April 1, 1902.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
687 
RUSSIA AND THE INCREASE OF THE 
TEA CESS. 
Sir— I ventnre to suggest that the Thirty Com- 
mittee would benefit estste owners in Ceylon more 
by arranging that an allowance of one, or say two, 
pounds per "package should be made on all tea,s 
sold direct to Continental, Australian and Ameri- 
can buyers in Colombo instead of taking money 
for advertising purposes, In Russia the tea busi- 
ness is in the hands of the importers who will push 
the tea out of which they can make moft money, 
and as they always get a gain in iveigM on China 
teas they resent the loss in weight on Ceylons. 
English goods are not popular in Russia just now, 
and it would be much more advantageous to allow 
the importers and blenders to put their own marks 
on the packets sold, as the name of Ceylon con- 
nected with anything English won't help the sale 
of the teas — Yours, etc. 
A SHAREHOLDER IN CEYLON TEA 
ESTATES. 
Moscow, 4/17th February. 
—Local "Times." 
CEYLON TEA. ON THE CONTINENT. 
Sir, — In your paper of the 16th January I have 
read a letter headed "A talk with Mr. J H Renton" 
which I think is likely to mislead estate owners. 
Having been over 22 years in the tea business with 
Russia, Germany and France and nearly 20 years 
of same in China and 5 in Ceylon (on and olf !), I 
fancy I know as much as, if not more about the pros- 
pects of the Ceylon tea trade there ihan Mr. Ren- 
ton. Owing to the credit system it is absolutely 
necessary to work the trade through the importers, 
and Mr. Renton is at present only annoying these 
gentlemen who are quite willing to buy the best 
teas in the cheapest market, but naturally wish to 
introduce their own blends out of which they can 
make something. Ceylon is known to be a British 
possession, and for this reason teas so marked are 
anything but popular, as I well know, having just 
been round Cennany and Russia. I recommend 
the planters to save the worse than useless expense 
of advertising and agents like Messrs. Rogivue, 
Renton, etc, who I am prepared to state, have 
not induced one-thousandth part of the present 
Ceylon consumption. They had far better allow 
the buyers in Ceylon 1 lb. on each package to 
cover possible loss in weight which often happens 
and annoys the importer (who gets about 3 lb. in 
China bought teas), and also arrange that the 
buyers in Ceylon can obtain more of the better teas 
so that same may be sent to the Continent direct, 
and not through London hands who have to take 
a commission, to say nothing of freight paid on the 
teas, and delay in transport. It is a pity that 
some of the chief estate owners cannot visit the 
Continent and endorse what I have written above. 
— Yours, etc. 
BUYER AND SHAREHOLDER. 
Berlin, 21st February, 1902. 
— Local "Times." 
THE PROPOSED INCREASE OF THE 
CESS.— IV, 
3rd March. 
Sljj^_You have rendered excellent service to 
the cause of truth by the transfer to your columns 
of Mr Lampard's letter to your evening contem- 
porary. It it is not often that one provide- 
added circulation to the arguments of one's 
adversaries. It is not often, perhaps, that the 
adversary so effectually proves the weakness of 
his own case. In the columns of the acquiescent 
"Times of Ceylon" the plausible array of for- 
midable figures will help to establish a foregone 
conclusion. To the more intelligent readers of the 
inquisitive Obseirver they will only exhibit the 
weakness of the cause they are intended to 
further. If they offered the best argument, or 
any argument at all, for an increase of the Cess, 
then the increase muse rest on a very slender 
basis. 
In one word the opposition to any increase just 
now rests on the alleged fact that the cess, as afc 
present administered in the United States, has 
(1) aroused the opposition of the trade, and (2) 
has not produced results at all commensurate with 
the expenditure. On the first part of this allega- 
tion, Mr Lampard is silent ; the second he 
seeks to disprove by quoting figures which show 
a considerable growth in the foreign exports of 
Ceylon Tea (i e exports to countries other 
than the United Kingdom) since the Cess 
was started. The irrelevancy of his argu- 
ment is obvious. The satisfactory development 
of the trade in the United States cannot be proved 
by lumping the figures for the whole world minus 
the United Kingdom. The Stars and Stripes have 
yet to dominate the world ; but the fallacy of the 
argument is worse than its irrelevance. Mr Lam- 
pard knows as well as you and I do that, it the 
hgures for the several countries be separated — as 
they easily can be — the greatest growth in trade 
will be found to be in those which have not been 
helped by the Cess; and that of the countries in 
which Cess-money has been spent, the United 
States show about the least growth. 
Mr William Forsythe follows his leader ; but 
while he leaves the formidable hgures alone, save 
for an indirect confession that they had reached 
his heart, he supplies the omission in Mr Lam- 
pard's letter by an indirect admission that the 
back(bone) of the trade has been stroked the 
wrong way. "The disappointed applicants for 
the bounty of the ' Thirty Committee ' are en- 
deavouring to turn and rend them." Precisely; 
and that frame of mind does not promote trade. 
But the burden of Mr Lampard's deliverance is 
gratitude to the much-maligned Thirty ; and Mr 
Forsythe, as one of " the much-abused body," 
acknowledges with tears the graciousness of the 
farewell benediction. But, are not these gentle- 
men under some delusion ? Where is the abuse to 
be found ? I have noticed considerable warmth 
in the speeches and letters of the rural members of 
the infallible Thirty ; but I cannot recall any 
similar heat in references to them. Only the 
success of their methods has been argumentatively 
questioned, as also the wisdom of continuins' 
work on lines proved to be unsuccessful. If the 
Thirty can serve only if all they do is approved 
without question, let Forty be tried, on the 
chance that ten may be found with a skin not too 
sensitive to criticism. 
Though you, Mr Editor, have repelled the charge 
of having incited an appeal to Ctesar, such incite- 
ment would be perfectly legitimate. The minority 
must accept the decision of the majority in 
matters affecting the common-weal ; but private 
property is sacred. No majority can decide to put 
their hands into my unwilling pockets. Let what 
is wanted to be wasted in the United States be 
raised by voluntary subscription. There is no 
socialism in Tea. OUTSIDER. 
