Nov. 1, 1898.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
333 
THE CEYLON TEA TRADERS' 
ASSOCIATION. 
SELLERS AND BUYERS. 
A special p;eneral meeting of the Colombo Tea 
Traders' Association was held at 3-30 i).ni. on 
1st Oct. at the Chamber of Commerce rooms ;— 
The Chairman, Mr. W. H. Fif^fZ, presided, and 
otiiers present were Messrs. F M Mackuood, H 
Tarrant, Geo. Thomson, G II Alston, F Maciiidoe, F 
Street, C E H Symons (secretary), W E Driiry 
Wright, W E Mitchell, Gordon Frazer, S P 
Jeffrey, A H Barber, Uavies, and representatives 
of Bathgate Pini & Co , and of Crossheld Lam- 
pard & Co. 
Ihe Secretary read the notice calling the 
meeting. 
The Chairman (Mr. W. H. Figg) in opening 
the proceedings said it was a special general 
meeting to consider two resolutions wliich were 
in themselves very simple and would be ami)ly 
explained by the movers, and doubtless would 
receive their support. Before calling uiion those 
gentlemen to speak to the resolutions standing 
in their names he would like to make a few- 
remarks upon the subject of the 3 lbs. allowance 
resolution which was passed at their last general 
meeting. lu regard to that there was some cor- 
respondence between the Chamber of Commerce 
and tlie Planters' Association in Kandy, and the 
Committee of the latter body passed a resolution 
to the effect "that it regrets the want of cour- 
tesy shown to the Planters' Association by the 
action of the Tea Traders' Association in en- 
tirely ignoring the interests of the sellers." Had 
tliese remarks been simply made in the course 
of a meeting in Kandy by one particular mem- 
ber it might have been advisable perhaps to 
take no notice of them, but inas much as they 
were contained in a resolution standing on the 
books of the Planters' Association he thought 
he would be distinctly wanting in his duty if 
he did not controvert them ami show how utterly 
wrong and, in his opinion, how unwarranted were 
these statements (hear, hear). Perhaps it might 
be as well to state that before that resolution was 
))assed, in fact as far back as March last, the 
Planters' Association, in his opinion, somewhat 
peremptorily wired down to him as Cliairman of 
the Chamber asking him to use his influence to 
atop 
THE 3 LB3. ALLOAVANCE RESOLUTION 
being passed by the Tea Traders' Association, 
and that was followed up by a deputationof three 
of the leading members of the Planters' Associa- 
tion who pressed upon him the views of that body 
and asked him to do what he could to induce 
the Tea Traders' Association not to pass 
tiie resolution or bring it into force. He 
explained to them the reasons for the resolution 
and assured them that in his opinion it was ab- 
solutely necessary to pass such a resolution. He 
did all he could to per.suade them that it was 
a resolution that should be |)assed and that tiiey 
nliould recognise it and give it their support. 
They would riot, however, take his view — 
in fact tlicy rather took umbrage at his remarks 
— and this resolution was the outcome. 
Mr. Geo. Thomson :— When was that resolu- 
tion passed in Committee. 
The Chairman said it was passed on the 8th 
of July and this was the first time they iiad the 
opportunity in general meeting of refuting it. 
Tbey were charged with a want of courtesy and 
entirely ignoring the interests of the sellers. 
Well as to the want of eonrtesy they came to 
iiim as Chairman and he did all he could to 
show them that in tlie opinion of the Association 
the resolution was 
IN EVERY WAY NECESSARY. 
Unfortunately tliey did not accept the Associa- 
tion's views and although it was passed almost 
unanimously at the meeting of tlie Traders' As- 
sociation at which the sellers were represented, 
they yet said that they were not shown courtesy! 
As to ignoring the interests of the sellers he 
repeated that the sellers M-ere represented at the 
general meeting and he was quite sure he 
was right in saying that in tlie opinion of 
the majority of the sellers the 3 lbs. allow- 
ance was a just and proper one. Having said 
that in defence of the resolution passedat their 
last general meeting perhaps it miglit be as 
well to explain further witii regard to the 3 lbs. 
allowance which seemed to be utterly misunder- 
stood by the majority of planters ana those 
interested in tlie matter upcountry. For years 
past the trade had been gradually growinc and 
up to the present time the 3 lbs. were found 
absolutely necessary to supply the trade with 
sutticient samples in order that they mi-rht fairly 
judge the tea, and he claimed that if the buyers 
were to be properly tieated it was absolutely 
necessary that they should have sutKcienc tea 
waereoy they could judge what was submitted 
for sale. liie number of buyers on this 
inarkei was considerably over 30, and he learned 
tliat at least .30 samples were sent out by the 
brokers weighing anything up to ounces which 
could not be considered an excessive allowance 
Besides that it was also necessary for the broker 
to have a certain amount of tea in hand in 
order that the buyers might afterwards compare 
it. He thought that suHiciently explained the 
necessity for the resolution that had been passed. 
Ihey did not ask the seller to put more tea 
into the chest, and they did not at all wish to 
go into comparisons between this .ind the London 
market. The conditions here did not com- 
pare with those in Lond.m, and if they tried to 
iniiinse the London conditions they would have 
further trouble. They were content to make 
their own conditions and to change them as thev 
saw necessary as had been done in this case. He 
merely mentioned these facts because he thought it 
was necessary that some public explanation sdiould 
be made as to why the 3 lb. allowance had been 
passed He a so thought itrigiitthat they should 
take tins public opportunity of absolutely refut- 
ing what he called not merely an unnecessary 
but an unwaranted and misleading resolution 
by the 1 lantern Association. He trusted that in 
making this statement he had their approval. 
(Hear, hear and loud applause), 
THE MARKING OF PACKA(}ES. 
The resolution standing in the name of Mr. 
L<. M. Mackwood was then brought up for con- 
sideration. 
Mr. Mackwood said that in speaking to the 
resolution he proposed with their consent to draw 
attention to other points connected with their 
tea weights wliich required consideration from 
the various interests concerned befoie a specilic 
re.solulion thereon could be brought forward. As 
all present knew 
THE CHIEF TROriU.F. 
in tea shipments w.as that of out turn of weight, 
and the satisfactory solution of it would go far 
