Mabch 1, 1904.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
616 
6. Thia objection does not apply to Indian teas. If 
Buch a condition as I have FnggtRted were required, 
the grievance of the Indian planter that a prohibitive 
duty ia levied here on Indian tea would praotic-illy 
be met without raisiDg the difficult questou of a 
perfereutial tariff in favour of India. 
H M Custom'!. (Signed) H L Crawford, 
Colombo, I4th Nov., 1903. Principal (JoUector. 
Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, 
Sir, — I hare the honour under instructions for my 
Committee to acknowledge receipt of your letter No. 
021-109 of '27th ultimo, and at the same time to ask 
whether Government would have any objection to 
copies of the correspondence enclosed therein being 
printed and circulated to members of the Chamber 
with a view to obtaining their opinion on the question, 
as my Committee feel it is one of such importance 
that a wider opinion should be sought thnn that which 
my Committee alone might express. I have the honour 
to be. Sir, Your obedient servant, (Signed) P M 
SIMPSON, Secretary. 
Ibe Colonial Secretary, ColombOi 
Colonial Secretary' Office, 
No. 024109. Colombo, 10th December, 1903. 
Sir, — I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of 
your letter of the Ist December, and I am to inform 
yon that Government have no objection to your pro- 
posal to circulate printed copies of the correspomleace 
on the subject of the Ceylon Import Duty on Tea 
forwarded to you with my letter of 27th November, la 
order that the opinion of individual members of the 
Chambar of Commerce may be obtained regarding the 
qnesiion.-I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 
(Signed) A G Clayton, for Colonial Secretary, 
The Secretary, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce 
Colombo. 
Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Colombo, 15th 
December 19ii3. 
Sir, — I have the honour under directions from my 
Committee to acknowledge receipt of your No 0-24109 
of lOth instant, and note (jovernment h ive no objection 
to the Chamber's proposal to cii r-nlate printed copies 
of the correspondence on the snbjeob of the Ce\l.n 
Import Duty on Tea enclosed with your letter of 27th 
ultimo. — I have the honour to be Sir, your obedient 
servant, (Signed) P M Simpson, Secretary, 
The Hon. the Colonial Secretary Colombo, 
THE ADVANCE IN CAMPHOR. 
Phenomenal is the word that describes the camphor 
eituation, which we treated with some detail e iitori- 
ally two weeks ago, but which deserves further 
consideration on account of the development since that 
time. List week we noted an advance of two and one 
half cents and this week's progress has brought three 
chanRes, one of two cents, one of one cent, and another 
of thret- cents', putting the market on a present basis 
of sixty-seven cents for refined camphor in barrels and 
one-half cent higher for cases. Th it a much higher 
range of values is logical may be inferred from the 
receipt by a Urge operator here of a cable from London 
announcing a price equivalent to seventy oue acd five- 
eighths cents to lay down here. Present holders are 
adverse to quote on anything but small lots. The 
unprecedented advance within the last month has been 
naturally coupled with the strained relations between 
Japan, which holds camphor under her monopoly , and 
Enssia. Tnere is no question that the possibility of 
Wiir has pla)ed a determining part in the hold of 
the product by the Japane-^e Government, and the 
value of camphor as a possible war asset is realised 
by the fact ihsit it is available for the manuf icinre of 
smokeless powder. Beneath all this talk of the 
enforcement of an embargo on camphor because of the 
war situation, there exist causes which would have 
tended toward a higher level under usual market 
conditions. Chief of these is the nprisiogof natives 
in Formosa and the neglect of gathering. Then the 
Government has been uncertain as to what extent it 
might go with its upward tendency. As supplies have 
been withheld for nearly four months, all the markets 
of the world have been iu very scant supply. 
Camphor oil has come into considerable prominence 
since the crude camphor has responded so materially 
to the practical embargo placed upon it by the 
Japanese government, tinder normal conditions this 
oil does not attract much attention, although its fields 
for consumption are large and varied. A more 
spirited inquiry as to the state of local supplies fol- 
lowed the upward course of refined camnhor and dis- 
closed light stocks. Some holders were disposed to 
withdraw from the market when advices from Japan 
announced that no more oil would be offered pending 
the present difiiculty. It is now learned tnat practi- 
cally all of the supply the local market can look for 
many months to come is en route on the sailing si 'd 
^'Shenandoah,'' due la;e in March or early in April. The 
shipment consists of 15,000 cases and, as we are in- 
formed, i^ consigned to one house here. As already 
stated, camphor oil has a number of uses, the prin- 
cipal one of which is in dissolving gum for varnish 
manufacture. The oil is largely employed by soap and 
perfume makers and has quite a field as an adulterant. 
In liniments it is also quite largely used. It was in 
1889 that the value of camphor oil began to advance 
from the low state in which it had been held. At 
the beginning of that year it was listed at 5c, but 
more active requirements kept the quotation in higher 
movement, closing the year at 9|c. It has since held 
rather firmly to this basis, which is its present one. — 
New York Uil Reporter, Jan. 18. 
KANDY PLANTERS' ASSOCIATION. 
KEPORT BY THE CARDAMOM COMMITTEE ON THE 
AVOHK DONE DURING THE YEAR 1903. 
In Janiiiiry 1903 a sub-Committee was appointed 
by the Commiitee of the Planters' Association of 
Ceylon, to enquire into the best method.s of pushing 
the sale of Oar(iami)!ns in Foreign countries. Tin's 
sub Committee consisted of Messr.s J A Scence, W 
Keeve Tatliam, J VVestland and W Sinclair and 
later on Messrs W L Strachan, H Storey and 
P C MacMMhoii were added to the number. — 
The sub Coniinitiee is.sued circulars asking all 
caidaninni growers to .subscribe 50 cents per acre 
and I'2,059'I8 have been sub-cribe<l equal to 4,117 
acres oni of a possible 10,i'0() acres. There now 
remain in the (Committee's hands about RSOO, In 
May 155 lb of Cardamoms weie sem to M Kenton 
and others for distribution on the (.■oniinenc and 
later on the Committee advertised that samples 
were available to any one willing to push this 
pioiiuct. Several tirius responded and a large 
number of samples were given whicli have been 
distribu ed all over the world and your 
Coniuiittee have pleasure in stating that the 
results have been very satisfactory. —Your 
Committee have iuteiesred themselves in 
getting as many Cardamom Estates as possible to 
send sanioles to the St Louis Exhibition and they 
have also sent; samples for distribution to the trade, 
but the Commit tee regret to say that funds are 
quite inadequate to brint; this article into promi- 
nence at tills Exhibition and had more funds been 
available strenuous eff irts would liJive been made 
to |)Usli llie II tide rot only at this Exhibition, but 
in Knglanil, Africa, (?hina and Japan where, it ia 
believed, the demand might be largely extended. 
A short descriptive article on Cardamoms (with 
