Sept. 1, 1303.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
165 
CEYLON ASSOCIATION IN LONDON. 
MR. II. K. BUTIIEIIFOKD ELECTED 
PRESIDENT. 
THE FUTURE OF THE TEA INDUSTRY. 
The Fifteenth Aiiiuuil General Meeting of the 
Ceylon Association in London \va3 held on June 15 
at the London Chamber of Commerce, Eastcheap, 
E.G. Theie were present, among others : Sir 
Kichard Cayley, Sir J J Grinlinton, Messrs. A 
Bethune, J. P., C Bois, R A lio.sanquet, Alex 
Brooke, A Brown, A iiryans, R A Cameron, 
F H M Corbet, G Crabbe, A A Delmege, Norman 
W Grieve, J Hamilton, W H^dam, J M M^itland, 
Kirwan, A Ralph, W A L iiowlatid, H K Ruther- 
ford, J L Shand, Sholto G D Skrine, A G 
Stanton, A Thoni.son, Thornton A Williams, J 
Wilson, and W Martin Leake (Secretary). 
Sir Richard Ciyley :— It is a matter of great 
regret to all of ns tliat Mr Bois, the Fre.sident, is 
unable to attend today, and in his place I move 
tiiat Mr HK Rutherford take the chair. 
Mr R A Cameron seconded the proposition, and 
it was agreed to. 
The Secretary having read the notice convening 
the meeting. 
The Chairman (Mr H K Rutherford) said : — In 
rising to propose the adoption of the reports of the 
Executive Committee and the Tea and Produce 
Committee and of the accounts, I may say this is 
not the first time you have asked me to take the 
chair in the place of an absent president, but I do 
not think that on any previous occasion we have 
had so much reason to regret the circumstances 
which necessitate any one of us taking the chair 
as we have today in the absence of our president. 
(Hear, hear.) I have just been handed a letter 
fiom Mr Bois, v/hich i think I may read to you. 
It is as follows : — 
" The Cliftonville Hotel, 
"Margate, June 12, 1903. 
" To the Chairman. 
"Dear Sir, — Will yon kindly express to the 
members of the Association my very great regret 
at being unable to preside at the general nieeting. 
In vacating the office of president I should have 
wishrd to thank the members for the compliment 
they paid me iu electing ine on two successive 
occasions to the piesideutial chair, and for the 
support they have afforded to me during my term 
of office. 
" So many members of the Association have 
expressed a kindiy sympathy for me in coanection 
with my accident — a sympathy for which I 
sincerely thank them — that it niay interest them 
to know that I have so far recovered as to be able 
to come to the seaside for change of air, and 
although still somewhat helpless, lam daily gain- 
ing strength, and hope in time to be able to again 
attend the committee meetings of the Association. 
•'With all good wishes tor the prosperity of the 
Association, and congratulations to the new 
president. — lam, dearsir, yours faithfully, 
" Heney Bois." 
(Applouse. ) You have heard the letter lead, 
gentl&men, and I am sure I only expres.s the 
feelings of every member of this As;ociation, 
and of tlie kindred Associations in Ceylon, 
with which Mr. Bois has been so lot'g and 
honourably connected, when I sfiy that we ofi'iir 
him our deepest sympathy in the circumstances, 
•21 
and in the result of the accident which lias laid 
him hy for such a long period of. lime, and v.-liich 
has deprived us of his va'uabie services. (Hear, 
hear.) I trust, though Mr. Bois necessarily lias 
had to re.'^ign the presidency of tho As.-:ociaiion, 
that his al'Sence will only be of a temporary 
character, and that when he is restored to health 
he will be able to resume lii^ position at the 
h^ad of this A.-.sociation, The reports of the 
Executive Committee and Tea and Produce 
Committee, I think, fully explain to you the 
various subjects v.dtb wliicli the Association has 
had to deal during the past year. It is highly 
gratifying to see that the numbers of our Associ- 
ation do not diminish. (Hear, heur.) It i.'? a sign 
that the Association is vylueU 1 y those who liave 
interests in Ceylon. It is also satisfactory to 
know thnt we are nnancially sound. (He.ar, 
hea-.) Willi regard to tlis subjects wliich have 
been brought up during the year, I think the two 
nioit imp .rtant matters were the proposed Tea 
Clearint; House and the Ceyion Tea Coss Fund, 
Wiih regard to the former, you held a 
meeting some short time ago, when you p isst- d a 
resolution approving the proposals for the Tea 
Clearing House. Since then I do not know that 
the negotiations have progressed any further, bus 
Mr Bosanqaet is here today, and I am sure lie will 
be able to enlighten you as to wlienlier anything 
fresh has transpired. He so ably laid the matter 
before you at the last meeting, that it is quite 
unnecessary for me to say anything further 
upon the ' subject. I would only state tliat 
since our meeting the Indian As.sor-iation has 
also had the matter uiuler consideration, and 
has passed a resolution approving of the for- 
mation of such a Clearing House— very much 
on the same terms as our.? — but with this 
most important proviso, namely that no pro- 
vision be made for extending the scope of the 
institution beyond that connected with the hand- 
ling and delivery of tea. I- did not happen to be 
at our meeting to discuss the subject, bat I am 
inclined to think, after what I have heard in 
conversation with members of this Association, 
tliat this is about the only form in which this 
Association could agree to join the proposed Tea 
Clearing House — that the Tea Clearing House, if 
formed, shall be purely and simply for the clear- 
ance of tea, and nothing else, and that it shall be 
out of the power of the Tea Clearing House to be 
used as an engine of combination between either 
of the parlies to the detriniftnt of any other. If 
we can foim a Tea Clearing House protected in such 
a way as that, I. for one, do not see why it should 
not be formed. In connection more or less with 
that object, you remember that the two Associa- 
tions agreed that it would be advisable to form a 
joint Association of tea producers, and I believe 
that was very nearly being carried out ; but the 
Indian Association put the principles of co- 
operation to a practical test by asking us, when 
tea was being very largely over-produced, if we 
would join with the:n in closing our factories 
for a certain period of time during the year. To 
this we couhl not agree, and the Indian Associa- 
tion therefore came co the conclusion that the time 
was not ripe for forming a joint Association of the 
two bodies. Perhaps we are better as we are, 
Each Association in its own particular way can 
do a vast amount of good in the interests each 
represents, and vheii any very important subject 
