J^n. i, 1895. J TELE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
477 
THE CEYLON ASSOCIATION IN LONDON 
AND TEA MARKING. 
A recent mail has brought us information as to the 
course followed by the Committee of our London As- 
sociation with respect to the complaint addressed 
to it that a certain local firm placed incorrect 
marks upon the teas vended by it. We have 
before given our views upon this topic, and have 
expressed surprise that the practice complained 
of should be so widely followed as it has been 
alleged to be. We can feel no astonishment 
that the Committee declined to take any action 
in this particular case. It had, in fact, _ no 
ground to go upon. A statement made in writing, 
and not upon oath, by a dismissed employee of 
the firm implicated from this side, could not be 
made to support action to be taken on the 
other. So far as we are informed, the Com- 
mittee would not seem to have passed any reso- 
lution in condemnation of the practice. Pro- 
bably it abstained from doing this because 
the evidence before it could not justify the 
assumption that it was other than an isolated 
case. It is assuredly known, however, that this 
last does not stand by any means singular, though 
we cannot blame the Committee, perhaps, for 
declining to recognise the fact without fuller evi- 
dence coming before it. And even had it been 
possessed of this, the matter would more 
properly have belonged to the province of our 
Planters' Association to deal with than to our 
London represantaoive body. We are interested 
to know that the question of the practice com- 
plained of being an infringement of the Merchan- 
dise Marks Act was discussed at the meeting 
of the Committee. It would seem to have 
been the general opinion of the members pre- 
sent that under the English Act a direct offence 
would have been committed by the parties 
implicated. But that Act, it was held, would 
not apply to offences committed on this side, 
and there appears to have been some doubt 
entertained it it would be a breach of the 
provisions of any local Act of the kind. At 
all events the Committee would seem to have 
decided that it was a matter that could not be 
dealt with by it in any way. Had the complaint 
been addressed to the Planters' Association, the 
locus standi of that body might have enabled it 
to take up the question. As it is, there can be 
no evidence upon which the Loudon Committee 
could formulate a legal complaint. We think 
it to be likely that the subject may be referred 
from home to the Planters' Association. Should 
such be the case, we cannot but think it to be desir- 
able that the matter should be followed up, as being 
one gravely concerning the interests and the repu- 
tation of our planters as a community. 
♦ 
NOTES FROM OUR LONDON LETTER. 
London, Dec. 7. 
The meeting of the 
COMMITTEE OF THE CEYLON ASSOCIATION IN 
LONDON 
took place on Monday last. The complaint as 
to the false marking of tea was then fully con- 
sidered. It has not been possible for me to 
learn of what passed during the discussion of 
this in very full detail. We understand, how- 
ever, that the action complained of was very 
generally considered by the members 10 constitute 
an infringement of the home Merchandise Marks 
Act. Rut it was certain that no Sufficient proof 
was before the, C'umtuiilcg that would have 
justified any proceedings being adopted by it on 
that ground, even if that Act could have been 
made to apply. You have, I think, a local Act 
of a similar nature, but it seemed to be unknown 
to the Committee if it provided for a case of. 
the kind its members were considering. These 
evidently thought the character of the source 
from which the complaint emanated deprived 
them of all ground for interference, without 
reference to other conditions surrounding it. I 
have not learned if it was resolved to refer the 
matter to your Planters' Association. So far as 
is known to me, the only resolution 
taken was to politely acknowledge the receipt 
of the letter addressed to Lord Stanmore that 
embodied the complaint. It is not known 
to me if any opinion was expressed condemning 
the practice of incorrectly marking teas. As you 
know, it has been admitted to me that this is by 
no means of unusual occurrence, and that it 
does not seem to meet with reprobation. Prob- 
ably the incident will not be heard of in any 
way again. 
A second matter with which the meeting 
was concerned was that relating to the sale 
of the 
SWEEPINGS OF THE TEA WAREHOUSES. 
It greatly surprised me to hear it affirmed that 
the Customs authorities must be aware of the 
practice, for, that they must collect duty upon 
these sweepings before they can leave the bond- 
ing warehouses. It has been resolved to call 
the attention of the Customs Department to the 
evils bound to follow r the sale of such contamin- 
ated stuff, and I presume to counsel that this 
should be utterly destroyed upon the bonding 
premises. The recent revelation as to the sale 
of retired used tea leaves, as to which the C us * 
toms prosecuted, must strengthen the hands of 
those representing this further matter to the 
department. But it must seem very incongruous 
for our authorities to impose penalties in the 
one case, while permitting the free sale of even 
more poisonous and deleterious rubbish. 
During a conversation had by me this week 
with the Secretary of the Ceylon Association, it 
was asked by me of him if he thought that body 
could take action with reference to complaints 
made in Ceylon as to the 
RULES GOVERNING TEA SALES HERE. 
On my showing him the article by one of your 
contemporaries formulating this complaint, he 
pointed out to me that it was quite a miscon- 
ception to attribute blame to the buyers. These 
are, he said, quite as powerless to elfect any 
change in the rules as are the sellers. The whole 
responsibility for continuing the present arrange- 
ments for weighing teas rest, he told me, with the 
Customs authorities. He reminded me tliafc 
similar complaints were made and considered a 
few years back, and that strenuous efforts were 
made in Association with the other public bodies 
concerned with tea to obtain some revision of 
the rules. On my memory being thus stirred it 
came to my recollection that the application 
formerly made was directed against the standing 
practice of the authorities when weighing tea 
to charge for duty as full pounds any fractional 
parts of pounds found in the chests. When this 
application was made it was certainly con- 
sidered that redress on this particular 
point would remove any occasion for grumb- 
ling on the part of those ■ who had to 
pay duty. However, the Customs would not budge 
an inch from its established position, and 
although the most powerful and combined reprg. 
