April 1, 1903,] THE TKOPICAL AGRICULTI/KIST. 
681 
A Member— asked if the style of sample sug- 
gested by Mr Dniry was to be agreed upon, lie 
thought it would simplify matters for the Brokers if 
it were adopted now. The tin, Mr Drury had shown 
them, was he thought generally considered a good 
one. 
The Chairman— replied, he thought that was a 
matter that might safely be left to the Com- 
niittee. It was a ni itter thac could not very well 
be determined at a a-eneral meeting. 
FALSE PACKING. 
Mr. Gordon FR^zl•,R-(\'IESSK.s. Gordon 
Frazer & Co) — moved the following resolution 
standing in his firm's name : — 
"That no teas may be put up for sale at the 
Chamber of Commerce Sale-rooms except tlu'ough 
members of the Colombo Tea Traders' Association. 
Other teas may, however, be offered on sale pio- 
vided that they are guaranteed by the selling 
Broker as lirst hand teas on Garden Account, or 
provided that they be (irst bulked and re|>acked in 
t je store of a bona fide member of the Association 
and there remain pending delivery." 
He said that his experience in regard to a lot of 
tea purchased by liim at the sale on 21st January 
made him consider the steps of which that resolution 
was the eftect and he thought when they heard 
what these experiences were they would agree 
with him that some such thing as was provided 
by that resolution was absolutely essential for 
the credit of shippers, the gooa name of Ceylon 
generally and the tea estates of the Island parti- 
cularly. BricHy the circumstances were these. 
At the sale on 21st January he purchased 18 
chests of tea, containing 1,780 lbs. The sample on 
which tliis purchase was made was a tippy, well 
made broken pekoe. Some of the packages were 
opened in his stores and tiie tea appeared per- 
fectly up to sample, but by what he might term 
a dispensation of Providence that tea was required 
for blending and it became necessary to turn up 
the wh'>le of it. This turning up displayed a 
most tl.igrant example of false packing. For the 
first i inches from the top of the chest the tea 
was perf>.ctly the same as the sample, but under- 
neath was lihe mixture of cheap souchong and 
dust. A deliberate fraud was attempted. The pack- 
ages were treated in the same way at the bottom 
so that in the event of the chest having been 
opened the wrong way up the fraud would not 
have been detected. Is'ow he asked them what 
would be the eflect on the kind of an American 
or colonial buyer, if that tea had been opened by 
him in that condi jion. His credit in that quarter 
would receive a severe shock and also the credit 
and good name of Ceylon through him would 
similarly suffer. They could not tell how many 
cases like this had actually gone through and he 
thought that to think that was a singular case 
would be assuming too much. He might also tell 
them that instead of 1,870 lbs. the actual con- 
tents of these chests was only 1,820 lbs. That 
showed the disease, now for the remedy. The 
Committee of that Association obtained legal 
advice on the matter and the advice so obtained 
was such that no action was taken. It was con- 
sidered difficult to secure legal proof. It, there- 
fore, behoved them to take some steps for the 
protection of individual shippers and Ceylon tea 
estates and the reputation of the trade in the 
Island generally and he thought that resolution 
the best way of meeting the ditticulty. They 
^uuid observe ll)«iti Vea sold ou gaatisu 
account was, in no way, affected by that 
resolution. If they adopted that resolu- 
tion they did so as much on behalf of the estate 
proprietors as the merchants whose interests in 
that matter iie considered, were identical. (Ap- 
plause). Personally he did not think they should 
do much to encourage mixed lots of tea, once they 
had passed the hammer, to make their appearance 
on the catalogues again. He did think buyers 
should have some guarantee as to where the lots 
they purchased were packed. In the case of estate 
teas they knew they were packed in the estate 
factories and with that guaranlee they were per- 
fectly satisfied, but in the case of otiier teas ihey 
had no such guarantee. That was the reasons for 
the resolution, and he did not think its terms were 
too strong. Another advantage it would have was 
that it would make the disposal of stolen tea 
niore diHicult to tlio>e exploiters of this particular 
branch of the tea trade in Ceylon. (Laughter), 
He remembered one fine day a cart-load of tea 
going a missing between the Colombo godowns 
and his stores. Unfortunately they knew 
that was not an u iique case. From all points 
that resolution was calculated to benefit both pro- 
ducer and seller an:', both in their own individual 
interest* and tor the credit of Ceylon which they 
all prized so highly, he moved that resolution 
which he strongly recommended to their support. 
(Applause). 
Mr. Hercules Sc tt- (Messrs. Bosanquet 
& Co )— said he had much pleasure in seconding 
the resolution. He was extremely sorry to hear 
from the letter read by the Chairman th.at the 
Planters' Association Committee had passed a 
resolution that resolutions 4, 5 and 6 were op- 
posed to their interests. He could assure the 
representatives of the Planters' Association present 
that in seconding that motion, he had done so 
he considered more in the interests of the producer 
and the sellers than he had in the interests of 
the buyers. He could not see anything opposed 
to the producers or the sellers or anything that 
put the slightest resolution upon them. (Hear, 
hear.) He spoke approvingly of the terms of the 
resolution and the advantages it offered and con- 
cluded by statin? that they had not brought 
forward that resolution except with the idea 
that it was in the best interests of producers. 
(Hear, hear.) 
Mr. E Wedb— said he di<i not see any objection 
why that motion should be opposed by the pro- 
ducer. It seemed in their inteiests. 
Hon. Mr. J N CAMPBELL— said that as the 
name of the Planters' Association had been men- 
tioned he might explain that when their resolution 
was passed the second pa)t of the motion before 
the meeting had not been published. Very 
naturally they objecteit to the first part of tlie 
resolution by itself because that would confine the 
sale to the Tea Traders' Association, but with the 
addendum they had now added, he did not think 
the Planters' Association would object. He would 
like to ask what was a bona Jide meniter ? He did 
not see the diderence between a bona fide member 
and an ordinary member of the Association. 
(I^aughter.) 
The Chmrm vn:— I don t think the mover of the 
resolution will have any objection to those words 
being deleted. 
Mr. Gordon Frazer :— No* at all, Sir. 
The Chairman— said that before he put the 
icaulutiot} to tli9 in^eUng he lUougUt it was only 
