86 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[August  i,  1892. 
Mr.  Ryan’s  letter  be  acknowledged,  and  that  ho  bo 
informed  that  the  Standing  Committe  of  the  Ceylon 
Tea  Fnnd  is  not  in  a position  to  vote  the  large  grant 
asked  for  at  the  prosent  time,  but  will  be  glad  to 
further  consider  the  application  if  further  details 
are  received  from  Mr.  MacMahou  after  bis  arrival 
at  Tonquin.” 
CEYLON  TEA  IN  NEW  ZEALAND. 
Read  letter  from  Mr.  Alex.  Thom  enquiring  if  a grant 
of  250  lb.  of  Ceylon  Tea  made  available  to  him  by 
resolution  of  the  Standing  Committee  of  tbe  Ceylon 
Tea  Fund  on  the  5th  of  July  18S9  is  still  at  his 
disposal.  Resolved  : — “ That  Mr.  Thom  be  informed 
that  the  grant  referred  to  cannot  be  given  after  this 
lapse  of  time,  (II)  that  Mr.  Thom  be  referred  to  tbe 
Oejlon  Tea  Company,  Limited,  under  the  patronage  of 
the  Planters’  Association  of  Oejlon.” 
PURE  CEYLON  TEA  AGENCY. 
Read  letter  from  Mr.  W.  &.  Theobald.  Resolved  : — 
‘ That  Mr.  Theobald’s  letter  be  acknowledged,  and 
that  he  be  informed  that  the  Standing  Committee 
is  unable  to  express  any  opinion  for  want  of  sufficient 
data  on  which  to  form  one.” 
NEW  MARKETS  FOR  BRITISH  GROWN  TEA. 
Laid  on  the  table  Messrs.  Gow,  Wilson  & Stanton’s 
printed  circular  letter  drawing  attention  to  foreign 
markets  in  the  hope  that  a great  portion  of  tho  surplus 
crop  of  Indian  and  Ceylon  Tea  may  be  absorbed  by  them. 
The  Standing  Committee  of  the  Ceylon  Tea  Fund 
then  adjourned. 
A.  Philip, 
Secretary  to  the  Planters’  Association  of  Ceylon. 
THE  INDIAN  TEA  ASSOCIATION  AND 
OCEAN  FREIGHTS. 
Calcutta,  June  7. — An  important  meeting  of  the 
Indian  Tea  Association  was  held  yesterday  afternoon 
to  consider  tbe  question  of  Ocean  freight  and  the 
agreement  with  the  Caloutta  Steamship  Conference. 
The  Chairman  stated  the  case  as  follows: — The  last 
agreement  was  made  in  April  1888  between  nine 
lines  of  steamers  and  about  eighteen  firms  and  com- 
panies. The  rate  of  freight  was  paid  at  20s.  above 
deadweight.  This  agreement  contained  a rebate  clause, 
which  is  one  of  tbe  most  extraordinary  clauses  possible. 
It  is  one  of  those  clauses  which  occasionally  oome 
into  agreements  drafted,  one  knows  not  how,  and 
agreed  to,  one  knows  not  why,  and  the  full  mean- 
ing of  which  is  not  appreciated  until  they  come  to 
be  used  by  this  clause.  Shippers  are  precluded  from 
shipping  by  other  steamers  tor  four  months  after  the 
agreement  is  terminated,  and  indeed  the  penalty 
for  shipping  by  outside  steamers  goes  on  for 
ever.  It  is  this  rebate  clause  which  it  the  most 
objectionable  part  of  the  agreement  and  which  is  now 
causing  us  so  much  trouble.  Last  year  an  applica- 
tion was  made  to  the  Liners’  Conference  to  reduce 
their  rates  as  the  freight  from  Oeylon  was  so  much 
ower  in  proportion,  but  they  declined.  Accordingly, 
in  November  last,  the  shippers  who  did  sign  the 
agreement  gave  notice  to  terminate  it  at  tho  end 
of  February  of  this  year.  Previous  to  this,  however, 
the  “ Anchor  Line”  gave  notice  to  withdraw,  and 
on  the  8th  of  January,  1892,  the  Conference  was 
broken  up  by  their  withdrawing  from  it.  Since  then 
the  Conference  has  offered  to  take  35s.  less  5s 
rebate,  and  there  the  matter  stood.  It  is  now 
for  us  to  consider  whether  a new  agreement 
shall  be  made  or  not.  I feel  sure  that  all  will 
agree  that  the  objectionable  rebate  olause  shell 
not  be  allowed  to  be  stated  in  any  future  agree- 
ment. One  source  of  weakness,  to  which  I would 
draw  your  attention,  is  that  the  head  offices 
of  many  of  the  tea  companies  are  in  London,  and 
consequently,  we  can  never  be  entirely  unanimous, 
unless  these  companies  give  authority  to  their 
agents  here  to  decide  questions  of  this  kind,  where  the 
tea  industry,  as  a whole  is  interested.  From  what  I 
have  seen  lately,  I am  of  opinion  that  wo  have  had 
enough  of  the  Conference.  Competition  is  healthy 
and  will  give  us  faster  steamers  and  greater  facilities  j 
for  monopoly  gives  no  inducement  to  steamers  to  im- 
prove, and  only  bolsters  up  tbe  worst  steamers  at 
tbe  expense  of  the  best.  After  several  speakers  had 
addressed  the  meeting  the  following  resolution  was 
carried  1 That  this  meeting  protests  agaiast  the 
manner  in  which  the  Liners  have  pressed  the  rebate 
clause  after  the  termination  of  the  agreement,  and 
considers  it  is  best  iu  the  interests  of  the  Indian  Tea 
Trade  that  no  monopoly  be  given  for  carrying  tea  to 
any  line  or  lines  of  steamers.” — Times  of  India. 
NOTES  ON  PRODUCE  AND  FINANCE. 
They  Mean  Business. — We  are  glad  to  learn  from 
a oable  message  in  The  Times  that  the  Indian  planters 
are  taking  steps  to  have  the  industry  properly  re- 
presented at  the  Chicago  Exhibition.  It  is  a pity 
that  tbe  agreement  to  levy  a cess  of  two  annas  per 
acre  on  all  gardens  to  meet  the  expenses  was  not 
“ fixed  up  ” a little  earlier,  but  better  late  than 
never.  It  is  a good  sign  that  the  representatives  of 
the  Indian  industry  are  waking  up  all  round. 
New  Markets’  Tea  Fund. — Promises  of  support 
to  the  fuDd  which  is  now  being  raised  are  coming 
in,  and  the  majority  of  the  leading  companies  heie 
have  expressed  their  willingness  to  support  this 
aulable  attempt  at  self-help  t°Dtatively  for  the  next 
three  years.  We  would  urge  that  those  who  have  cot 
yet  sent  in  their  adhesion  should  do  so  with  as  little 
delay  as  possible,  otherwise  this  well-directed  effort 
may  fall  to  the  ground.  Various  preposals,  we  hear, 
are  being  made  in  different  quarters  to  the  members 
of  the  committee  appointed  to  administer  this  fund 
in  regard  to  operating  in  new  markets,  aod  much 
difference  of  opinion  exists  as  to  the  lines  this  com- 
mittte  should  follow.  The  natural  course  would  be  to 
aid  persons  already  acquainted  with  the  working  of 
the  tea  trade  in  different  countries,  but  it  is  felt 
that  this  would  look  like  usiDg  the  fund  for  the 
benefit  of  private  traders  and  in  consequence  the 
more  general  desire  is  that  the  money  should  be 
devoted  to  sending  commissioners  with  the  object 
of  furthering  the  propaganda  in  the  different  countries. 
This  might  undoubtedly  succeed  if  tbe  very  best 
men  were  forthcoming,  whose  personal  interests  were 
bound  np  in  tea  planting.  We  confess,  however, 
that  we  have  grave  doubt  as  to  any  scheme  bemg  suc- 
cessful which  does  not  make  use  of  and  exploit  the 
knowledge  which  is  only  to  be  found  among  traders 
whose  personal  interests  could  be  associated  with  the 
enterprise,  and  to  whom  subvention  would  be  given 
almost  unconditionally  to  enable  them  to  stand  the 
heavy  expenses  whioh  must  be  incurred  in  making  a 
start  iu  a new  country  and  with  a new  article.  Ex- 
pressions of  opinion  from  our  readers  would,  we  think, 
be  welcome,  and  we  invite  correspondence  on  the 
subject.  The  time  is  very  opportune  to  push  con- 
sumption, both  on  the  Continent  and  in  Amerioa 
and  elsewhere.  Any  supineDess  which  may  now  be 
shown  will  be  the  subject  of  grave  regret  later  on, 
when  production  again  largely  exoeeds  consumption, 
as  it  will  almost  of  necessity  under  the  present 
conditions. 
The  Tea  Trade  o?  China. — From  a summary  of 
the  official  statement  by  the  Imperial  Maritime  Cus- 
toms of  China  concerning  the  trade  of  the  Celestial 
Empire  last  year  it  is  clear  that  the  planters  in 
India  and  Oeylon  have  still  some  work  before  them 
in  Europe.  The  exports  of  tea  of  all  kinds  from 
China  amounted  to  1,750,034  piculs,  or  1,070,513  cwts. 
showing  an  advance  of  84,638  piculs,  or  100,759  cwts, 
over  the  total  for  1890.  Russia  appears  to  be  the  only 
large  market  in  Europe  where  the  demand  for  China 
black  tea  is  maintained.  Supplies  continue  to  be  sent 
by  sea  in  increasing  quantities,  shipments  having  risen 
from  93,467  piculs, ‘or  111,270  cwts., in  1887,  to  189,025 
piculs,  or  225,029  cwts.,  which  is  double  the  quan- 
tity ; and  while  the  consignments  by  sea  and  land 
to  Russia  in  1887  aggregated  267,000  piculs,  or  317,857 
cwts.,  they  now  amount  to  287,000  piculs,  or  341,666 
owts.  The  demand  for  China  tea  (chiefly  green  from 
India  has  doubled  within  last  five  years.  There  are 
