•28 
THE TR0P1GM. 
AQWCT5LTU Rl ST. [Tulv i, 1889 
THE CEYLON-AMERICAN TEA COMPANY. 
Castlereagh, Dikoya, 18th May 1889. 
Dear Sib, — I notice in your issue of the 17th a 
letter s'gned " Shareholder " offering suggestions re 
the Ceylon Planters' American Tea Company. He is 
perfectly right in saying that no time must be 
wasted; we cannot move too soon, but it must be 
remembered that we must first form the Company ; 
this is what the Provisional Board of Directors are 
striving their utmost to do ; the Company once 
floated, that is a sufficient number of shares taken 
to enable a start, of course a meeting of all inter- 
ested will be called to appoint a Board. "Share- 
holder" though little kr ows the indifference shown 
in quartprs where one would expect the greatest 
interest. With a market falling rapidly, it is amazing 
to hear a proprietor say: " I don't believe in putting 
money into other people's pockets." Another: "I 
want to see the price of tea fall, for not till then 
will we have a chance with China." While some object 
to the word Planters' Company ; and others think 
the offices and directors should all be in Colombo. 
These are some of the reasons given for not 
subscribing. 
This Company must be floated, and floated I 
am quite sure it will be. Call it by any name 
you like, have the offices in Colombo, and the 
whole Board Colombo men, by all means ; only 
let us get under weigh. Till men come forward 
and take shares they are ineligible as directors. 
There are now about 1,100 shares taken. I would 
that eveiy estate in the island took one share, and 
every superintendent one, and let our Colombo 
friends and the proprietors come forward and the 
5,000 shares available for Ceylon would soon be 
taken up ; there are many considerations to be taken 
into account and discussed, much that is open to 
criticism doubtless. All this is a matter for the 
shareholders ; let them only join and then appoint 
their own Board to work the Company aB the ma- 
jority wish. That it i3 necessary that we try and get 
into the American market all will admit. The Tea 
Fund, while doing excell nt work, cannot tackle so 
large an undertaking ; the Elwood May Scheme fell 
through ol necessity, and the present Company is put 
before the public. Not only is it to make our teas 
known in America, but by establishing agencies it is 
to push the sale of pure Ceylon tea bought in the 
open market in Colombo, which will be sold at 
fair rates not at fancy prices. That our teas will 
sell where known has been proved over and over 
again. When in Colombo last April I saw an 
order from Australia for 20,000 lb., the outcome of 
the Melbourne Exhibition entirely. Most of us 
know of the order from Persia, the result of one 
of our bankers sending some of our tea to the 
new agency there, and the result of the Tea Fund 
grant to Mr. Fenton Wingate on his late trip to 
New Zeal., d is a trial order of some 5,000 lb 
from the New Zealand Farmers' Co-operative 
Society of Canterbury ; these are only a few 
instances. Again I say, start this Company we 
must, and I appeal to all tc come forward and help. 
A meeting of the provisional directors is to be held 
in Kundy ou the 24th to decide as to whether the 
• or puny is to be gone on wHh. I can only express 
the earnest hope that before that date, appli- 
cations for Bb- res will have come in from 
ail sides eo thai ue wo/k of attacking the American 
market may be commenced at once. Well supported 
and well directed not only should the Company 
do incalculable good to the tea industry, but to 
the whole Colony generally, besides paying each 
shareholder an acceptable percentage. The mean- 
ing of preventing a fall of 2o per lb. on the 
50,000,000 lb. we shall export in to years from now 
means about £416,000, and if only lOo. per lb. 
of this is spent in this colony it means a circula- 
tion of R500.000. -Your truly, L. H.KELLY. 
P. 8. — I have almost forgotten to thank the Press 
for their advocacy and the interest they have taken 
in promoting and pushing this undertaking. 
L. H. KELLY. 
EXPERIMENT WITH TANNING BARK. 
BLACK WATTLE ('' ACACIA DECURRENS "). 
Elephant Nook, Nuwara Eliya, 18th May 1889. 
Dear Sir, — The conclusion I came to on re- 
ceiving the analysis and valuation of the 'Aca- 
cia decurrens bark, wa3 that let the yield be 
what it might, the cultivation would not pay. 
This opinion was based upon the cost of a ship- 
ment of cinchona bark. I imagine the cost of 
shipping acacia bark would be the same. Say 
that the gross proceeds of one ton of the bark 
of Acacia decurrens is R150 (the equivalent of 
£10 or £11 sterling)=6-7c. per lb. The ship- 
ment of cinchona bark cost me in local 
charges (rail freight, baling, shipping, marine insu- 
rance, custom duty, and harbour dues, &c.) 4 cents 
per lb. The home charges were (freight, interest on 
freight, landing charges, marine insurance duty, 
fire insurance, advertising and sale expenses, 
brokerage, commission, analysis fee, &o.)=2£ cents 
per lb. Total charges in case of cinchona and prob- 
ably the same with acacia 6| cents per lb. against a 
probable proceeds of 6-7c. per lb. A margin of 
l-5th of a cent per lb. But even this margin 
disappears when we take into calculation that there 
was 10 per cent difference in the weight of the 
bark on which rail freight was paid and that 
actually shipped, and a further difference of 4 per 
cent between the quantity shipped, and that for 
which I am credited in the account sales. I 3end 
you enclosed the original copy of the analysis of 
the Acacia decutrens bark, and under separate 
cover the sample of bark alluded to in Mr. Wardrop's 
letter. I will write you again shortly, pointing out 
in what manner this experiment may have been 
misleading and higher prices be obtainable, and 
also giving you what information I possess regard- 
ing the cultivation as a fuel supply. — Yours faith- 
fully, WALTER R. TRINGHAM. 
Certificate of Analysis. 
Laboratory & Assay Office, 39, Lime Street, 
London, E. C. 
I have examined a sample of " Mimosa bark, 
marked as under, and find the following to be the 
result: — Ex " Roumania ": Acacia decurrens quill. 
No. 63 1 bag. Tauuiu per cent : 34-35. 
G. H. Ogston. 
[We are greatly disappointed : we should n^t at 
all have expected the charges to be as much on 
a rough tanning bark, as on cinchona, a medicinal 
bark ; and surely the expense of harvesting, drying, 
&e. is much less, while the yield of bark should be 
far greater on a wattle tree than from cinchona ? — 
Ed.] 
COTTON CULTIVAITON IN CEYLON. 
Colombo, 17th May 1889. 
Dear Sir, — We be,* to hand you oopy in English 
of a pamphlet in the vernacular, on eofcto:a culti- 
vation, that is now being issued for the inforujation 
of villagers more especially, but as its' eonteots 
will be of general interest at this time, we ahfall be 
glad if you will give publicity to it. — We are, dear 
sir, yours faithfully, 
For the Ceylon Spinning and Weaving Co., Ltd., 
DARLEY, BUTLER Co., 
Agents & Secretaries. 
