620 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [March 2, 1903. 
of the system and it seems to me simple enough. 
At the same time there is no doubt we are short 
of labour and ar.y scheme to remedy this evil 
(such as Mr. Westlacd's) should receive our 
support. The ruling rate for advacces seems to 
be very high. 
Katnapura Railway Extension.— You will 
be asked to pass a vote of thanks to H.E. the 
Governor for sanctioning the survey of the lice 
and also to Mr. Stiven for his work as Hon. 
Secretary on the Extension Committee. Survej'ors 
are now at work from four different points and 
I do not see why the railway should not be 
sanctioned before His Excellency hands over the 
reins of Government. My name has been put 
forward by the Eatnapura and Rakw ana Associ- 
ations as Chairman of the Railway Extension 
Committee in place of Mr. Wright, who is not 
in the island, and I have accepted subject to 
your approval. 
Resthotjse at Kotiyagala. — I am sorry to 
say that I do not tliink we shall get this. We 
have tried the two P. R. C.'s and finally the 
Hon. the Colonial Secretary, but have failed. 
The matter is however on the Agenda paper 
today and we might have one more try. 
Conclusion. — I have now gentlemen, to thank 
you for your support and attendance to me as 
Chairman of the Association. We are only a 
small number in this district, so that everybody 
should n'.ake an effort to attend the meetings and 
make them as representative as possible. I now 
vacate the chair. 
INDIAN TEA ASSOCIATION. 
{From, the Eeport.of the General Committee for 
the year ended 31st December, J90!.) 
The General Committee have now the honour 
to submit to membeis their Report for the past 
year. Mr Lockhart Smith was elected Cliairman 
in place of Mr Ashton ; and Mr W Warrington 
(who had tueceeded Mr Brown in March) was 
elected Vice-Chainnan. 
Ameeican and Foreign Mabket Fund.— The 
subscrijitions received dining the year for this 
Fund amounted to R55,564-ll-6.— A hum of R52,oC0 
has been devoted to the export bounty on green 
teas. — the tea rooms at 48, Faubourg St Honoie, 
Raris, havebeen also maintained; and work in Italy, 
Turkey and other European countries has been 
pushed on as vigorously as the limited funds at 
the disposal of the Association would permit. — 
In ihe early part of the year advertising in 
America had to be discontinued owing to. the 
uncertainty about fund--. The result was that 
Indian teas lost ground to a certain extent ; while 
Ceylon teas — which have been and are still being 
actively pushed — made greater progress even than 
before. Later in the year it was found possib'e 
to renew the advertisements which are at present 
appealing as formerly. Now that the Cess is 
practically an accomplished fact, it may be con- 
fidently said that much more strenuous and 
sustained eflorts will be made in America than 
have been made in the past. At the present moment 
it is not possible to indicate the extent to which 
Indian tea will be able to take advantage of the 
St Louis Exhibition. But to the General Com- 
mittee there would seem to be no reason why a 
portion of the Cess F"unds should not be expended 
9U exhibit ; although this is, pf course, 9, matter 
which the Cess Committee will be called upon to 
decide. At the same time the existence of the 
Cess affords no reason why Govemment should 
not be asked for financial assistance. — Another 
opportunity ot pushing Indian tea in what is 
believed to be a promising market, will be afforded 
by an Exhibition which is to be held at Capetown 
in Novemt)er, December, January and February 
1903 and 1904. So far but little has been done in 
South Africa by Indian tea producers. Rut during 
the past year an arrangement was made by the 
London Association with an agent in Johannes- 
burg to sell a n-.inimum quaniily of 1,200 half 
chests of suitable tea in coiisideration of a bonus 
ot l^^d per lb. The tea was to be bought in Cal- 
cutta by Messrs McLeod & Co., who, up to date, 
have shipped 490 half chests. No information is 
of course available at present as to the reception 
the teas have met with in South Africa. But it is 
stated that the qualitj' of the tea usually sold in 
the Transvaal is very inferior ; and that the price 
is about four shillings a pound. If this is so, 
there would seem to be no reason why Indian 
leas at moderate prices should not find a ready 
market. 
Consumption of Tea in India.— Throughout 
the year the Indian Tea Markets' Expansion Com- 
mission — which was mentioned in the last Report — 
has vigorously pushed the sale of tea in India. It 
has been thought that the v. ork of the Commission 
has been hampered by the sale in the Calcutta 
bazaars and elsewhere of tea refuse. Large quanti- 
ties of this commodity are sent to Calcutta ; and 
although a fair proportion is sold to reputable Eu- 
ropean firms for the manufacture of caffeine, there 
is no doubt that niuch is disposed of for local con- 
sumption. At the instance of the Committee, 
Messrs Andrew Yule & Co. have made enquiries 
into this trade ; but without the co-operation of all 
producers, there does not appear to be any prospect 
of its being suppressed. 
Indian Tea in Russia.— It was stated in the 
last Annuiil Report that the Committee were giving 
attention to the possibility of developing the 
Russian market. In the absence of funds for 
advertising purposes, they have since been making 
enquiries as to the different routes by which Indian 
lea is carried to Russia. In March they invited 
the attention of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce 
to the question. They asked if the Chamber could 
take any action which might be calculated to 
promote the establishment of a direct line of 
steamers between Calcutta and Ru.ssian porta. 
The Committee of th? Chamber expressed the 
opinion that the direct trade between Calcutta and 
Russia was too insigr.ifieant to warrant the estab- 
lishment of a diiect line. Sir Charles Scott, the 
British Ambassador at St Petersburg had inti- 
mated, in an cfficiTil despatch to the Foreign Office, 
that if British Navigation Companies were to enter 
into arrangements with Russian Railway Com- 
panies, they could obtain the same reduced rates 
as the Volunteer Fleet. The Liners' Conference 
submitted the question to the various steamship- 
owners, who would, they hoped, make airangementa 
for assisting the development of the tea trade in 
Russia. More recently the Committee suggested 
to the Bengal Chamber of Commerce that an 
attempt should be made to pursuade the Russian 
Government to reduce the import duties on tea. 
No action will however be taken, as His Majesty's 
Ministers think there is no substantial case so long 
as the duties dp not differentiate agaiust ludiarO i^s^ 
