ApkiL 2j 1894 J l-ROflCAL AGRiCULTURlst. 
687 
CEYLON AND INDIAN TEA IN AMERICA : 
OUTLINE OF A SCHEME FOR JOINT 
ACTION. 
There is one correction we have to make in 
reference to the American operation;? of Messrs. 
Finlay, Muir <fe Co. and allied firms. We spoke 
of their large expenditure in promoting the sale 
of Indian teas ; but that expenditure covers Oeylon 
teas M well. For, their Apencieg in America 
nre supplied with Ceylon as well as Indian tea. Sir 
John Muir'B firm, indeed, now forms a connecting 
link between the two countries, and it is fitting that 
the proposal recently placed before the Calcutta 
meeting should ha^e come from its representatives. 
Following np that proposal (cordially adopted 
by the Indian Agents) that there should be a 
ocmbination between the planttra of India and 
Ceylon in pushing the sale oftheir teas in America, Sir 
John Muir and Mr. P. B. Buchanan have now drafted 
the rough outline of a scheme for the consideration 
of those engaged in the tea enterprise here. 
They have sent this suggested scheme to the 
Chairman of the Planters' Association end a 
copy has courteously been placed at our disposal. 
It is by no means intended as a " cut-and-dried " 
aUsir to be forced on the Ceylon planters and 
merohants ; but 13 rather the contribution of 
gentlemen very largely interested in the question, 
to the discussion which is now under special 
ooDsideraiion both here and in India. With this 
needful prefatory explanation we give the Scheme 
as follows : — 
" That a first-class man not interested aa a planter 
or proprietor in tea growing, but if possible, with 
B knowledge of the American tea trade, be engaged 
to act BS a resifient representative for Ceylcn and 
Indian tea in America, for a period of not less 
than three years on a ealary, to include travelling 
expenseg of £1,.500 per annum, and an allowance 
for entertaining not to exceed a further £500 per 
annam. 
"The duty of such representative would be to 
cultivate the acquaintance and periodically visit 
the principal wholesale distributors in the United 
States and Canada to urge and enocurage them in 
every possible way to extend their dealings in Ceylon 
and Indian teas, and to send weekly reports of 
Buoh visits to his employers, making any sugges- 
tions which might from time to time occur to him 
for the furtherance of the trade. 
" It he considers it desirable a troupe of native ser- 
vants should be placed at his disposal, whom 
he could lend for short per ode, to the various 
distributors, for the purpose of advertising. 
" He should on no account sqll any tea himself, 
or carry any samples, but should simply advise 
the dealers (if required) as to the methcds of 
procuring the teas they might require, placing 
at their disjoaal a printed list of the rames and 
addresses of the various merchants, brokers and 
others, dealing first hand, in Indian and Ceylon teas. 
"It would be advisable, though not essential, that 
he should 1)0 able to give inEtruolions in blending, 
if asked do so. 
" In order to assist in advertising the art cle, a 
commission as proposed by the Hon. J. J, Grinlin- 
ton of say £1 on every 1,000 lb. of tea should be 
allowed on all exports of Ceylon or Indian tea 
from any part in India, < "eylon, or Great Britain 
to America, and this pajment should bo made 
with all possible prcmplilude. With a view to 
making the niDst of the funds available, and also 
to prevent nsolcss opposition, and confus'on, it is 
desirable, that Ceylon and Indi» should carry out 
tb| »obemQ ia eombiqfttioa eaob oouotiy p&yiog 
n 
a share of the representatives' salary, and g?neral 
fxpenacB, in proportion to the crop it produces, 
and each country crutributing to the Commission 
Fnnd in proportion to the quantity of its tea 
exported to America." 
We may say at once that the proposal in the 
first clause to appoint a rpeciil travelling repre- 
sentative for a period of three years with a 
handsome salary, travelling expenses and enter- 
taining allowance, Breros, to u?, a very good one, 
both feasible and likely to yield adequate regults. 
A Ceylon gentleman interested as lea proprietor 
and agent to whom we mentioned the matter 
today, thicks the net ealary of such joint repre- 
sentative of Ceylon and Indian teas, ought cot 
to be less thnn £1,000 and thnt a separate 
allowance of £2 per day ought to be mada for 
travelling expenses, since the ppecial duly of the 
Agent ought to be to travel as much as possible 
and not to confine himflelf to any limited circle, 
however comfortable. The instructions given in 
the second paragraph seem very much to the 
point, though no doubt, they form but the 
nucleu' of the Special Letter of Instructions 
which Wi'U:J have to be drawn up by a joint 
Committee representative of the Indian and Cevlon 
planters, to guide the Agent in bis operations 
and these instructions cou'd be extended or 
modified from time to time, as ssemed wise 
from the experience gained. From all we have 
read and heard of the great interest taken 
in native servants in America, we 'hink 
it very politic to adopt the sugeestion in the 
third paragraph ; but that could be left for the 
Agent to decide. We are surprised to see that it ia 
coneidered desirable tha* the representative should 
distribute no samples, although it may ho advisable 
that he should give instructions in " blending." 
If one of the recent experiences ia America ba 
that a great deal of the tea sold as '• Oeylon " or 
" Indian " in the stores, has no claim to eithof 
designation, it would certainly seem to ua that 
our special Agent should ba in a position to 
shew any householder tpplying to him, whafc 
genuine British-grown teas were like. Small 
sampla packets distributed in this way ought to 
be a splendid advertisement. 
Finally, it would seem that Sir John Muir and 
Mr, Buchanan tack on — aa a compromise ? — the 
bounty scheme to that of the appointment of a 
special representative and propose the payment of 
£1 for every 1,000 lb. exported, in all the baldness 
of the original scheme. We are purprited at this, 
and further thnt nothing ia said about the pay- 
ment being mode (aa Mr. Buchanan hinted had his 
preference) to the wholeaale American importing 
houses, rather than to the exporters. To pay the 
latter — as one authority ban shrewdly said — will 
be to place a bounty on the export to America 
of cheap, inferior, rather than cf good teas I 
But this part of the eoheme can be left for the 
report of the Sub-Committee of the Chnmber of 
Commerce. No doubt the pp cial Agent would 
have more discretion as (o any advertising which 
he considered desirable, and as to giving Newspapar 
editors sample boxes of tea as suggested long ago 
by Dr. Duke. The last queetion of all will be 
how are the funds to be provided ? Suppose we 
take 7 million lb. as the aggregate export of 
Indian and Ceylon tea for the year beginning 
.Tuly next 1S04-95, the commission proposed would 
pqMsl C7.0C0 ; the co^t of the Speeial Agent 
£'2,ti00; for native servants, advevtiping, iVj. say 
£2 400 and wa get a total of £12,000 or about 
R200,000. In the proportion of RSO.t'OO for Ceylon 
to I\l80,t)00 for India, ihq E«m 9( K310,000 gu^hl 
