398 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST [Dec. 1, 1898. 
RF.PllESENTATIVP. TN AMEBICA. 
Submitted letters from Mr. William Mackenzie with 
connected papers. 
CEYLON TEA IN RUSSIA. 
Read letter from Government transmitting copy of 
a letter addressed by Her Majesty's Ambassador to 
the Secretary of Stats for Foreign Aifairs regarding 
the treatment of British poods in Russia. 
Read letter Irom Mr. M. Rogivue stating tliat Mr. 
Christie had written to him on the subject of further 
advertising Ceylou tea in Russia and that he had 
just sent Mr. Chriiitie the tender of one agent in 
Moscow for such advertisements. 
CEYLON TEA IN OEItJIANY, 
Submitted cori espondence and considered the qnps- 
tion generally. Rj,-:()lved "with reference to Mes-rs 
Ch. & A. I5ohiinK«r'H Ic-lter of the nth October, IKilH, 
that the letter be acknovvleded. (2) That the Thirty 
Committee cannot m ike Mr. Rohringer sole repre- 
sentaUve in Germany, {)',) that the 'Thirty Com- 
mittee' would be prepared to support the scheme 
suggested excepting No. 2 with regard to which the 
Co"mmittee will await the result of the trial now 
being made, (4i thnt the Committee would be pre- 
pared to grant t'lOO on accounts and voucliers show- 
ing expenditure of i,"iOO sterling being submitted i>nd 
copies of newspape a with the advertisement inserted 
therein, (5) that ia the c-veut of Mr. ' ohringcr ex- 
pending a larger sum the Committee would be pie- 
pared to c insider a f irther application." 
Read and considered letter received from BIr. 
Westland. Resolved " th;vt Mr. Westland be thanked 
for his letter and be informed lliat his scheme will 
be considered with othei' schemes ' for pushing C!eylou 
Tea in G-rmany.' " 
CEYLON THA IN NOIiW.VY AND SWEDEN. 
Read letter from Mr. Oscar C. W. Dickson on the 
subject of pushing Ceylon Tea in Sweden, Mr. Dickson 
who was present personally explained his views to the 
Committee. 
Read letter from Mr. .John H. Starey on the subject 
of pushing and advRi tiaing Ceylou Tea in Norway : — 
Resolved. " 'That Mr. Starey be thanked for his 
letter and asked to have a estimate submitted before 
next meeting to behold in November ; it is suggested 
however that the names of th'-se from whom Ceylon 
Tea can be procured in Norway should be printed 
on the post card." 
CEYLON TEA IN .\U.STUIA & nUXGARV. 
Submitted letters received as per schedule. Re- 
solved. That consideration be deferred to next meeting: 
(2) that the sanction of the Governor in Ex- 
ecutive CouuMl be obtained for the appropi iition 
of a further sum of £200 in connection wiih push- 
ing and advertising Ceylon Tea in Austria and 
Hungary. 
COOLGARDIE EXHIBITION 1899. 
Read and considered correspondence. Resolved :— 
" That the sum of A'500 sterling be voted towards 
the representation of Ceylon T'ea at the Coolgardie 
Exhibition 1899, ('2) that tlie sanction nf the Governor 
in Executive Council be obtained to tli ! appropriation, 
(3) That Mrs. Mackenzie be thanked for her letter and 
informed that the Committee will reply as soon as 
the question of a representative to the Exhibition 
has been decided ; in the meantime the_ Committee 
will be glad to receive any further suggestions as to the 
working of the pioposed Tea Room." 
The Thirty Committee then adjourni^d. 
A. Philip, Secy, to the " Thirty Com." 
FACTORY SUPERVISION. 
—Oonside.rinp; the extremely hard times that 
most, 'esuaea and coinnanies liave e.xperieuced 
lately owing largely to low prices, and partly to 
hish' exchange, would it not be as well to a;;ain 
draw attention to the amount of Factory Super- 
vision which, even in large concerns, i:^ still lott in 
the hands of low paid native tea makers. Can 
this possibly pay in the face of the fact that India, 
wliicli has always liad European factory tiuperin' 
tenc'ents, but vviiieli we were ahead ot in prices 
till Ceylon inanaf^ers had too much work pnt on 
their t-houlders, now beats ns regularly. Willi the 
large number of planters now out of beriLs. many 
of them with a thorou;'h knowledge of factory 
work, and willing to fu-eept small salaries with 
comniisision on prices, surely it is an opportunity 
which should not be missed to at least try what 
the effect of a European tea maker would b«». 
Tiiere are in.stances of Firms being sulticiently 
alive to their interests to have a Kuropeau topn|)er- 
vise their factories and L<> pay him well, an<l I am 
sure tlirt tlipy find it politic to d-jso. There is, I 
think, no doubt that our trieatest mistake has been 
in (.ntting up small fat-toiies for e.aeli estate, in- 
stead of coneeiilrating in lar^'e central factories, 
when the co.st of a European tea nnker, divided 
amonf; tlie several estates would not come to mucli 
more than the present systeni wliidi I think fa.r 
"reater lienelit to the estates concerned. — Vours 
faithfully I'L.VNTEU. 
ItEDUCTION OF THE DltlTISH TEA 
Dl'TV. 
Kandy, Oct. Ifl. 
Sir, — I enclose for publication copy of letters 
adilressed to Mr. EJ Youn;:, from Komion IJrokers, 
ami from Mr. 11 K Itutlieiford, which Mr. ^'ouny; 
recently submitted to the Commi'.lpe with 
reference to the subject of reduction of the 
iiiiti«h tea duty.— I am, sir, youis faithfully. 
A. I'HILIP. 
Secretary to the Planter.^ Association of Ccyh"!. 
MR. YOI NG's CIRCULAB LETTER. 
Colombo, I'ilh July 1«98. 
Messrs. 
Mincing Lane, London, E C. 
Dear Sirs, — A movement is on foot in Ceylou to 
roeunrialize the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the 
abolition of the Duty on Tea. Miglit 1 ask you to be 
good enough to give me your opinion as to the probable 
effect on the consumption of Ceylon Tea if total 
abolition (Id), or a moiety of the duty {2d), be removed 
and whether in your opinion the import of the 
China product would be increased thereby. With 
your permission I intend to make use of your opinion 
before the Planters' Association of Ceylon. — I am, 
Yours faithfully, 
(Signed) Edward J. Todng. 
KEPLIK.S. 
LETTER FROM MR. RUTHERFORD. 
Copy. Rude, N. Cornwall, August 27th, Polmont, 
Kenley, Surrey. 
My dear Young, — I had yours of 12ih ult. and 
would have answered it earlier but many things 
intervened to prevent me. I am afraid my opinions 
on this question of the abolition or reduction of the 
tea duty are of no more value than those possessed 
by the men around you. 
"We have not been able to get the Indian Association 
Committee to arrange a joint meeting to discuss 
the subject. They had a discussion on the question 
about a year ago and as opinions vary very much as 
to the desirability of pressing it on the Government 
they came to the conclusion to do nothing. 
Opinions differ omnng the members of the Ce>lon 
Assocation in Louden .as to the advis.ibility of having 
the duty either lowered or abolished ana I scarcely 
tiiink unless there is a considerable majoiity among 
th-" planters in favour of taking action it would be 
politic to ask Government to move in the matter. 
I believe in ail cases of a reduction of duty the 
consumer does not get any benefit for a year or so, 
but there can be no doubt in a few years' time \ve 
vyould see a much larger consumption of tea if the 
