442 
THE TROmOAL A'QRfCULTURIST [December i, 1891. 
Very good land is to be had in Maruda Bay, or neat 
Darvel Bay, and I have seen lately some land that is 
really splendid, but I should like yen to como and eee ^ 
for youreclE feeling sure as I do that you will say it 
is worth a trial. 
Our market for coffes may be America, if so wo ai'e 
■within easy reach of Vancouver, or if England theu 
Holt's line will quote through rites. If I cm give you 
any farther informslion I shall be happy to do so. 
Our seasons are much the same as in Oeyloii. — Yours 
faithfully, (Signed) Heney Walkeb, 
Oommissiouer of Lands. 
MR. WM. MACKENZIE AND THB 
TEA KIOSK. 
Thoraiield, Nov. 12th. 
Deae Sib,— In your leader ia paper of 10th 
occurs the following sentence ; " Ws havo never 
been able to understand Mr. Mackenzie's epecial 
crusade against the kiosk at Onlombo." 
I don't know about the ' special crusade,' i.;uii 
I long ago stated my objection to be that Colombo 
was not the place to catch Americans and Eussians, 
and proposed instead a kiosk near the Pyramids 
in Egypt. Our tourists are almost all Austra- 
lians or people going to China or Calcutta. 
We havo already our fair share of the Australian 
tea trade, and can have as much more if we 
land good teas in Melbourne or Sydney at 6d to 
8d, But Australian dealers will not pay Londoci 
prices, as I and many others know by bitter 
experience. China add Calcutta grow their own 
teas. 
But I had said my ' say' about the kiosk and 
was done with it. What I said about its connection 
with the New Company was in reply to a request 
from your ' junior ' to give him my opinion. 
That also was, as you say, an " accomplished 
fact," and further that of ceasing to be a sub- 
soriber to the Tea Fund, I hsd ' moved on ' as 
regards that matter also. Any controversy since 
has not been of my raising ; and as my with- 
drawing of a letter by wire last week after you had 
it in type, proves I am content to let bygone be suchl 
We have all enough before us at present in 
preparing for adequate representation at Chi- 
cago, It is time space was applied for, and 
this cannot well be done, until we know 
what money we shall have to spend. If 
we do not aim high, we shall hit low. Besides 
the contributions from Government and Tea Fund, 
which will amount to about £6,000, I thiuk we 
should raise £14,000, or £20.000 in all. What a 
trifle it seems to be contributed by 1,200 estates, 
nearly half of which have so far paid nothing to 
the Fund 1 Why, it is very much less than one 
month's weeding contract 1 But to approach 
this amount, regular owner to owner canvassing 
must be attempted. It will never be done by 
circular solicitations from the Tea Fund. That 
importunate lady has tried her charming too often 
in vain. WM. MACKENZIE. 
THE TEA K108K AND THE CHICAGO 
FAIR SUBSCRIPTION. 
Nov. 16ih. 
Deak Sie, — This building, now nearly completed, 
stands almost opposite the G. 0. H. in Colombo, 
and long before the same was erected, it was con- 
sidered that such an imponinr) spectacle would be 
certain to attract thn flock of passing strangers, 
who .'■.peiid a few hours on shore from the various 
steamers calling at our port, To .soo thfi building 
an it v'lio Is, one can hardly oonio to any other 
conclusion than that the whole idea has rcHulted 
in a miserable failure. A large sum o£ money 
has been spent in the construction, and on the 
pillars which are mads from a particular kind of 
• icood ; and cow that the building i-i erected it does 
not look to me as if it would have any attraction 
for passengers whateosver. That an insignificaDt 
little building such as the Kiosk is should attract 
even a tenth part of the passers-by from steamers 
seems to me most improbable, for the large hotel 
opposite looks for more enticing, and strangers 
are certain to patronise the hotel in preference to 
• the Kiosk even for a good cup of tea. 
Had the Kiosk been erected and carried on 
in Paris or New York or Sydney or even 
Port Said the results might have been favourable, 
but the position now seems as advantageous as a 
spot in Timbuctoo would have been. New York I 
should certainly have considered a more favourable 
location for its erection. It would have been in the 
midst — more or less_— of a tea-drinking people. lb 
would have been the means of bringing good Ceylon 
tea to the notice of many Americans, and the 
American Tea Company would have received benefit 
from advertisement. Whereas cow the money eeema 
well nigh wasted. I only hope it may be of service, 
and everything should be done to make it so. I 
have not been a subscriber to the Tea Fund, but I 
intend to give my donation towards the representa- 
tion of Oeyton at the Chicago Exhibition together 
with an extra allowance ol RIOO. We should now 
do all in our power to have Ceylon tea well repre- 
sented there, for it will not only be the means of 
introducing our teas to numbers of Americans, but 
to thousands of strangers from other countries as 
well, and this chance of pushing our teas should 
commend itself to all planters and traders in- 
terested and supported as much as possible, 
seeing how badly we require fresh markets to take 
off our ever increasing supplies. — Yours faithfully, 
W, A. T. 
THE CHICAGO EXHIBITION. 
Dear Sir, — The subscription list started by the 
Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce has now 
been travelling round the Fort for five days, but 
out of some fifty and more firms only four have 
appended their names as subscribers. The reason 
is not far to seek. The questions on most people's 
lips are : 'Who is to be the Commissioner? Is 
Mr. Elwood May to handle any more Ceylon coin? 
I venture to say thai if these two queries are 
satisfactorily answered Mr. Bois will not appeal 
in vain, and that many o\ the oommunity will at 
once add their nsmes and materially increase the 
amount already premised. Why not call a public 
meeting to discuss the matter ? Everyone admits 
the great importance of Ceylon being well repre- 
sented at the World's Exhibition, but what is wanted 
is more light on the subject. The Banks and 
Steamer Agencies should come down handsomely, and 
so will most of the other firms, including my own, 
when satisfied as to who is to carry the purse of 
£10,000;and spend it in America. 
One of Mr. Elwcod May's bright ideas was 
to boom tea by getting American newspaper 
proprietors to take scrip in his Company in 
payment of advertisements. This no doubt has 
been comparatively an easy matter owing to 
his trading under the auspices of the Ceylon 
Planters' Association and several local " Honor- 
ables." Now, however, newspaper proprietors 
are beginning; to feel a desire to realize their scrip. 
Finding no market in their own country, they 
naturally turn to Oeylon. When they find scrip 
may bo bought here at a discount of 75 to 90 per cent 
w'j shall ho doubt bo abused right and left in 
oharaotetistio plain Amerioan language, and what 
