March i, 1892.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
621 
ELECTEICITY AS A POWER FOR CEYEON 
TEA FACTORIES. 
More than six months ago wa penned and put 
into types some interesting information we had 
received regarding a project for the employment 
of electricity on Mariawatte estate. At the special 
request of the gentleman from whom we had re- 
ceived the information we suppressed our notice, as 
the matter was and we believe still is only under con- 
sideration. As usually happens in such cases, the 
local "Times" gives to the world the informa- 
tion we were requested not to publish. Requests 
to abstain from publicity do not go for much 
with our contemporary. The truth is, that in plant- 
ing circles the fact of the proprietors of Mariawatte 
contemplating the transmission of electric power 
generated by water at a distant portion of the 
property to the factory has been no secret. The 
expedient of removing the factory, where steam 
is now used, to the locality where water power 
is abundant was precluded, we believe, by 
the nature of the building, a large and ponderous 
iron structure. As the transmission of power was 
estimated to cost at least £1,000, we do not wonder 
at hesitation. It happens, also, that with reference 
to a property in which we are interested, the 
question of the transmission of power from the 
lower portion of the estate where water was abundant 
to the higher where for three months of the 
year water was scarce, became a practical and urgent 
one. The factory was built at the top of tha estate 
when only a subsidiary tea cultivation was contem- 
plated,— when most planters cherished the hope of the 
survival and revival of coffee. Transmission of 
power upwards by electricity and by belting, after 
consideration, abandoned as too expensive, and the 
factory is to be moved down to the spot where 
water power is abundant. The question is mainly 
one of comparative expense and efficiency : the 
factory in this case is not an iron one, and the 
lower position is the better in all respects. The 
time is at hand, however, we believe, when elec- 
tricity will be so cheapened as to be largely avail- 
able as a motive force and in the transmission of 
power. 
'^THE CEYLON TOBACCO CO, LTD. 
GENERAL MEETING. 
Minutes of proceedings of an extraordinary general 
meeting of the shareholders of the Ceylon Tobacco 
Company, Limited, held on Saturday, the 28th day 
of November 1891, within the registered office of the 
Company, No. 4'2, King Street, Kandy, at 3 o'clock 
p.m., in the afternoon. 
Business. 
To consider the following resolution :—" That the 
Ceylon Tobacco Company Ld. be wound up voluntarily;" 
to appoint Liquidator or Liquidators ; to decide on 
the remuneration to be paid to such Liquidator or 
Liquidators; and to appoint a person or persons to 
inspect the Liquidators' accomits. The shareholders 
present were: Mr. C. S. Armstrong, Chairman of the 
Board of Directors, who i)residod, Messrs. A. P. Crawley- 
Bocvoy, G. A. Talbot, D. Iloid by his attorney G. 
A. Talbot, A. G. K. ]5orron, A. Van Starrex, J. 
Emerson, R. B. Waller, T. C. Huxley, D. Fair- 
weather by his attor)iey J. II, Fairweather, Alex- 
ander Tait, A. C. Bonnor, W. Mcgginson, T. N. 
Orchard, H. Drumniond Uoano, James Li. Fairweather, 
Hugh Eraser, A. Philip (Secretary of the Company). 
Tho following gentlemen held proxies for share- 
holders absent;— Mr. A. Eraser tor Messrs. W. H. 
L. Murray-Mcnzies and Alcxand(-r Sotoii, Rlr. C. S. 
Armstrong for Messrs. P. V,. Riulloy, .lanirs Hill and 
William Forbes Laurie, Mr. A. Philip for Messrs. 
James BisBOt, Heury Jamea VoUw, Georgo Wall, 
78 
B. Dick, and Norman Wm. Grieve, Mr. H. 
H. D. Deane for Messrs. T. N. Christie, J. Mac 
Donald Murdoch and C. Minto Gwatkin, Mr. G. A. 
Talbot for Mr. H. K. Rutherford, Mr. J. H. Sproule 
for Mr. Frederick Dornhorst, Mr. A. G. K. Borron 
for Mr. Jas. H. Barber and Mr. J. W. Vanderstraaten, 
Mr. A. Tait for Mr. H. W. Ashby and Mr. G. D. 
Moir, and Mr. W. Megginson for Mr. S. L. Harries. 
The notice calling the meeting was read. The 
minutes of proceedings of the annual general meeting 
of the Shareholders held at Kandy, on the 17th day of 
April 1891, were read and were confirmed. 
The Chairman, Mr. C. S. Armstrong, then spoke as 
follows in moving the first resolution, viz : — " That the 
Ceylon Tobacco Company, Limited, be wound-up volun- 
tarily." The Company was originally initiated in .Tan. 
1889, by Messrs. H. Praser and Rutherford. It will be 
remembered that it was arranged at a meeting of the 
promoters of the Company held on tho 19th January 
1889, operations should be begun on Bandarapolla 
estate at once under Mr. Fraser's management. Shortly 
after Mr. Fraser's departure to England the land at 
Bandarapolla was visited by Mr. VoUar and pronounced 
to be unsuitable for tobacco and the nurseries a failure. 
Your directors consider it is unnecessary here to 
recapitulate the steps that led to the final abandon- 
ment of the operations on Bandarapolla clearing, but 
would refer you to the statement of facts by both 
parties dated 22nd November 1890, and the agreement 
on behalf of the Company also the award by the arbi- 
trators dated May 1891, together with the account 
resulting in an unforeseen loss of about R3,000. In 
the meantime the Company had arranged with Mr. 
HoUoway to purchase lands in the vicinity of Uku- 
welle, Wattegama and Katugastota with the following 
results : 
A. R. P. 
The Ratwatte estate . . 314 3 10 
Lands between Katugastota and Watte- 
gama and adjacent to Mr. Vollars 
Mugama estate viz. Polgolla . , ,'57 ii 09 
Narangdande . . 31 2 24 
Goonapana . . 23 2 26 
Moolgama .. 8 0 20 
121 0 39 
Land at Harrispattu near the road to 
Galegedera known as Oolanapitia 43 1 31 
also two small blocks known as Kengalle 4 3 27 
and Booalawelle . , 2 1 30 
1 17 
Lands at Dorakmnbura now comprised 
in the Matale estate. ... 128 3 09 
There is land purchasable and already negotiated 
for in the neighbourhood of each of these lots which 
would bring any of them up to a workable acreage 
and the further purchases of lands in the neighbour- 
hood was stoped when the amalgation of Mr. Fritz 
Meyer's interest with this Company was arranged 
for. The cost of these lands to the Company is 
R28,276-.57. The lands were inspected by your directors 
and approved, and they consider them most admirably 
adapted for cultivation of either cacao, tea or 
Liberian coffee. 
On the 13th January 1890 yoiu- directors favorably- 
entertained a proposal from Mr. Fritz Meyer by his 
representative in Ceylon Mr. Schappe to acquire his-, 
several properties at a cost of R.')0,27.i-3ti of whichi 
R47,G01) were taken up in shares in the Company, th& 
lands were as follows : — 
Meegama adjoining Mr. Vollar's Mee- 
gama 
Katugastota lands 
Davie's Ferry 
IjowoIIo 
UkuwcUo 
A. 
R. 
P. 
88 
0 
0 
123 
11 
93 
0 
0 
.'■)7 
0 
(1 
7t 
2 
3t; 
■109 
o 
07 
