AUGUST  I,  1892.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
93 
Committee  spoke  for  itself,  as  it  was  plain,  to  the 
point,  and  very  praotical,  and  showed  that  good 
and  useful  work  had  been  done.  The  entrance  of 
Mr.  James  Sinclair  into  the  room  reminded  him 
how  this  Association  came  to  be  formed.  At  the 
time  of  the  agitation  for  the  Haputale  Eailway 
he  was  driviog  in  Dimbula  with  Mr.  Sinolair,  who 
observed  that  to  push  matters  on  Ceylon  ought  to 
be  represented  in  some  way  in  London,  so  that 
the  home  Government  might  feel  the  weight  of 
the  arguments  of  an  authorized  body  in  England. 
It  was  arranged  between  him  and  Mr.  Sinclair  to 
bring  the  matter  before  the  Planters'  Association 
at  its  next  meeting.  When  the  time  came  Mr. 
Sinclair’s  modesty  got  the  better  of  him.  and  the 
duty  devolved  on  him  (the  speaker)  both  of  pro- 
posing and  seconding  the  resolution.  (Laughter.) 
However,  from  this  the  Ceylon  Association  in 
London  was  started,  and  he  thought  it  only  right 
they  should  know  that  they  owed  a debt  of  grati- 
tude to  Mr.  Sinclair  for  tbe  inception  of  that  in- 
stitution. (Cheers.) 
Mr.  J.  Fekguson  said: — Sir  Arthur  Gordon  and 
gentlemen, — I have  been  requested  to  say  a few 
words  on  the  report  in  order  to  emphasize  if 
possible  that  portion  of  the  Tea  Committee’s  re- 
marks referring  to  the  work  done  by  Mr.  Elwood 
May  in  America.  But  first  I would  like  with 
your  permission  to  give  expression  to  what  I think 
is  the  general  satisfaction  felt  with  the  tenor  of 
your  report  on  this  occasion.  Not  only  in 
respect  of  military  expenditure,  but  in  regard 
to  other  controverted  as  well  as  practical  subjects, 
the  Executive  and  Tea  Committees  have  dealt  in 
accordance  with  sound  sense,  discretion  and  impar- 
tiality. (Hear,  hear.)  Then,  in  respect  to  the  high 
testimony  borne  in  the  report,  by  our  Chairman 
and  other  speakers,  to  the  memory  of  Sir  William 
Gregory,  I should  like  to  add  a few  words.  I may 
say  that  when  he  oame  to  Ceylon,  there  was  some 
doubt  as  to  whether  Sir  William,  then  Mr.  Gregory, 
would  prove  a success.  He  had  no  previous 
colonial  experience ; he  was  well  on  in  middle 
life,  and  he  was  following  one  of  the  ablest  oolonial 
Governors  in  Sir  Hercules  Bobinson.  (Hear,  hear.) 
But  we  very  soon  found  that  we  had  got  no  mere 
dilettante  or  orator  but  a really  able,  hard-working 
administrator  who  brought  with  him  moreover  a 
freer  atmosphere,  broader  views,  and  a more  genial 
spirit  than  we  had  been  acoustomed  to  in  a Crown 
Colony.  He  was  many-sided  too;  for  while  his 
revival  of  the  North-Central  Province,  large  ex- 
penditure in  irrigation  works  and  education  showed 
the  prominence  he  gave  to  Dative  interests  no  less 
did  the  Colombo  Museum,  Harbour  Works  and 
Bailway  Extension  indicate  his  appreciation  of  the 
need  of  modern  improvement.  (Hear,  hear.)  His 
connection  with  Ceylon  continued  to  be  unique  to 
the  last,  not  only  through  his  revisiting  the  island 
again  and  again  after  he  had  retired,  but  through  his 
investment,  aB  a private  gentleman,  of  oapital  in  the 
development  of  its  industries.  To  the  very  end 
of  Sir  William  Gregory’s  life,  his  thoughts  were 
given  to  our  colony,  its  people  and  their  best 
interests,  and  I believe  no  plaoe  was  more 
deeply  written  in  his  heart  than  that  which  he 
had  governed  so  well  and  loved  so  well.  Now  as 
to  Ceylon  tea  in  America  I have  for  myself,  and 
I am  sure  many  more  in  and  out  of  this 
room,  to  express  our  high  sense  of  the  good 
work  done  by  Mr.  Elwood  May  and  his 
Amerioan-Ceylon  Company  in  promoting  a taste 
and  demand  for  Ceylon  across  the  Atlantic.  (Hear, 
hear.)  I have  not  met  Mr.  May  in  private,  nor 
had  any  personal  communication  with  him ; but 
twice  I have  heard  him  speak  in  your  Association 
Booms,  and  on  both  occasions  I have  been  struck 
by  the  great  commonsense,  moderation,  as  well  as 
earnestness  of  his  remarks  and  the  clear  appre- 
hension which  he  seemed  to  have  formed  of  the 
great  task  before  him.  Of  course,  if  the  United 
States  is  to  be  captured  for  Ceylon  tea,  there 
must  be  a vast  amount  of  advertising,  and  very 
loud  .advertising  too,  to  attract  the  attention  of 
the  people  ; but  Mr.  May  showed  us  how  it  was 
his  objeot  all  along  to  avoid  anything  like  “ boom- 
ing ” for  mere  temporary  purposes — how  he  had 
refrained  from  securing  applause,  as  no  doubt  he 
might  have  done  here  and  in  Ceylon,  by  placing  a 
million  or  more  pounds  of  our  tea  among  the 
dealers  all  over  the  States,  before  the  people  were 
ready  to  buy  it  or  any  demand  had  been  oreated. 
How  rather  it  was  his  objeot,  dealing  as  he  felt 
convinced  with  a good  article  to  build  up  the 
trade  slowly  but  surely  on  a real  substantial 
foundation.  (Hear,  hear.)  I was  sorry,  however  to 
learn  that  the  return  for  all  the  labour,  time  and 
thought  he — a gentleman  of  independent  position 
and  means — had  given  to  this  objeot,  had  been 
so  discouraging  as  to  cause  him  to  speak  of 
withdrawing  unless  he  found  that  those  more  imme- 
diately concerned  in  Ceylon  and  England  were  ready 
to  co-operate  more  freely.  Iam  very  sorry  now 
that  the  scheme  proposed  by  Mr.  Rutherford,  as 
already  referred  to,  did  not  meet  with  a response 
in  Ceylon.  I do  hope  something  may  be  done 
out  there  to  prevent  any  chanoe  of  the  collapse 
of  tho  Company  on  the  withdrawal  of  Mr.  May. 
His  letter  read  today  is,  I am  glad  to  see,  more 
hopeful.  I can  with  the  fullest  oonfidenoe  speak 
of  the  great  value  of  the  advertising  work  he  has 
done,  through  leading  American  papers,  for  I 
have  had  letters  from  personal  friends  among  the 
journalists,  referring  to  the  advertising  contracts. 
Moreover  it  is  certain  that  Mr.  May’s  work  has 
already  borne  good  fruit  in  the  interests  of  our 
planters.  The  increased  consumption  of  tea  shows 
this,  and  I have  had  plaoed  in  my  hands  sinoe 
entering  this  room  some  figures  prepared  by 
Messrs.  Gow,  Wilson  & Stanton,  whioh  serve  to 
show  the  encouraging  increase  in  the  consumption 
of  Ceylon  acid  India — but  especially  Ceylon — tea 
in  the  two  years  that  Mr.  May  and  his  Company 
have  been  chiefly  at  work.  Here  they  are  : — 
Tea  exports  to  the  United  States  and  Canada  from 
1st  January  to  30th  April. 
1890. 
1892. 
lb. 
lb. 
Ceylon 
166,680 
433,871 
Indian 
450,984 
518,881 
Total  ... 
616,664 
952,752 
An  increase  of  160  per  oent  in  the  consumption 
of  Ceylon  tea  in  two  years  is  surely  very 
notable,  (applause.)  Nor  is  the  increase  in  Indian 
tea  to  be  despised  ; for  in  this  matter 
(both  countries  are  really  fighting  China  and 
Japan,  and  considering  the  importance  of  America  as 
oompared  with  any  other  tea-consuming  countries 
outside  the  United  Kingdom,  I hope  the  Ceylon 
Tea  Fund  Committee  will  see  their  way  to  co- 
operate with  Mr.  May  and  the  American-Ceylon 
Company  in  the  important  work  of  still  further 
placing  Ceylon  tea  before  the  American  people. 
(Hear,  hear,  and  applause.) 
Sib  Gegrge  W.  R.  Campbell,  k.c.m.g.,  said  I 
am  interested  in  tea  to  a considerable  extent  myself, 
and  I saw  a great  deal  of  Mr.  Elwood  May  on  his  late 
visit.  He  was  recommended  to  me  as  a man  of 
great  business  ability  and  social  standing  in  New 
York.  It  was  also  on  excellent  authority  made  dear 
to  me  that  he  has  made  most  unprecedented  efforts 
to  push  Ceylon  tea  in  Amerioa,  and  that  he  is  suo- 
