MONTHLY 
Vol. X. COLOMBO, JUNE isx, 1891. (No. 12. 
THE CEYLON TEA FUND AND THE 
KIOSK. 
E call attention to the following 
foroible letter from Mr. \Vm. 
Mackenzie condemning the 
proposed Colombo Tea Kiosk 
in toto and calling for a 
reduction in the subscription to 
the Tea Fund. Mr. Mackenzie 
thinks the Kiosk will be worse than useless if the 
objeot be to ensure better tea to visitors than, on 
the average, is got by them at present in the hotels, 
and knowing the difficulty in our own experience 
of getting native servants to serve livo successive 
pots of tea of equal infusion, we are inclined so 
far, to agree with him. But surely tea-drinking 
was not the sole purpose of the Kiosk ? Is it not 
to be as well for the sale of packets of pure 
Ceylon tea, to the numberless visitors — Cook’s 
tourists included — who pass through Colombo from 
all parts of the world. Mr. Mackenzie is wrong 
even in thinking that all the Australians or Americans 
have been reached. There are many still to whom 
pure Ceylon Tea in an unknown beverage. There 
is something enterprising and attractive too in 
putting an ornamental Kiosk to advertise Ceylon 
Tea in the very forefront before all passengers as 
they emerge from the Colombo jetty. We want 
them to oatry away as their first and last impression 
that tea is the most important of Ceylon products 
and the pure article the only tea worth drinking. 
A year or two of the Kiosk can, at least, do no 
harm 1 and after that if the Ceylon Tea Fund 
Committee have no more worlds to conquer, they 
roust gracefully disappear from view, s.lling the 
Kiosk and its good-will and placing their funds 
for the endowment, say, of a Convalescent Home 
for Planters. One word as to the leading '* ollicial ” 
Planters who now condemn the Kiosk — why did 
they not speak out before? The general public 
like ourselves look to all “official" planters as the 
responsible leaders in such a movement, and if they 
do not dissent at once when a proposal of the kind 
is made, we refuse to give them credit afterwards 
for wisdom or prudence. They rather merit con- 
demnation. 
THE CEYLON TEA FUND AND THE KIOSK. 
To the Editor, 
Colombo, April 15th. ! 
Sib, — In a para touching on the Ceylon Tea ! 
Fund Committee (see page 828) you write ; ' 
‘ We cannot sr-e how the business in hand can 
permit of any reduotion of subscription at least 
this year ; but we suppose the Fund is not to be 
continued for ever, or beyond a certain date," Ac. 
My principal reason for proposing a reduotion 
is that the Fund is now so large that in order 
to get rid of some of the money, the long proposed 
Kiosk is to be erected. For what purpose? We are 
sending large shipments of tea to Australia now, 
and if we could afford (o taka prices similar to 
those paid in Australia for Indian teas lately, we 
might easily double our shipments. 
Of Indian and Ceylon teas, about 9,000,000 to 
10,000,000 lb will go to Australia this year, showing 
that no Kiosk is required to introduce our teas 
to that market. 
Is the Kiosk likely to aid in getting China 
or Calcutta residents (almost our only passen- 
ger visitors, besides Australians) to drink 
our teas ? If not, for whose benefit is it intended ? 
It will hardly help us with Eussians, French or 
Americans. 
Then are teas at the Kiosk to be so much better 
than the much-run down decoctions we get at the 
various hotels ? I give the managers of these 
establishmentscredit for doing their best to serve good 
teas, and unless there be a European manager 
to see to the making of each separate pot of tea, 
I feel certain complaints v/ill be as frequent as at 
the hotels. 
But European management means a large expense, 
and, under its weight, there would be a yearly loss. 
Then on the demise of the Tea Fund which you 
foresee, what is to become of the Kiosk ? Even now, 
the Tea Fund Committee is not a trading body, and 
how is it to own and conduct the K'osk ? 
If I could believe there was any chance of the 
Kiosk being a success, or of doing our trade any 
good even if conducted at a lose, I would be very 
sorry to do anything to cripple the energies of the 
Committee. 
Or if the Committee had any large scheme on 
hand to which the money proposed to be spent on 
this Kiosk could be directed, I would not propose 
any reduction in the subscriptions. 
But I have taken the opinion .of many represen- 
tative planters and have found no one who had a 
word to say in favor of the Kiosk, except that the 
money had been voted and therefore must be spent. 
I do not think because a folly has been proposed, 
it need be perpetrated. 
Of the two leading members of the Planting com- 
munity at present — leading because unanimously 
approved of for their present offices — one told me a few 
days ago he agreed with me, but as to the folly 
of building the Kiosk feared it was too late to stop 
it. The other said the same, and added he be- 
lieved its erection would prove B,disaster\ Will soma- 
oce give us the arguments on the other siue ? — 
lours truly, WILLIAM MAOKENSIB, 
