March  2,  1896.]  !'HK  TROPICAL 
COLOMBO  TEA  TRADERS’  ASSOCIATION. 
Tlio  fiiiiiual  ;»eiieral  ineoLin<;' of  llie  Colombo  Toa 
Traders’  Association  took  place  on  "21st  lMd)y. 
in  tlie  Chamber  of  (.'ommerce  Rooms.  Mr. 
F.  M.  Mack»vood  ])resi(led,  and  present  were  ; 
the  lion.  W.  Mb  Mitchell,  Messrs.  C.  E.  H. 
Symons  (Secretary),  Duploc  k,  Henry  Bois,  Lam- 
pard,  Vi.  Seale,  L.  O.  Leefe,  ^V.  Haslam,  Barber,  F. 
F.  Street,  A.  H.  Thomp.son,  O.  Thom.son,  Walker, 
W.  E.  Mitchell,  A.  Cordon  Frazer,  C.  H. 
Alston,  Hancock,  li.  Cahlicott  Smitli,  and  Vi. 
H.  Fioo-. 
THE  ACCOUNT.S. 
Tlie  Sfxthctary  read  the  notice  calling;  the 
meeting  and  minutes  of  previous  meetings. 
TEA  TUADEItS’  ASSOCTATEON. 
Tlio  CiiAiltMAN  .said  tiiey  had  heard  the  minutes 
of  tlirce  i)rovious  meetings,  and  if  they  met 
witli  tlie  approval  of  the  meeting,  he  would  sign 
them.  He  was  following  the  precedent  that  was 
established  last  year — this  being  the  second 
year  no  rejiort  had  boon  presente<l.  It  was  taken 
for  granted  that  the  reading  of  the  minutes  of 
all  the  general  meetings  constituteil  practically 
a report  of  all  that  had  been  done,  and  that  it 
was  a recoril  of  the  year's  work  He  proceeded 
to  the  iiresentatioii  of  what  they  might 
call  their  accounts.  These  accounts  were  lery 
simple.  They  began  the  year  by  carrying  for- 
ward a balance  of  R515‘75.  To  that  had  to  be 
added  the  subscriptions  from  members  icceiveil 
since  amounting  to  R370,  making  a total  of 
KSSoho.  The  Secretary  had  expended  for  ad\er- 
tisements,  etc.  the  sum  of  RJ77'6d,  leaving  a 
balance  of  R70ST0  on  hand,  which  was  the  re- 
sult of  their  year’s  work  as  regarded  iinances. 
He  inquired  if  any  member  i>resent  would 
like  to  speak  on  the  ([uestion  of  accounts, 
or  whether  anyone  might  express  the  view 
whiidi  he  heard  in  one  or  two  ([uaiters, 
that  it  would  be  better  to  have  a rejmrt,  liow- 
e\er  short,  embodying  in  a few  words  wh.at  they 
had  done  fiom  year  to  year.  He  left  it  to  the 
members  to  s|ieak  on  the  subject. 
Mr.  L.\MPAliU  mo\c<l  the  adojition  of  the  ac- 
counts. 
Mr.  Vi.  H.  Fku!  had  pleasure  in  seconding. 
He  thought  it  would  be  desirable  to  have  a short 
report  yearly.  They  had  just  heard  the  minutes 
of  the  general  meetings  read,  but  there  was  a 
certain  amount  of  business  done  in  Committee 
of  greater  importance  of  which  the  general  com- 
munity might  know  nothing.  He  would  there- 
fore suggest  that  a short  resume  of  the  busi- 
ne.ss  of  the  year  be  Issued  in  a reimrt  and 
circulated  a week  before  the  next  annual  general 
meeting. 
The  Chairman  said  that,  personally,  he  was 
in  favour  of  the  proposal  and  he  thought  it 
would  be  well  to  have  a short  report  ready  for 
their  general  meetings.  They  had  done  a 
fair  amount  of  work  ; they  hail  made  alterations 
on  the  rules,  made  certain  suggestions  and  dis- 
cussed certfiin  matters  of  short  weight  which  were 
likely  to  bring  Ceylon  into  bad  repute  in  other 
markets,  to  s.ay  nothing  of  the  annoyance  caused 
to  sellers  and  buyers  amongst  themselves.  He 
thought  it  desirable  they  should  Inn  e a report. 
The  accounts  were  jiassed  aipl  the  suggestion 
that  a rejiort  be  furnished  to  next  annual  meet- 
ing Nvas  adopted. 
THE  COMMITTEE 
w.is  then  balloted  for  with  the  following  result:  — 
Ihii/e/s:  Messrs.  Dnplock,  Street,  ami  Tariant; 
Sellers-.  Messrs.  Whittall  & Co.,  Messrs.  J.  M. 
78 
AGRICULTURIST.  617 
Uohert.son  & Co.,  and  Messrs.  Bosanqiiet  iv  Co. ; 
and  Brokers:  Messrs.  Forbes  A M alker,  Mr. 
E.  .lohn,  and  Messrs,  Somen’ille  A (M. 
The  (Jii.ViRMAN  mo\'cd  that  the  Secretary  be 
authorised  to  write  to  the  linns  which  had  been 
a]q>ointed  asking  them  to  nominate  a partner  or 
member  of  tlieir  linn  who  would  attend  to  the 
work  of  the  Committee;  and,  in  doing  so,  he 
trusted  he  might  be  permitted  to  expre.ss  the 
hope  that  the  gentlemen  nominated  would  be 
those  who  would  really  attend.  They  had  some- 
times had  to  wait  a considerabie  time,  on 
One  or  two  occasions  they  had  had  to  wait  half 
an  hour,  whipiiing  uj)  members  before  they  could 
obtain  a qum  um. 
Mr.  Walkicr  thought  it  was  a mo-;t  desirable 
thing  that  the  Secretary  shonhl  conlinui'  to  do 
as  he  had  done  that  day,  to  send  (Ikmu  a I'eminder 
on  th(!  morning  of  the  mecling,  otherwise  some 
of  them  were  ajit  to  forget  about  the  meetings. 
The  Chairman’s  motion  w'as  carried. 
A RESOEU'l'ION. 
The  CiiAiiiMAN  .said  he  now'  came  to  put  the 
resolution  of  -which  they  had  all  received  notice. 
It  W'as  a fresh  deiiartnre  on  which  there  might 
be  some  diU’erence  of  opinion.  The  matier  had 
been  considered  necessary  by  a great  many,  owing 
to  the  increased  trade  of  Colombo,  and  although 
it  did  not  originate  with  him  he  had  been  asked 
to  put  it  from  the  chair,  w'hich,  after  some  con- 
sideration, he  consented  to  do.  The  resolution 
was  as  follows  : — » 
“ That  on  and  alter  M^ednesday,  'fth  March,  the  fob 
lowing  alteration  be  made  in  Rule  1 of  the  Condi- 
tions of  Sale: — The  words  ‘within  5 working  days 
of  date  of  sale,’  to  be  substituted  for  ‘within  3 days 
of  date  of  sale,  Sundays  and  Public  Holidays  excepted.” 
There  was  a slight  difference  members  would  no- 
tice. They  spoke  of  o working  days  instead  of  3 
days  for  the  simjile  reason  that  live  working 
days  got  rid  of  Snnd.ays.  He  had  no  doubt 
some  of  the  gentlemen  who  had  felt  the  jiressiire 
of  work  ami  the  annoyances  connected  with 
inspecting  tea,  getting  railway  orders  and  cheidc- 
ing  invoice.'^  Ac  would  sjiealv  to  the  meeting. 
He  felt  that,  with  what  was  an  adndrable  rule 
tw'o  or  three  years  ago  when  they  w'cre  .selling 
le.ss  than  half  the  quantity  of  tea,  it  was  now 
almost  impos.sible  to  go  through  the  nece.s.sary 
routine,  if  they  were  to  get  aw'ay  their  tea  and 
exercise  the  simplest  and  smallest  precautions 
as  to  the  condition  of  jiackages,  checking  weights, 
Ac.  If  all  their  tea  was  in  sejuirate  ware- 
houses or  godowns  in  the  Fort  it  might  be 
jiossible  to  go  on  at  jiresent  ; but,  when  they 
recollected  that  a great  deal  of  the  tea,  they 
bought  might  be  found  anywhere  in  stores  north 
and  south  within  a radius  of  two  to  three 
miles  from  the  Fort,  he  thought  it  w'ould  con- 
vince anyone  of  the  imi)os.sil!ility  of  carrying 
out  the  existing  rule.  He  would  therefore  pro- 
j)Ose  that  this  alteration  come  into  force  as 
from  AVednesday,  4th  March. 
Mr.  Dui’LOCK  said  he  begged  to  second  the  re.solu- 
tion.  The  Chairman  had  describeil  the  case  tersely 
and  clearly,  ami  it  was  not  necesary  for  him  to 
emphasise  what  the  Chairman  h.ad  said,  because,  if 
bespoke  foran  hour  ho  could  not  put  it  more  jilainly 
than  the  Chairman  did  when  he  stated  it  was 
utterly'  imiiossilde  to  collect  their  tc.as.  They  did 
not  mind  p.aying  for  them — they  would  pay  on 
the  morning  after  the  sale  for  that  part — but  then 
they  often  did  not  get  in  accounts  till  Sa.tur- 
day.  Then  they  had  got  one  half-day  to  cidlect 
their  teas.  They  could  noc  do  it,  try 
how  they  would  ; and  some  of  them  thought 
that  the  responsibility  should  last  longer 
than  a few  hours  with  the  seller,  ^^aud  if 
