THE COMPANY

     Incorporated in London, The Ceylon Tea Plantations Co. Pty., Ltd. and its sister company, The Ceylon Proprietary Tea Estates Co. Pty., Ltd. were for all practical, non accounting purposes run as one, and were known collectively as The CTP. In 1952 the CTP owned some thirty-two plantations in Ceylon. Of these two were rubber, two coconut, one cocoa and the rest, twenty-seven, tea. Over the next seventeen years, the cocoa plantation, Mariawatte, was sold and Scrubs amalgamated with Somerset.

     The Company was generally highly respected in planting circles and had a reputation as a company that treated its staff and labour well. It was one of the few overseas companies that gave its native executives the same furlough benefits as it gave its ex-patriot ones. It was said that it was the then Chairman's view that furlough given to the former would "broaden their view" and benefit the Company thereby. In his book published in 2003 a one time Director, and later Chairman, of George Steuart & Co. referred to the CTP as a "Company with Rolls Royce standards" though it is not clear whether this reference was to agricultural standards or employment standards or both. When I joined the Company, furlough was for six months every five years for those on the low country plantations, and for six months every six years for those on the up-country plantations. Later this was changed to six months every five years irrespective of where one was, and then four months every four years, and perhaps, two months every two years for those having children at school overseas.

     Each year we were also entitled to twenty-one days local leave and, in addition, PDs could leave the plantation overnight provided only that they advised GS of their intentions. In practice, in my time as a PD, this leave was unlimited and 'overnight' could include a day on either side. I am not aware whether records of such leave were kept because the subject of how much leave I had taken was never raised. I suspect that the main criterion for most such things in the case of PDs was that the plantation was properly managed. If these leave terms appear generous they should be viewed in the context that the job was one virtually entailing being on call twenty-four hours a day.

     Also, at the time I joined, we supplied our own furniture and furnishings. Some six years later, the Company bought these from us and thereafter provided them itself. Cars and drivers were provided for PDs in the Company, and later Land Rovers as well for the bigger plantations or, more correctly perhaps, for the bigger plantations that warranted one. SDs were provided with motorcycles from about the mid to late fifties. All these could be used for private purposes at no charge. The primary purpose of the provision of a driver was so that the PD could drive around the plantation observing the fields, or so that he could be dropped off at one point, walk, and be picked up elsewhere.

     In 1953 the CTP declared an annual bonus of four months salary, the Company's bonuses being paid to all monthly paid staff. This covered all from PDs to lorry drivers. In subsequent years the bonus went to three months salary, then to two for a couple of years and ceased not long after. After the declaration of the 1953 bonus, I wrote to the General Manager thanking him for his letter advising that a bonus of four months had been declared. The immediate response, via my PD, was to enquire whether I did not appreciate the bonus; and there may have been the suggestion that I return it. This unofficial exercise was to impress on me that in the CTP there were certain ways of wording letters. I was a quick learner!

     Where the executive staff were concerned there was an unwritten law, a tradition, regarding standards of social conduct and dress - one that was proudly upheld by us. The Company also decreed that its executives travelled exclusively first class to and from furlough. This was when this travel was by ship. When sea travel was replaced by air travel this did not apply. During the time that it was compulsory for us to go to London on furlough it was a requirement that, as soon as possible after arriving, we report to the London office. Here we met one or more of the Directors as well as the staff. The staff, in particular the Secretary, were very nice people and seemed genuinely happy to make our acquaintance.

    In my time there is the story of one PD who, with his family, went out by ship in 'tourist class' as it was then known, and pocketed the difference. On arrival in England, he was apparently given twenty-four hours to refund the difference or be sacked! On the other hand, when I was on my first furlough, then six months, in 1956/57, the first Suez crisis delayed my return by a month and I was a bit concerned about money as we were not paid in England but brought with us funds ex Ceylon for six months. The Company was not aware of my concern but I was asked to come in and see them and the Secretary told me that they did not want me worrying about money and that they would pay me extra "and charge it to office expenses or some such thing in London." This was because it was against Ceylon Government regulations to pay me in England.

     At some time in or around 1890 a young man named Masefield came out to Ceylon as a planter either in the CTP or another company. At the age of twenty-four he became the CTP General Manager(3) . From that time or later the General Manager was resident on Scrubs in Nuwara Eliya in an imposing residence incorporating the Ceylon Head Office. In 1951, and presumably before that, the PD of Scrubs, a mere 190 acres of tea plus a small factory, was also the Head Office manager. The General Manager's car, in keeping with the Company's standards, was a Daimler - no less!

     After the war (WW II) it was said that the CTP plantations were in much better condition than others and this was attributed to Masefield's policy of green manuring during the period when fertilizer was unavailable.

     The Company supplied each PD, daily from London, an airmail copy of The Daily Telegraph. This was shared with the SD if there was one. Regrettably, the practice was discontinued in about 1963 when a visiting Director discovered, in a few PD's bungalows, stacks of unopened copies.

     From the beginning of 1960 the Company handed over the management of its plantations to the Colombo based George Steuart & Co., as agents and secretaries to the Board in London (hereafter referred to as the Board). Simultaneously, the position of Ceylon General Manager was scrapped and the Visiting Agent duties, to that time done by the General Manager, were allocated to various senior PDs outside the Company. We understood at the time that there were certain unusual stipulations attached to the arrangement with GS; one was that the Company's affairs be managed by a Director of GS, and the other that, should a CTP PD wish it, his correspondence in reference to any matter would be passed on to the Board. Although I never made such a request, it did seem to me that, from the wording of replies I received at times, correspondence regarding important matters raised by me were copied to the Board in part or in full. I felt that this arrangement greatly aided CTP PDs in their dealings with GS.

     In the late fifties or early sixties, the Company added to the 'perks' of its executives in Ceylon by paying the annual membership fee of one club of choice per PD and SD; and after GS took over, the Company paid us Rs 100 per visit to Colombo as expenses. No bills were required, and most of us stayed with friends or relatives.

     In the early sixties the PD on Dewalakande met with an accident in his Land Rover, driven by the driver, and severely injured his knees. As a result of this, the CTP directed that all Company PD's vehicles were to be fitted with seat belts for the front passenger - usually the PD.

NEXT CHAPTER->