The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1950-05-11
-
THROUGH
HAZEL
EYES
By ll1zel Brannon Smith
Colombo, Ceylon
Delayed)

N~Aoy GU
Ceylon is an attractive and
important island located in the
Indian Ocean about sixty miles
off the southeastern tip Of India.
BY ship it is only two night
trip from Penang, Malaga, and
Cochin, India, is one night away.
Its greatest length is from north
to south, distance Of about 27O
miles, and its largest width is
some l40 miles. Its estimated
population is around seven mil
lion people, three-fourths Of
whom are descendants of
the Sinhales colonists who first
settled the island about $500
years ago, coming over from the
valley of the Ganges in India.
The Portuguese came in 1905 to
settle in Ceylon but the Dutch
took it away from them some
$50 years later, in 1858. The Bri-
fish annexed the island in 1896
and it became Crown Colony
in 1902. In 1945 Ceylon won a
new constitution patterned along
the British lines and full Dominion
status was given Ceylon by
Royal Assent becoming effective
in 1913.
At the present the administra-
tive affairs of the stand are in
charge of a governor assisted by
q state council. The State Coun-
Gil names the cabinet. The new
constitution gives universal suf-
frage and provides for what is
called Parliament, composed of
a Senate and a House of Repre-
sentatives. There are thirty sena-
tors and 95 members in the
House.
The economy Of the island is
closely interviewer with the i'm
portant tea, and rubber indus
tries. Other important agricultu-
raj products are coconuts, pine
apples, rice, tobacco, cinnamon
and citronella. During the past
few years hundreds OF square
miles have been cleared for the
planting Of these crops.
A trend toward industrializa-
ton has been noted here since
the end OF the first World War
and factories have been estab-
lished for textiles, steel, glass,
soap. and 1eda psosass a. refine
native crops, especially oils,
tobacco and rubber.
Ceylon, sometimes called the
Emerald Island" because Of the
lush, green tropical growth, is
practically covered by coconut
palm trees. Until recent years
these coconuts had been harvest
ed and shipped as copra dried
coconuts.) In keeping with the
new governments scheme Of
promoting home industry refiner-
les have been established to ex-
tract the oil and ship it in bulk
form.
Ceylon tea, of course, is known
the world over. Large modern
factories have been built for siz-
ing or grading the leaves before
shipment to all parts of the
world. So large is this industry
that the government levies ex-
port taxes on all tea shipped out
of the island.
While rubber is still an impor-
tant industry it is definitely on
the downward trend as rubber is
being produced more cheaply in
Malaga and Sumatra another
reason for the concentration on
new industries.
The Colombo Chamber of Com
merce sponsored a move where
by tourists may buy duty-free as
much tea as they like on the dock
before embarking on their ship
leaving the island. This tea is
put up in packages of various
sizes and is one of the most
popular souvenir items of visit
ors.
Other items the tourist almost
always wants to take home,
though a great deal more expen-
sive than the tea, are the ex-
quisite precious and semi-precious
stones that come from the num-
erous small gem quarries in Cey-
lon. Chief among thes~ +, the
star sapphires, rubies, topaz, aqua
marines, sapphires, opals, cats
eyes and moonstones. |,
It is very difficult, almost inn ;
possible, to find really fine
stone already mounted. Even the
largest and most exclusive jewell
" houses carry few mounted.
stones in stock. The custom is to ;
20 into a shop and make your
selection Of a stone and select a I
design for the mounting or ask
the jeweler to design an original ,
for your stone. This ,
sakes several days or weeks. Prac-
tically all of the jewelry is made {
up in yellow gold which is mined !
IN the island