14© 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[August r, 1888. 
in 18S5. But Messrs. Gow, Wilson & Stanton's 
diagram, which takes account of quarters of 
years, shows, that, while a descent to 9d was 
made in the first quarter of 1S81, the culminat- 
ing period for Ceylon teas was reached in the 
three closing months of 1883 when the figures 
1/5 J were reached. Shall we ever again see such 
a quarter's average, or 1/34; for a year ? If the 
analogy of coffee is observed this is quite pos- 
sible. Low prices stimulate consumption, and after 
a time demand outruns supply. If only the 
250 millions of Imlia woui'i consume even 
1 lb. per caput, the beneficial effect would 
be great. There is the important fact in 
the history of our enterprise noted by Messrs. 
Gow, Wilson & Stanton, that " the consumption 
of Ceylon tea in Great Britain increased one 
hundred fold between 1880 and 1887." Such a 
record is and probably will remain unique. We 
should like to see deliveries increased in propor- 
tion to imports of our teas into Britain, but it is 
encouraging to find that while in the twelve 
months of 1886 the total deliveries of Ceylon tea 
were 9,91 1,610 lb. i he deliveries for six months only 
in 1898 reached 7, 313, 302 lb. For the whole year 
we have no doubt the figures will be considerably 
more than doubled. In the United States tea, 
like coffee, is free of duty, and the taste for tea 
is increasing, seeing that the imports in 1887 exceed- 
ed by more than 10 mil ions of pounds those of 1886. 
Thefigures for thelatteryear are given at8G, 864,0001b. 
In Canada also tea is duty-free except when im- 
ported from the United States, and the impnr.s into 
that British colony are given at 18,533,000 lb. 
Here is an aggregate of 105 millions of pounds, and 
population and wealth in both countries are rapidly 
increasing. Special and strenuous efforts should be 
made to obtain a footing for Ceylon tea in such 
markets as theie. Next in importance, perhaps, 
are the Australian colonies, and in Victoria con- 
sumption is certain to be increased by the reduc- 
tion since the circular was framed of the duty to 
Id per lb. The information given as to the total 
consumption of tea in various countries, the rate 
per caput and the import duties levied is ex- 
ceedingly interesting and useful. Russia, it will 
be observed, comes next after Britain and the 
United States, with an import of close on 75 
millions of pounds in 1887, although the duty ranges 
from 2d per lb. to Is 10^d. After all, however, the 
rate per caput in Russia is only 0-61 lb., against 
such figures as 7-66 in Australia, 4 70 in Great 
Britain, and 3-69 in Canada. The miserable figures 
opposite many countries show what scope there is 
for increase in their own comfort and in the 
sales of their product by the growers of tea. The popu- 
lation of France consumes only 0-03 per caput and 
that of Spain 0-01. Even Germany shows only 
0-07, and Holland with a tea growing colony is 
only up to 1 '16a There is room in many direc- 
tions for largely increased consumption of the 
article which is now the staple product of Ceylon. 
MR. ELWOOD MAY'S PROPOSALS AND THE 
FUNCTIONS OF THE CEYLON PLANTERS AS- 
ASSOCIATION. 
With referenoe to Mr. Pineo's letter (page 
143), we would remark that no direct attack 
has been made on Mr. Elwood May's personal 
character or business standing. But, naturaliy 
enough, surprise has been expressed that he should 
decline the reasonable proposal made by the Tea 
Fund Committee, that simultaneously with the 
presentation to him of the 6,000 of tea 
lor gratuitous distribution he should invest iu 
twice that quantity on his own account. His 
refusal to risk so small a sum as the cost of 
12,000 lb. of tea could not but produce an un- 
favourable impression, and that impression has 
certainly not been modified by his demanding of 
the Ceylon planters' Association what they have 
not the power to grant and what, even if they had 
the power, they ought not to grant. He demands 
as a condition to hi-; giving Ceylon tea the benefit 
of his buoming " advertisements and pushing 
facilities, that he should be appointed the ac- 
credited Agent of the Planters' Association, receiving 
supplies of tea and selling them under the eclat of that 
position. Now our readers will see at once that such t 
concession would be unjust to Mr. MacCombie Murray 
and others who have already been working in 
America on behalf of Ceylon tea, and would be 
calculated to deter others from entering the field. 
But, further, as Mr. Rutherford has pointed out, 
the Ceylon Planters' Association is not a trading 
Company, and could not possibly engage to supply 
Mr. Elwood May with tea of a particular brand in 
perpetuity or for any appreciable period. The 
invidious task would fall to the Committee of choosing 
the teas to be purchased and sent, and the disastrous 
result to the institution may be imagined. Within 
the year in which such an arrangement was con- 
cluded, the body which has done so much for the 
planting and general interests of Ceylon would be 
broken up into u fortuitous atoms,'' amiist jealousy 
and strife. Although the Planters' Association is 
not a trading body, and never can assume the 
character which Mr. Elwood May s a ek= to give it, 
in connection with himself as accredited and 
he evidently means sole agent, — yet it was quite 
in accordance with its legitim te functions of 
watching over and proniuting the interests of the 
planting community, to appoint, as a temporary 
measure, a Tea Committee to further by all pos- 
sible and proper means, whether by sale of 
packets, or tea in the cup at Exhibitions, or by 
gratuitous distrioution, a demand for our staple 
product. That demand once created and new 
markets opened, it would be the duty as it would be 
the desire of the Tea Committee to retire and leave 
the field open to competing private enterprise. 
Consent to Mr. Elwood May's proposal would in- 
volve either the permanent existence of the Tea 
Committee of the Planters' Association to supply 
teas of a special brand for sale by a monopolist in 
America, or the Association itself would have to 
change its entire constitution and character and 
become instead of an impartial deliberative assem- 
bly, an interested deal' r in tea, in partnership with 
a transatlantic firm 1 To be plain with Mr.. Pineo 
we must tell him frankly that the impression made on 
our mind by Mr. Elwood May's proposals and pro- 
ceedings is, that the promotion of the sale 
of Ceylon teas in America is with him a very 
secondary object to the promotion of the interests 
and the fame of Mr. Elwood May. Had his pro- 
posals been accepted and had the result been large 
sales by him of Ceylon tea in America, so much the 
better would it be for his interests. But in any 
case his importance would be enhanced by the fact, 
of which he would make the most in his circulars 
and advertisements, that he had been chosen as 
THE SPECIAL AND ACCREDITED AGENT OF THE PLANTERS' 
Association of Ceylon. Individual planters and 
District Associations, only anxious to see every 
possible means used to promote the increased con- 
sumption of the product on which the fortunes of 
Ceylen planters depend, and which is reaching the 
markets in such large volume, have expressed 
themselves in favcur of compliance with Mr. Elwood 
May's demands e'n bloc. But they will see, on tuU 
consideration, that his demand for an appointment 
