THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Sm.  2 1895. 
16S 
COLOMBO  TEA  THADE  UE(JL'LATI()NS  ; 
THE  CEYLON  IMPORT  DUTY  OF  25  CENTS 
PER  LB.  ON  TEA. 
We  direct  attention  to  the  full  report  of  the 
proceedings  at  tlie  meeting  of  the  Colombo  Tea 
Traders’  Association,  published  on  some  of  the  fol- 
lowing pages,  which  cannot  fail  to  be  of  interest  to 
planters  both  here  and  in  India.  In  re.sj)ect  of  the 
first  two  subjects  discussed  and  the  Hesolutions  even- 
tually carried,  we  do  not  know  tliat  much  need 
lie  said.  It  seems  only  right  that  tlie  planters 
should  mark  tlie  gross  as  well  as  tlie  net  weight 
on  the  boxes  if  this  is  sj)ecially  desired  by  the 
buyers  in  Colombo  ; while  as  regards  tlie  strength- 
ening of  boxes  in  the  manner  suggested,  we 
shall  doubtless  hear  a good  ileal  more  from  the 
planters  in  their  several  Association  meetings. 
One  cannot  help  thinking  Mr.  E.  B.  Creasy’s 
suggestions  on  the  subject,  published  by  us  the 
other  daj',  well  worthy  the  consideration  of 
practical  men  in  the  tea-planting  community, 
and  the  various  opinions  expressed  yesterday 
will  all  help  to  a right  decision  on  the  subject. 
We  now  come  to  the  third  and  last  subject 
of  discussion — bearing  on  “(’eylon  and  South 
Indian  tea,”— and  arising  out  of  a Memorial 
addressed  to  (lovernor  Havelock  by  Mr.  (J.  L. 
Yom'e,  Secretary,  on  behalf  of  the  United 
PlaiRers’  Association  of  Southern  India ; and  we 
may  say  at  once  that  we  are  amazed  at  the 
reception  accorded  to  the  Memorial  in  a meet- 
ing composed  mainly  of  merchants  and  brokers.  Wc 
are  (piite  aware  of  the  i>rejudicc  which  prevails 
upconntry  about  admitting  the  teas  of  Southern 
India  on  an  eipial  footing  to  the  Colombo  mar- 
ket. It  is  an  unjustiliable  prejudice  in  our 
opinion,  and  more  particularly  so,  seeing  how 
Ceylon  teas  have  invaded  certain  markets  in 
India  without  a word  of  remonstrance  so  far  as 
we  are  aware.  But  still  i»lanters  may  very  well 
Htiy  : “We  do  not  want  to  increase  the  supply 
of  tea  for  competition  with  our  own  in  the 
Colombo  market.”  That  is  an  easily  under- 
stood argument,  although  looking  at  the  <iues- 
tion  in  any  broad  light,  it  is  not  one  that 
merchants  or  statesmen  would  usually  regard. 
(3u  the  other  hand,  however,  one  would  ex- 
pect every  steamer  agent,  merchant  and  broker 
to  view  the  matter  in  a very  iliHerent  light  and 
at  least  to  admit  fairly  and  openly  that  it  was 
to  the  advantage  of  t’le  Colombo  market  and 
port  to  encourage  the  addition  to  the  local  pub- 
lic sales  of  all  the  teas  of  Tinnevelly,  of  South 
and  North  Travancore,  and  even  of  the  districts 
beyond,  should  they  find  age.it  to  their  advant 
But  we  cannot  find  that  there  was  one  at  the 
meetin"  to  advance  this  undoubtedly  correct 
armiment  from  the  trading  and  business  jioint 
of”view.  Now  what  is  the  explanation  ? M e 
supi»o-e  it  can  only  be  that  all  present 
look  at  the  matter  almost  entirely  with 
the  plant'Cr.s’  eyes  and  as  a matter  of  fact, 
the  estate  proprietary  interest  carries  the  day 
in  the  mercantile  and  broking  cindes  of  Colombo? 
Now  persomillv,  our  very  limited  interests  are 
identical  with  ‘those  of  the  laoducers,  and  we 
are  of  those  who,  selling  all  their  tea  in  Colombo, 
'may  be  benefited,  perhaps,  liy  restricting  the 
suimly,  and  at  any  rate,  by  shutting  out  Indian  teas 
■from ‘local  competition.  But  is  that  a reason 
why  as  iournalists,  we  .should  deal  with  this 
question  after  what  seems  to  us,  the  illiberal 
and  shortsighted  fashion  of  the  speakers  at  the 
meeting  in  question?  M'e  c mid  scircely  believe 
our  eyes  in  reading  the  remarks  of  the  Mon. 
W.  W.  Mitchell,  Chairman  of  the  meeting. 
Mercantile  rejiresentative  in  Council,  one  of  our 
eldest  uierchants  having  close  trading  relations  with 
Southern  India  ; .and  yet  hest.and.s  up  to  justify  at 
this  time  the  maintenance  of  a loc.al  import  duty  of 
,io  cents  per  lb.  on.  tea  because  there  is  a firr 
ycr  rent  ad  mlorcm  duty  in  India ! Why, 
the  Ceylon  duty,  as  Mr.  Mitchell  and  every 
one  in  the  room  knew  well — though  not  one 
mentioned  it — is  e({iial  to  fully  fffy  per  cent 
ad  vedorein  on  the  average  teas  that  would 
come  to  us  from  Southern  India,  Now,  before 
we  go  further,  we  would  ask  : “ Is  it  fair  as  a 
matter  of  ordinary  justice  between  man  and 
man  to  take  advantage  of  the  low  duty  to  send 
all  the  Ceylon  teas  we  can  to  India,  and  to 
refuse  to  reciprocate  on  an  equal  footing?”  \Ve 
could  understand  Mr.  Mitchell  if  he  argued  : 
“Let  the  Indian  Government  raise  its  duty 
against  Ceylon  teas  to  25  cents  jier  lb. — wc 
don’t  want  in  respect  of  tea,  to  have  any 
dealings  whatever  with  the  opi>osite  Continent.” 
That  w’ould  be  conservatism  worthy  of  Pekin  j 
but  it  at  least  would  indicate  consistency,  and 
a wish  for  equ.al  dealing  all  rouml.  Fiat  justitin 
runt  Citium.  Huiqiose,  the  Viceroy  indicated  in 
answ'er  to  the  United  Planters  of  .Southern  India, 
that  unless  the  utterly  prohibitory  Ceylon  duty 
were  reduced,  he  would  direct  a similar  rate  of 
tax  to  be  levied  at  all  Iiulian  ports,  and  espe- 
cially Bombay,  would  Mr.  Mitchell  speak  and 
vote  as  he  did  yesterday  ? And  will  any  fail- 
man  amongst  us  .say  that  Lord  Elgin,  on  being 
told  of  this  Colombo  meeting,  would  not  be 
justified  in  issuing  some  such  ukase  a-:  we 
indicate  ? 
But  the  Chairman  had  another  argument  : the 
|)lantcrs  of  Southern  India  want  to  sell  their 
teas  in  Colombo  as  their  nearest  market  anti 
Mr.  ^litchell  tells  them,  “there  is  no  obstacle, 
you  can  do  so  in  boiul.”  Now,  we  are  not  up 
to  the  mysteries  or  technicalities  of  trading  ; but 
although  the  Chairman  was  allowed  to  indicate, 
nemine  contradicente,  th.at  the  comjilaint  of  South 
India  teas  being  sliut  out  from  the  Colomlio 
sales  “ fell  to  the  ground,”  we  might  well 
expect  .anybody  interested  in  Travancore,  had 
such  been  jiresent,  to  act  the  i’**-''!  one  of 
Ingoldsby’s  well-known  ch.ar.acters  : — 
The  Sacristan  said  not  a word  to  indicate  a doubt. 
But  he  put  his  thumb  up  to  his  nose  and  spread 
his  fingers  out ! 
Can  sales  be  made  in  “ bond”  as  favourably 
as  in  the  open  market  in  Colombo  or  is  it 
Hitting  South  Indian  teas  on  the  .same 
ooting  in  our  sales  to  have,  them  in  bond  ? Of 
course  not  ; and  therefore,  sureljq  Mr.  Mitchell 
trilled  with  the  question  at  issue  when  he  spoke 
of  sales  in  bond.  The  issue  was  reached  when 
reference  was  made  to  “ blending  ” and  it  is  a 
great  pity  we  think  that  all  reference  to  “bond” 
and  an  “ Indian  .1  per  cent  duty"  was  not  left 
out,  and  an  otien  avowal  made  at  once  that  “tea 
planting  opinion”  in  Ceylon  was  dead  again.st  Indian 
teas  being  allowed  into  the  Colombo  market  to 
be  liouglil,  sidil  or  blended  on  .an  e<(Ual  footing  w ith 
Ceylon  teas,  and  that  in  deference  to  this  feeling, 
the  ('liairman  and  the  meeting  ngreed  to  oppose 
Mr  Yonge’s  Memorial.  That  is,  wc  supiaise,  the 
actual  f.act  and  if  we  proceed  to  ask  for  a reason 
for  this  feeling,  must  it  not  be  somewhat  .as 
follows  : — 
I do  not  like  thee  Dr.  Fell. 
The  reason  why  I cuinot  tell; 
But  this  I know  and  know  full  well, 
I do  not  like  thee  Dr.  Fed. 
For,  can  Mr.  Mitchell  or  any  other  merchant  or  bro- 
ker in  Colombo,  tell  us  in  w hat  respect  thcarerage 
Travancore  teas  differ  from  the  average  for  Ceylon 
districtsofthe  same  altitude?  Practically,  the  whole 
agitation  eirdutt  roum\  “ Tfavaucore ’’  wUicU  m 
