 

 trade in them for good desirable marks. The bonus was done away with at the 

 end of 1904 ; but as Sir Stanley Bois pointed out in one of his communications from 

 St. Louis (when he represented the Ceylon Government as Ceylon Commissioner), 



