252 . WORLD S PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION. 



being traceable to the custom prevalent among dealers 

 of charging exorbitant profits in order to make up for 

 the losses made in other goods. This impolitic practice 

 may be forgiven were it not for the greater mistake they 

 make of sacrificing quality to profit, which in articles of 

 daily use like tea is an important consideration. By 

 rectifying this error, and giving more attention to the 

 careful selection of their teas, there is no valid reason 

 why the consumption of tea in this country could not 

 at the least calculation be doubled, more particularly in 

 the present state of the coffee market, as it is generally 

 calculated that one pound of good* tea equals four pounds 

 of coffee in amount and strength of its extract, besides 

 being cheaper and more convenient to prepare. Under 

 these circumstances it may be assumed that there is no 

 probability of any material change in the cost of tea to 

 the dealer and there should be no further reduction in 

 the selling price to the consumer, any further reduction 

 in the retail price involving a diminution of profit which 

 the trade can ill afford to bear at the present time. 



