122 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[August  i,  1892. 
We  would  respectfully  point  out  that  we  ask  for 
these  amendments  not  only  in  the  interests  of  the 
employer  but  also  in  the  interests  of  the  would- 
be  honest  contractor.  It  is  equally  unintelligible 
to  him,  if  he  should  have  given  his  coolies  under 
advance  a respite,  and  has  not  applied  for  a warrant 
against  them  until  the  day  on  which  the  term  of 
their  contract  expires,  that  he  should  be  refused 
redress, 
Ceylon  planters  have  complained  of  the  laws  which 
govern  their  relations  with  their  coolies,  and  no 
doubt  occasional  difficulties  occur  ; but,  what  with 
our  insular  position,  our  unity  of  Government  and 
jurisdiction,  and,  strange  to  say,  our  greater  d is 
tanoe  from  the  sources  of  our  labour  than  is  the 
ease  with  our  South  India  brethren,  cur  position 
is  on  the  whole  enviably  favourable  when  con- 
trasted with  that  of  most  employers  of  labour, 
especially  that  of  the  South  of  India  planters. 
We  might  indeed  have  added  Northern  India  0 
Southern. 
INDIAN  TEA  AT  CHICAGO. 
Silghat,  June  19. — A meeting  was  held  at  Salona, 
Nowgong,  on  the  18th  inst.  in  aid  of  the  funds  for 
pushing  Indian  tea  at  the  Chicago  Exhibition.  The 
tea  planters  present  subscribed  R4S0  on  the  basis  of 
ten  per  cent  on  managers'  and  seven  and-a-half  per 
cent  on  assistants’  salaries.  A copy  of  the  subscrip- 
tion list  and  the  proceedings  was  circulated  to  other 
planters  of  the  district.  Strong  opinions  were  ex- 
pressed as  to  the  inadequacy  of  the  sum  at  present 
expected.  An  amount  equal  to  the  Ceylon  Fund  was 
at  least  necessary.  The  Calcutta  subscriptions  were 
considered  unequal  to  the  occasion.  Comment  was 
made  on  the  letter  of  the  Indian  Tea  Districts 
Association,  London,  sending  plenty  of  good  advice, 
but  promising  no  financial  assistance.  It  was  recom- 
mended that  the  owners  and  shareholders  of  Ocean 
and  River  Steam  Companies  and  all  interested  in 
any  way  in  tea  should  be  pressed  to  subscribe 
individually  to  enable  full  advantage  to  be 
taken  of  the  splendid  opportunity  to  improve 
the  prospects  of  the  tea  industry.  It  was 
finally  considered  that  the  Local  G rvernment  should 
give  liberal  help,  as  the  prosperous  condition  of  the 
Assam  Province  was  entirely  due  to  the  capital  in- 
vested by  the  planters. — Cor.,  Englishman. 
FIRE  INSURANCE  RATES  ON  TEA 
ESTATE  BUILDINGS. 
The  Secretary  of  the  Planters'  Association  sends 
us  copy  of  further  correspondence  regarding  the 
premium  for  fire  insurance  on  the  buildings  on 
tea  estates,  as  follows  : — 
Copy. 
Ceylon  Association  in  London,  4 Mincing  Lane, 
Londm,  10th  June  1892. 
Dear  Sir, — I have  tho  pleasure  to  enclose  copy  of 
letter  received  this  morning  from  Sun  Fire  Office, 
London. — I am,  yours  faithfully, 
(Signed)  Wi.  Martin  Leake,  Secretary. 
A.  Philip,  Bsq  , Secretary  P'antere’  Association, 
Kandy,  Ceylon. 
Copy. 
Sun  Insurance  Office,  Tlireadneedle  Street, 
London,  E.  C.,  9th  June  1892. 
The  Secretary,  Ceylon  Association  in  London,  4, 
Mincing  Lane,  E.  C 
tea  estates. 
Dear  Sir, — Referring  to  our  letter  of  March  24th 
I have  pleasure  in  stating  that  we  have  had  under 
consideration  our  Inspector’s  report  on  his  recent 
visit  to  Ceylon,  and,  as  a result,  we  have  been  able 
somewhat  to  reduce  the  rates  we  have  hitherto 
charged.  I enclose  a copy  of  the  rates  we  have 
fixed,  which  you  will  see  are  to  be  taken  in  con- 
junction with  the  printed  tariff,  of  which  you  no 
doubt  have  a copy. 
I trust  that  this  attempt  to  meet  the  views  of 
the  tea  planters  will  result  in  an  accession  of  busi- 
ness to  us,  and  that  a wider  experience  will  enable 
us  to  appreciate  still  more  closely  the  actual  value 
of  the  risks.  You  will  see  that  strong  inducements 
are  held  out  for  the  construction  of  a good  class  of 
buildings— I am,  dear  sir,  yours  faithfully,  (Sgd.)  E.  S. 
Harwell,  Supt.  Foreign  Dept. 
Copy. 
Tea  Estates,  Cevlon. 
Isolated  building  con- 
taining steam,  engine, 
boiler  and  for  stove. 
In  which  both  withering 
and  firing  are  carried 
on. 
In  wkich  firing  alone  is 
carried  on. 
In  which  withering  alone 
is  carried  on. 
In  which  no  withering 
cr  firing  is  carried  on 
without  engineer  yiove. 
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Cotton  has  been  ginned  by  electricity  at  the 
Agricultural  and  Mechanioal  College  of  Alabama 
(U,  S.  A.),  thus  furnishing  an  entirely  new  appli- 
cation of  this  marvellous  form  of  power.  For  the 
purpose  of  illustrating  the  transmission  of  power 
by  eleotricity,  the  class  in  eleotrioal  engineering 
under  the  direction  of  their  professor,  A.  F.  MoKiesick, 
connected  the  generator  at  the  dynamo  room  of  the 
college  with  (be  motor  at  the  Statum  farm  by  a 
wire  3,000  feet  in  length,  the  distance  between  the 
college  and  the  farm.  By  running  the  dynamo  at 
the  college,  the  motor  at  the  farm  did  the  work 
of  the  ten-horse  power  engine  formerly  used.  It 
ground  oats  and  corn  for  cow  feed,  and  ginned 
cotton,  doing  the  woik  in  a simple,  effective  manner 
with  small  percentage  of  loss.— Indian  Agriculturst 
.Tune  Uth, 
