i, 1895.J THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
THE TEA SWEEPINGS CIRCULAR. 
The Ceylon Association wrote last week to 
that of the Wholesale Tea Dealers to make 
enquiries if that body considered the Customs 
Circular relating to tea sweepings a satisfactory 
one. It's letter was replied to by one dated March 
29th expressive of the view that the order might 
be deemed to be satisfactory "so far as it goes." 
But this opinion is qualified by the further remark 
that " inasmuch as under no circumstances do any 
sweepings belong to the Bonded Warehouse pro- 
prietors, they should not be sold by them, as 
such a course may act as an inducement to 
increase the quantity of sweepings." This latter 
reason had not before been mentioned to me ; 
but it is easy to see that it has much force 
in it. It would be far from difficult, no doubt, 
when turning out the tea and rebulking it, to 
spill it up to any desired standard. The con- 
sciences ot the Warehouse-keepers would alone 
stand in the way of this standard becoming 
excessive, and really we are not inclined to credit 
men of the class 'who have deliberately lent 
themselves to the system complained of (re the 
revamping of tea) with any large amount of that 
deterrent. We all know how next to impossible 
it is for any efficient check to be placed upon 
wastefulness during the operation above men- 
tioned. And we further know how loud have 
been the complaints by Ceylon planters of the 
home out-turn of their packages. 
Now Mr. T. Christy, as you were told by 
me believes it would be a useful alternative to 
the parliamentary agitation he primarily recom- 
mended, for the importers to claim all sweep- 
ings as their own property. The reason is not 
apparent to me why this should not be done, 
although probably there would be some difficulty in 
assigning ownership among the many persons that 
might have tea in the same warehouse It 
might involve the necessity of appointing a 
delegate to watch the rebulking and reclosing 
of the chests, the subsequent sweeping up, 
and the final act of destruction to its results. 
All this, I am afraid, might disincline pro- 
prietors to insist upon their undeniable rights 
in the matter. I have quite satisfied myself 
now that the issue of the Customs' Circular 
was due alone to Mr. Christy's active repre- 
sentation of the matter. The Association inte- 
rested would seem to have been thinking only 
while he was up and doing. Unfortunately I 
have not as yet been able to see that gentle- 
man on this subject, for he is away in the 
South of France and does not return to Lon- 
don for another week. It is not known to 
me if the Association intend to pursue this 
subject further, or whether they will be con- 
tent to await the result to the operations of 
the Circular over some extended time. But the 
letter from which quotations have above been 
made concludes with the remark that the ten- 
dency to increase the bulk of the sweepings 
"cannot be in the interest of either the im- 
porters or Buyers." This being the case, it is 
not conceivable that the two hatter classes 
will be wholly content with the lately 
issued Circular, and they may therefore strive to 
obtain some more stringent regulations than are 
onw in force under it. — London Cor. 
OUR LAHOl'K SUPPLY IN CEYLON. 
Writing a few days ago to a planter who had 
suggested" the establishment ot a Cooly Agencj 
for Ceylon, in Southern India, we replied that 
we liad no faith in its successful operation. 
Our experience goes back thirty-four years and 
planters of the present day have no concep- 
tion of the much greater difficulties as respects 
" labour " which beset the men of the early 
" Sixties." Even though at the time there were 
only 120,000 to 150,000 acres in cultivation 
on cofl'ee plantations, against 360,000 acres now 
in tea, coffee, cacao, &c. ; yet coolies were far 
more in demand thirty years ago, and a fre- 
quent form of advertisement was, "Wanted a 
" Superintendent who can command 100 coolies — 
" good salary will be given." W'e had also then 
many prophets of evil who declared that as Ceylon 
had no special advantage with its poor soil as a 
plantation Colony, save in the cheap labour sup- 
ply from the opposite continent, the first very abun- 
dant rice harvest in Southern India keeping the 
Tamils at home, would spell the ruin of our in- 
dustry ; for, " without the influx of coolies, the 
planters might as well turn the key in their store- 
doors and go home." Fortunately, that result has 
never overtaken us ; for, as cultivation extended, 
so did coolies become more abundant, until 
now with more than double the acreage, we man- 
age to get along — partly, no doubt, due to the 
fact of an appreciable resident population of 
Tamils on estates and partly to t he liberal way 
in which Sinhalese in many districts have sought 
employment on tea gardens. Nevertheless in cer- 
tain districts, quite a number of planters are un- 
doubtedly feeling a scarcity of coolies, and as as 
consequence we have a recurrence to old panaceas 
which, however, have been tried and found want- 
ing, or without adequate results as far back as 
we can remember. \Ve recall a Cooly Immigra- 
tion Agency which came to grief in the " forties"; 
another with Mr. Robt. Dawson at its head with no 
better result in the " fifties" and further attempts, 
equally unsuccessful, later on. Then special Agents 
or Commissioners with more or less authority hav e 
frequently been sentto the Labour Supply Districts; 
but no one, perhaps, with greater advantages of 
official recognition and aid trom both the Madras 
and Ceylon authorities than Mr. E. J. Young, 
and his visits and Reports are so recent, that 
we cannot understand how Mr. A. E. Wright 
can want, already, to send another "Commis- 
sioner" to travel very much over the same 
ground. Has Mr. Young's Report ever been 
practically considered and discussed — not simply 
in the Committee of the Parent Association ; 
but, as it ought to be by every District Com- 
mittee and Association in the country? Until 
this is done, it is absurd to call for more or 
fresh information. One important step advo- 
cated by Mr. Young and supported by Indian 
authorities, was Railway communication between 
the two countries as a means of inevitably induc- 
ing a far greater How of cooly labour to this 
island. Even a few hours of sea, in 
steamer or boat, act as a great check on coolies 
who have never before left home, ami it is quite 
certain that if through railway tickets were avail* 
able from the heart, of Madura, Tinnevelly, 
Tanjore, &c, to the heart of our hill-country, a 
far more abundant immigration of Tamils into 
our midst would be witnessed. 
What, then, have the District Associations, con- 
scious of a short Labour Supply, done towards 
urging the Parent body to agitate for, or support 
an [hdo-Ceylon Railway? That, to our mind, 
is a very practical step before the planters. 
Next, we would have each District Committee, 
in considering the subject, to collect much- 
needed information, not respecting Indian, 
