170 
THE TROPICAL 
AORICULTURIST. [Sept. 1, 1903. 
I probably have the latest news of him — later 
than was given in the letter read by the Chairman 
— for I was with him yesterday, and am glad 
to say he was very cheerful aiul was bearing 
up as well as possible. (Hear, hear.) This 
is only the fifteenth ytar of this Ai^sociation, 
bub it is rather a straiif'e thins; that already 
the inception of the Association is veiled in mist. 
(Laughter,) In fact, so mythical has it become 
that Ihe birthplace of Homer, the nationality of 
Grladstoue, and the identity of the first tea- 
planter in Ceylon-are very much on a par with it. 
(Laughter,) Mr. Rutherford claims to have an 
inspiration as to when it was founded ; so has Mr. 
James Sinclair, so have T, and so, too, have other 
gentlemen in this room. However, it is respectable 
to have a mystery of ihis sort about our origin. 
(Laughter.) We will come now to the records of 
this Association, whicii our worthy Secretary takes 
good care are correct, and which he is always 
able to put before us in proper form. There is 
one who stands out prominent in these records, and 
that is Mr. Rutherford. (Hear, hear.) He has been 
our vice-chairman, and he has worked hard with us 
on committee for many year.=, and I am going to 
ask you today to show confidence in him by ask- 
ing him to fill the position that Mr Bois has 
vacated. (Hear, hear.) Mr Rutherford, as you 
all know, has the interests of Ceylon thoroughly 
at heart, he works with zeal at anything he takes 
up, and I am perfectly certain the interests of 
the Ceyon tea industry could not be entrusted 
to bettel hands than his. (Applause.) We have 
had ther cess and one or two other important 
matters before us four years ago over which Mr 
Rutherford and some others of us here incurred 
a certain amount of odium. 1 refer to the 1 lb 
draft question. We were told we must nob 
Intel fere in these things. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) 
Well, we had an anxious time, but if any gentle- 
man will only compare the account sales he 
received four years ago before it was settled to 
weigh to the 4' lb, he will find how immensely 
he has benefitted by th.it struggle in which we 
were engaged. I have just been able to prove 
to a gentleman in my office that in the course 
of tiiese four years he has put into his pocket 
500 chests of tea more than he .would have 
liad if it had not been agreed to weigh to the 
This is one resut of what Mr Rutherford did, one 
of the things Ihe brought to a successful issue. 
(Hear, hear.) I want to refer to another point. 
Thia idea that seems to exist in some quarters 
in Ceylon that there is anything antagonistic 
between us and the (Planters' Association is 
absolutely ridiculous. Apjfilause.) Our wishes 
are absolutely identical. I myself was 
cradled in the Planters • Association in 
Ceylon, and if auy dynastic question should 
arise as to which Chairman should have 
to go, the Chairman of the Ceylon Association 
in London or the Charman of the Planters' Afeso- 
ciation, I would do my best to get rid of the 
Chairman of this Association. (Laughter.) The 
idea that there is anything antagonistic between 
the two bodies is absolutely ridiculous — (applause) 
and it is only, I believe, the irresponsible uttei- 
ances of penny-a-line sciibblers thfit fan this sort of 
thing. (Laughter.) Members of the Planters' As- 
ciation do not all think alike, we here do not 
always think alike ; but it does not follow that 
Ihcie is anything aniagoiiis'tic betv. een us, and it 
is entirely absurd to think anything of the kind 
exists. (Hear. hear. J I have much pleasure in 
proposing Mr Rutherford as our President for 
the ensuing year. (Applause.) 
Mr Alex, Brooke :— I second that proposition 
Mr Shand has pub ib so well that I see very 
little to say— though Iwouldnot go with Mr Shand 
in his remarks about the lib draft. (Laughter.) 
But I can aay this : I do hope, and, indeed, I am 
quite sure, that under Mr Rutherford's rule we 
shall have peace. (Hear, hear.) If a country is 
happy without a history, I am quite sure a trade 
is— (laughter)— and I do hope we shall have no 
cess fights : that our exertions will be directed 
towards reducing the burdens upon tea 
(as Mr Skrine pointed out, there is plen- 
ty of room there,) and that we may see 
prosperity. I am sure we have gob the best 
Chairman we could have in Mr Rutherford. 
(Hear, hear.) 
The proposition was unanimously carried. 
The CilATRMAN :— I have to think you very 
much indeed for the great honour you have done 
me in electing me President of this Association 
for the coming year. I know t.here are many 
men of ability in this Association, men who are 
zealous in its good work, who would l:e better 
fitted for the Chairman than I am— (oh, no) — 
and I trust that after this year you will be 
able to elect some other gentleman of your 
number should Mr. Bois not be able to resume 
his duties. I quite agree with what Mr. Brooke 
has said ; the more peace we have in this As- 
sociation the beter. (Hear, hear ) It is not 
the duty of the Association to be ever agitating, 
bub it is its duty to be always watchful ; and as 
long as we are watchful over the interests of the 
Colony and its industry, we shall be pursuing the 
best course, (Hear, hear). As to the draft dispute, 
I can bear out what Mr Shand says as to the re- 
sult of the present system of weighing in compari. 
son with the system in use before the dispute arose, 
I find my company has saved very considerably 
indeed since the reform was effected. (Hear, hear). 
Sir Richard Cayley : — We all agree that the real 
main spring of the Association is the Secretary 
— (applause) — and it is the greatest pleasure to me 
tomove the re-election ol Mr Wm. Martin Leake. 
He has been an old friend of mine for the last fifty 
years from the time of our college days, and 
although I had nothing to do with the for- 
mation of this Association, I think I am one 
of the original members. It has always been my 
greatest pleasure to meet Mr Leake here, and to 
see the very able and successful manner in wliih 
he performs all his duties. (Hear, hear.) 
Mr. F H M Corbet :— I have great pleasure in 
seconding the resolution. I cannot add anything 
to the extremely accurate way in which Sir Richard 
Cayley has described Mr Leake's discharge of the 
duties, and upon my mind the same impression 
has been made, 
Tlie Chairman :— You can very well do without 
a president, but you could never do without Mr 
Leake, who has all along bson the mainspring of 
this Association. (Hear, hear.) He has the whole of 
the affairs of the Association and everything that has 
happened, and that is likely to happen, well within 
his view. You could not get anyone to supply his 
place and do anything like the amount of work he 
