758 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
| June  i,  1893. 
I man  to  gu  back  to  Africa,  if  possible,  but  cer- 
1 1. inly  i.ut  to  the  eiime  p'ace.  Tbit  unie  J have  been 
promised,  b>  t>  frien<‘,  an  appointri  ent  iu  Central 
Africa — which  is  healthy  aud  nice.  More  tnou. — 
Local  “ Examiuer,”  April  25. 
KELANI  VALLEY  TEA  ASSOCIATION. 
The  seventh  ordinary  general  meeting  of  the  Kelani 
Valley  Tea  Association,  Limited,  was  held  yesterday, 
at  the  offices,  16,  Philpot-lane,  E.O.,  under  the 
presidency  of  Mr.  George  W.  Paine  (the  chairman  of 
the  company). 
The  Secretary  (Mr.  John  Anderson)  having  read 
the  formal  notice  of  meeting, 
The  Chairman  said : — Gentlemen,  your  directors 
regret  the  diminution  in  the  quantity  of  the  crop,  it 
being  3,412  lb.  less  than  last  year;  but  this  has  arisen 
from  two  causes — one  the  more  careful  plucking,  and 
the  other  from  the  very  unseasonable  and.  dry 
weather  in  the  latter  end  of  the  year.  Unfor- 
tunately, this  unseasonable  weather  has  continued  in 
the  beginning  of  this  year ; but  our  letters  for 
March  state  that  there  is  an  improvement,  there 
having  heeu  some  rain,  and  the  fluiU  is  increasing  In 
quaniity.  You  will  notice  that  in  this  report  we  have 
given  you  uo  estimate  of  tho  quantity  of  tea  for  the 
coming  \eir.  Tbereasou  was  that  in  the  preceding 
years  the  crops  hive  varied  90  greatly  that  we  thought 
an  esiima'e  rather  delusive,  In  1891  the  crop  was 
46,797  lb;  more  than  the  estimate,  while  last  year  it 
was  41,915  lb  less;  so  that  we  have  given  uo  estimate 
for  the  present  year,  hut  we  hope  the  crop  will  be,  at 
all  events,  as  much  as  last  year.  Against  this  defi- 
ciency for  last  year  your  directors  wish  to  point  out 
to  you  the  improvement  in  the  manufacture  of  our 
tea.  This  is  entirely  due  to  the  excellent  advice  of  our 
superintendent,  Mr.  Porter,  and  also  to  Mr  Mitchell, 
our  manager,  for  the  careful  manner  iu  which  this 
advice  has  been  carried  out.  I thiak  we  stand  iu  the 
proud  position  of  obtaining  the  best  prices  for  our  tea 
of  any  esiatt;  in  the  Kelani  Valley  cietrict.  On  one 
special  occasion  our  broken  or&Dge  pekoe  realised 
Is  lOJd  per  lb.  You  will,  no  doubt,  notice  the  rather 
large  amount  carried  forward  to  next  year— sufficient, 
with  the  amount  placed  to  the  reserve  fund,  to  have  paid 
another  good  10  per  cent  dividend ; but  this  amount 
is  liable  for  the  manager’s  commission,  not  yet  paid — 
about  £160 — and  your  directors,  also  recognising  the 
old  proverb  that  “ one  swallow  does  not  make  a 
summer,”  prefer  not  to  divide  up  to  the  hilt,  as  tea- 
planting, like  all  other  industrial  occupations  is  liable 
to  fluctuation  arising  from  a fall  in  the  market, 
short  crops,  &o.  It  will,  no  doubt,  occur  to  you  that 
the  purchase  of  Wereagalla,  mentioned  in  the  report 
(which  has  taken  a long  time  to  accomplish,  and  was 
a source  of  much  anxious  thought  on  the  part  of  your 
directors  and  officers),  will  materially  add  to  our  revenue 
without  increasing  cur  expenses  to  any  considerable 
extent.  The  estate  is  within  three  miles  of  Degalessa, 
and  will  be  managed  by  Mr.  Mitchell,  our  manager 
there,  with  the  aid  of  an  English  assistant.  The  time 
having  expired  last  January  for  which  the  first  por- 
tion of  our  debentures  at  6 per  cent,  were  issued, 
we  have  had  the  satisfaction  of  reissuing  the  whole 
of  them  at  5 per  cent.,  and,  had  we  more  at  our 
disposal,  could  have  issued  twice  the  quantity.  That 
has  been  done  without  any  commission  or  other  ex- 
pense to  the  company.  In  referring  back  to  our 
first  report,  1887,  1 notice  we  had  then  10  acres  of 
tea  in  full  bearing  ; now  we  have  864  acres  in  bearing, 
373  acres  in  forest  and  grass,  and  our  factories  ami 
bungalows,  in  a",  are  worth,  at  a low  estimate, 
£6,000,  and  I think  it  is  a very  moderate  estimate 
to  say  your  property  is  now  worth  between  £38,000 
and  £40,000.  (Applause.)  I do  not  think  there  is 
anything  further  1 can  add,  and  I now  move  “ That 
the  report  and  accounts,  as  presented  to  the  share- 
holders, be  received  and  adopted.” 
Mr.  Leopold  E.  Davies  seconded  the  motion. 
Mr.  H.  T.  Mennell  said  he  saw,  with  satisfaction, 
from  the  report  that  there  was  no  intention  to  issue 
fresh  capital,  and  that  there  would  be  a call  m»de  on 
the  last  issue  of  397  shares. 
The  motion  was  unaniniou  ly  agreed  to. 
The  Chairman  moved:—  ‘That  a dividend  of  15  per 
cent.,  free  of  income-tax,  be  declare  , making  in  all 
20  per  cent,  for  the  year,  pa;  able  forthwith.” 
Mr.  Donald  Andrew  seconded  the  motion,  which 
was  passed. 
The  Chairman  proposed  and  Mr.  Dudley  A.  C. 
Scott  seconded  : — “ That  the  reserve  fund  be  increased 
by  the  transfer  of  a sum  of  £345  10s,  bringing  the 
amount  up  to  £1,000.” 
The  motion  was  carried. 
The  Chiirmin  proposed  the  re-cb'ction  of  tho 
ri  tiring  director,  Mr.  Andrew,  who,  be  remarked, 
had  eerved  on  the  bOHrri  sinre  the  couitntnc-meni  of 
the  company,  and  hail  alway>  given  bis  rest  atten- 
tion to  the  affairs  of  the.  undertaking. 
The  motion  »ae  recended  by  Mr.  Davies,  and 
carried. 
The  Chairman  proposed  n vote  of  thanks  to  Mr. 
Torter,  Mr.  Mitchell,  and  the  Ceyl  n and  L mdou 
staff  ior  their  efficient  working  of  the  company’s 
property.  The  best  illustration  he  could  give 
the  shaieholders  of  the  work  the  staff  had  done  was 
in  the  riporr,  which  he  thought  had  been  satisfac- 
tory to  all.  (Hear,  hear.) 
Mr,  Andrew  seconded  the  motion. 
Mr.  Menr  eli  remarked  that  there  was  no  more 
pleasing  feature  in  the  h. story  of  the  company  dcriDg 
the  pas1,  year  than  the  vast  improvement  in  the  quality 
of  tho  tea  sent  to  market  and  the  increase  in  the  price, 
that  mu  t be  largely  due  to  the  managers,  and  he 
thought  borne  ol  the  shareholders  contributed  to  tie 
result  in  drawing  attention,  at  the  meeting  last  year, 
tp  the  importance  of  that  subject.  The  quality  had 
now  gone  up  wonderfully,  and  the  thanks  ot  the  share- 
holder were  due  to  the  managers  for  having  brought 
that  about. 
The  motion  was  then  unanimously  agreed  to. 
The  auditor  (Mr.  James  B.  Laurie)  having  been  re- 
appointed, on  the  motion  of  Mr.  Mennell,  seconded  by 
Mr.  C.  J,  Scott, 
Mr.  G.  W.  Dodds  moved  a vote  ot  thaDks  to  the 
chairman  and  directirs,  He  thought  that  presented 
was  one  of  the  most  satisfactory  balance-sheets  be 
had  ever  had  m his  hand.  They  had  not  simply  had  a 
lucky  year,  but  the  cost  of  cultivation  being  £5,000 
and  the  net  proceeds  of  the  tea  sold  £9,170,  showed 
bona-fide  business,  and  they  were  greatly  indebted  to 
the  management  for  their  oare.  He  noticed  that  the 
g'eneral  charges,  including  London  office  expel  s s, 
directors’ fees,  audit  fee,  income  t»x,  stationery  &c., 
only  amounted  to  £316  which  hethought  was  exiremely 
small,  and  he  should  be  glad  to  move  that  the  directors 
receive  a smail  honorarium  of  £100.  He  thought 
special  credit  was  due  to  them  for  the  way  iu  which 
they  bad  effected  the  purchase  of  tho  Weicagalla 
Estate.  (Hear  hi-ar.) 
The  motion  witn  the  addition,  was  seconded  by 
Mr.  Moss  and  carried  unanimously. 
The  Chairman  briefly  acknowledged  the  vote,  and 
the  proceedings  terminated — Financial  News,  April  7. 

NE^S  FROM  THE  CENTRAL  PROVINCE  : 
PLANTING  AND  OTHERWISE. 
( Notes  by  “ Wanderer.") 
April  24. 
Planteks’  Association. — The  proceedings  of  the 
Committee  at  their  last  meeting  in  Nuwara  Eliya 
deserve  notice,  especially  the  reply  of  Government 
to  the  letter  forwarding  the  resolution  to  reduce  the 
railway  rates  on  cocoa.  The  Governor  requires 
“ that  some  reasons,  should  be  given  for  asking  that 
the  railway  freight  on  cocoa  be  reduced  to  the  same 
rate  per  tea  as  that  charged  on  coffee,  tea.” 
Really  H.  E.  ought  to  have  one  of  his  superfluous 
Civil  Servants,  now  that  the  paddy  tax  is  abolished, 
employed  to  read  the  daily  papers  and  thus  be  saved 
from  asking  silly  questions. 
Volunteering  in  Ceylon.— If  the  Ceylon  Govern- 
ment really  wish  the  “mounted  fut”  to  be  a a success, 
let  the  Governor  pass  an  Ordinance  to  the  effect 
