February i, 1889.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
5i7 
CEYLON TEA PLANTATIONS COMPANY, 
LIMITED. 
An extraordinary central meeting of the shareholders 
wa» held at the offices of the Company. 21, Mincing 
Lane. Mr. David Reid of Thom*nean presiding. 
The Secret ry read the following notice of resolutions 
for thn deliberation of which the meeting was convened. 
1. '• That the Capital of the Companv be increased 
to £'1 50.000 by the creation of 5,000 New Shares of 
£10 each." . 
2. " That the Directors be anthonzed to purchase 
or acquire from the Chairman and others the ownors 
thereof respectively the following Estatos in CeyloD, 
viz.:— a. P' 
' Wallaha ' containing 290 0 0 or thereabouts 
' Scrubs ' „ 139 0 0 
'Tillvrie' „ 756 0 0 
'Alton' „ 213 0 0 
' Upoot ' „ 219 0 0 „ 
or any of them or any part thereof respectively 
with the buildings, machinery, implements, live and 
dead stock, crops, produce, stores, effects, and other 
property to said estates, or any of them belonging 
or any part thereof respectively, and the business, 
assets, and liabilities of the respec*ive owners or 
vendors of the said estates in respect thereof, or any 
of them, or any part of such bnsiness. assets, and 
liabilities at such price or prices not exceeding in 
the whole £45.500 payable in fnllv pai.l up shares of ( 
the Company and upon such terms and conditions in 
all respects as the Directors ■•hall think fit." 
The Chairman at some length gave his reasons 
for recommending the shareholders to accept the offer 
to purchase the estates enumerated in the resolu- 
tions before the meeting. Though largely interested 
in the properties as one of the vendors, he folt he 
could satisfy the shareholders that the purchase would 
be much to the advantage of the Company on the 
termB named. 
By desire of the Chairman, the Skcuetahy read 
to the meeting the report and valuations furnished 
by the Company's Ceylon Manager, Mr. Rutherford. 
He also rend a long letter from Mr. J. H. Starey, 
Manager of the Eastern Prodnco and Estates Co., 
and a shareholder in this Company, approving of 
the purchase, and also letters from other independent 
shareholders as planters resident in Ceylon. With 
thesa statements the Chairman left the matter in the 
hands of the meeting. 
Mr Toi)"therenpnn rose, and, as a very large share- 
holder, expressed his approval of the purchase, believ- 
iug fully that it w^nld appreciably add to the earning 
power of the Company, and he begged leave to move 
the resolutions as sot forth in tho notice convening the 
meeting. 
Mr. Kkip. of Sevennaks. supported the resolution, 
explaining that he had no interest whatever in lh« 
properties pr oposed to be acquired He worked 
out the purchase solply as a transaction likely to 
strengthen the position of the Company, and to add to 
its capability of conlinn'ng to pay good dividends. 
There had been a difference of opinion as to the 
price to ho paid, but by a little v ieldirg on both sides 
tho Hoard had come to the conclusion that tho terms 
agreed up"n were fiiir and eqnitable. 
Mr. Ai.hkrt Dpacov said that be had listened with 
much interest to the straightforward and explicit 
statements of the Chairman, and, after having re- 
ceived satisfactory replies to inquiries on one or two 
matters, ho said ho accorded his full support to tho 
proposals before tho meeting, and had much pleasure 
in soconding tho resolutions moved by Mr. Tod. 
Theso were then formally submitted by tho Chair- 
man, and earrii'd unanimously. 
A vot« of thinks to the f'hnirman proposed bv Mr. 
Qm Whits, and leoonded by Mr. A. Duopv, termi- 
nated the proceedings. 
This Company, we understand, has now 3.8lti acros 
under tea, including the lands being opened this ye r. 
The whole extent of the Company's property eODlistl 
of 6.-W0 son s. At the increased capital of the Com- 
pany tho opened laud with machinery and build- 
ings is equal to about t'37 per acre, and forest itc. 
at £5 10h. 
THE OUTLOOK FOR COFFEE. 
It is just 20 years since one of the greatest authori- 
ties iu the trade, Mr. W. i^cboffer, published his cele- 
brated monograph on cotiee, and, in words almost 
ideutical with thise used in the circular to wbich you 
referred luet Tuesday, urged the necessity of such an 
advance in coffee prices as would ch' ck consumpti n, 
and tbus save our siocks from annihilation. Mr. 
Schbffer's pamphlet, however, only afforded one more 
proof of how the most ingeuious and apparently well- 
founded calculations can be belied by facts. Evt n when 
figures prove true, monetary and political influences 
may upset the soundest conclusions ; aud such mone- 
tary and political risks cannot be said to be entirely 
absent, in the near future. "Without discussing the es- 
timated increase in consumption — though much may be 
said on both sides — aud without entering iuto the ques- 
tion of '• invisible stocks" ( which seems, by the way, a 
misnomer where figures are given with such precision), 
it may be here observed that as telegraphs extend, the 
use of steamers in ocean transport increases, and the 
development of railways in producing and distribu iog 
countries is being daily enlarged, the ability of the world 
to work, year by jeur, with smaller stocks of every- 
thing also becomes greater. We have an evident proof 
ol this in the veiy extraordinarily reduced stuck* of 
sugar at prese nt held in London and the (Jlyde. 
Leaving, however, these geueral remarks, what I 
desire now to show is, that if the repor:s from 
more than one trustworthy source are borne out, 
the crops of coffee at present being marketed in all 
Brazil will be much nearer 8,000,000 of bags than to 
6,100,000 given in Mr. Hvistendahl's statement. Tho 
effect of such a production would not only most 
seriously affect Mr. Hvistendahl's figures, bat also 
entirely upset his main conclusion, that the maximum 
production of Brazil was reached in 1882-83. 
In illustration of the possible future I would far- 
ther remark : — 
1 That the most active development in coffee culti- 
vation occurs in the rich aud rapidly advancing pro- 
vince of S»n Paulo. 
2 That it is estimated that a price of 50s per cwt. 
much more than pavs the Brazilian planter. 
3 That the cultivation of San Paulo is only, to a 
moderate extent, dependent on slaves. 
4 That the climate and the cultivation in the coffee 
districts is suitable to European labour. 
5 That the immigration of hard-working Italians, 
into the provinoe is large and continuous, having been 
about 80,000 last year, and being likely to reach 100,000 
this year. 
6 That with a continuance of such immigration there 
is every ground for hope that the cultivation of coffee 
will be extended so long as pricea here do not decline 
much below 50s per cwt. 
7 That, there 1 ore, there iB no reason to fear any 
falling off in p> oduction, except as the result of disease 
or of unfavourable weather. 
8 That i he United St ites have shown us that the 
abolition of slavery (even when effected suddenly) can 
be co-incident with a greatly iucreabed production. — I 
am, sir, yours, &o., V. C. 
Minciiig-lane, Dec. 6th, 1888. 
— Financial News. 
— ■ *v 
Ceylon Tea in Western Australia. — Mr. H. 
Pierssene\ who has had experienco in the tea trade 
in London, has been on a short visit to Ceylon, 
and leaves by the P. & O. steamer on Thursday 
ior Albany en route to Perth, the capital of 
Western Australia where he hopeB to establish 
himself, mainly with the view of introducing and 
pushing the sale ol Ceylon teas. We wish Mr. 
Pierssen? all suocoss in his new home with its 
tine climate and rapi'ily rising importance. As the 
pioneor of Cevion teas in that region after he has 
fairly established himself and made up his mind 
to settle, he should in our opinion got some re- 
cognition of his enterprise from the Ceylon Tea 
Fund Committee. 
