kva. 1, 1899.] THE TEOPICAL 
AGRICTTLTUPJST. 
101 
specified days, and it has always been uncertain 
when and at what hour such aud such an auction in a 
long series would commonce and finish. The same 
kind of chaos aud confusion has been repeated during 
the present week, when, among the brokers's cata- 
logues printed and issued for coffee to be sold under 
the hammer , were included eleven that contained 
particulars of parcels and descriptions which had 
been advertised for public sale on the 12th inst., 
being nearly a fortnight later than the date origiually 
fixed. At this rate of progress the new season 
will be far advanced ere the superabundant im- 
ports of coffee from the British East Indies, 
Costa Rica, Guatemala, and other parts of 
Central America, will be worked oft, and the 
nearer the trade get at the wind-up of the 
supplies for 1899, the fewer will their chances 
be of securing precisely the kind of cofiee they re- 
quire to carry their supply over till another year. 
A healthy competition has prevailed at the different 
auctions since the earlier part of the season, which 
fact goes to prove that both dealers and shippers were 
practically bare of stock at the outset ; and as their 
wants have increased rather than otherwise, the 
extra buying necessary to replenish the exhausted 
stores of bonded or duty-paid coffee has lent addi- 
tional support to the import market. Though the 
rates submitted to have been unquestionably low for 
the worst descriptions of coffee, they have been 
reasonably cheap, if at times uneven, for the mid- 
dling and intermediate grades; whilst for bright 
coionry, fancy, and attractive growths of plantation 
coffee, instead of a reduction a tangible advance has 
in many cases been seen. 
A Suggested Remedy. — A few of the leading mem- 
bers of the coffee trade, with bolder spirits than their 
fellows, have hinted that Monday, which from ancient 
custom has been regarded as an " off" day, should in 
future be given up for the purpose of clearing away 
to arrears remaining from public auctions held in the 
preceding week. Some such arrangement would no 
doubt materially help to bring the average daily 
supply of coffee within a manageable compass, and 
greatly facilitate the sale, preparation, and distribu- 
tion of the article throughout the country ; but from 
what we have heard in influential quarters, says the 
(rrocer, so drastic a course of proceeding on the part 
of brokers aud their merchants would be strongb" 
opposed by the wholesale dealers, who would resist 
to the utmost any encroachment on their Mondays. 
H and C Mail, June 2ad. 
CEYLON ASSOCIATION IN LONDON. 
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 
FOR 1898-1899. 
LAID BEFORE THE ELEVENTH ANNUAL GENERAL 
MEETING, ON 12TH JUNE. 
There has been again, as in every previous 
year, an increase in the numbers on the roll, 
the present number being 163 as against 159 
n 1898. 
As foreshadowed in the last report arrange- 
ments were made by the Committee for the full 
statement of the ease for Ceylon before the Indian 
Currency Committee. Messrs. T. North Christie 
and H. Bois i/ave evidence in much detail as to 
the effect on Ceylon producing indnstries of tli3 
forced appreciation of the rupee, and have thereby 
earned the thanks of the Association. Tlie Cur- 
rency Committee iias now finished its sittings for 
taking evidence, ami its report is awaited with 
interest. 
On 19th December la^fc a General Meeting of 
the As5ociaaon was held to consider the following 
resoluticns:— 1. "That this Association strongly 
disapproves of the proposed expenditure on the 
Ceylon Northern Railway, as being opposed to the 
true economies of the Colony " 2. " That a de- 
putation be appointed to wait on the Right 
Honourable J. (Jhaniberlain, M.P., with the view 
of urging on the Guvernnient a re oonsidoratiou 
of the Ceylon Nortliern Railway .scheme, and 
thr.t Lord Stanniore be asked to introduce the 
deputation." The immediate resale of the 
uieeeting was to disclose among Ctryion residents 
at home, many of them with very large int-sresta 
in the Colony, a remarkable consensus of opinion 
adverse to the Government scheme, and the re- 
solution of disapproval was passed nem. con. The 
deputation to the Secretary of State, it was 
decided, should be postponed till the views of the 
public bodies in Ceylon could be ascertained. 
The position ot this very important public 
question in Ceylon at the date of the Association 
meeting was, considering the novelty and gravity 
of the proposals, a singular one. It is true that 
early in the year both the Planters' Association and 
the Cliamber of Commerce had passed resolutions 
approving of the then Government proposals ; but 
those proposals embraced another Railway, and 
hence the value of the resolutions, as bearing on 
the Northern Railway, was rendered very un- 
certain. 
Subsequently a change was made by the Govern- 
ment, botii in respect of the gauge and of tiie provi- 
sion of funds for the construction of the Northern 
line, a change on behalf of which no word of ap- 
proval has been heard as yet from any quarter. 
The public bodies in Ceylon accepteil the amended 
scheme without protest. Not so the local press ; 
and in view of published statements as to the con- 
dition of opinion in Ceylon, statements which were 
left without contradiction, the Executive Officers of 
the Association felt it their duty to allow the 
question to be re-opened. Their action has been 
justified by the subsequent proceedings of the Cey- 
lon public bodies. 
It was most unfortunate that wlien for a second 
time the question came before the Planters' Asso« 
ciation and Chamber of Commerce calm discussion 
on the merits of the Northern Railway should have 
been prejudiced by tlie introduction of personal and 
irrelevant matter, the more so as in the result the 
protest to the Secretary of State for the Colonies 
was thereby greatly weakened. 
A deputation, representing the various interests 
of the Colony, waited on tlie Secretary of State 
on 16th March, and was informed that the 
Railway would be made, and made as a broad 
gauge line. 
The Committee is unable to share the regret 
expressed by tlie Ceylon Chamber of Commerce 
and by the Chairman of the Planters' Associ- 
ation at the action of this Association ; but, on 
the contrary, deems it a matter of congratulation 
that, at last, a formal protest has been lodged 
against the new Railway Policy of the Govern- 
ment. 
The vote of thanks, accorded to Mr. J. Hen- 
niker Heaton, M. P. by the .Association for his 
services in securing for Ceylon the benefit of 
Imperial Penny Postage, led to an invitation from 
tli-tt gentleman to representatives of tiie Asso- 
ciation to attend a conference at the House 
of Commons to consider a scheme for the re- 
duction of the cost of telegrams between the 
Unite<l Kingdom and the Colonies. The invi- 
tation was readily accepted, and it is hoped that 
the agitation thus initiated may prove successful. 
The Committee regrets to report the death, 
during the year, of Mr. W Bowdeu Smith, a gen- 
