622 
THE TROPICAL AaHICULTURIST. [March 1, 1902. 
,THE TEA" STANDARD : 
TRADE MEETING IN MELBOURNE. 
A large and representative meeting of the tea 
trade was held this afternoon, at Messrs. Eraser 
& Co.'s auction-room, to consider the new standard 
of tea under the Customs regulations. Mr Charles 
King, who presided, explained the position under 
the new regulations, which required not less than 
30 per cent, of tea extract, not more than 8 per 
cent, of ash, and not less than 3 per cent, of 
soluble ash, as contrasted with the old Victorian 
Act, under which the decision was left first of all 
to the expert, who passed the tea on to the analyst 
He pointed out that the importers had been taken 
by surprise in finding teas rejected under regula- 
tions intheframing of which they had not been con- 
sulted,and while they were at one with the Govern- 
ment and the public in the endeavour to raise the 
standard, they desired the standard to be a 
practical and a workable one, that would not cause 
injustice to any individual. Mr R Ramsay (of 
Foochow) described to the meeting the method 
adopted by the United States Government, which 
annually bought in the market a quantity of tea 
to serve as a sta,ndard, and sold samples to any 
applicant, in order that buyers might use ttiem as 
a guide, while in case of rejection three merchants 
of standing were appointed to give a final decision 
a plan that had found to work well. The 
subject was discussed at length by the meeting, 
and eleven samples of rejected teas from India, 
Ceylon, and China, together with the United 
States standard, were inspected. It was unani- 
mously resolved, on the motion of Mr F 
G Drake, seconded by Mr E Shelley, "That 
Messrs. R Ramsay (Eraser, Ramsay, and Com- 
pany), 'William Harper (Robert Harper and 
Company), and Charles King (James Henly 
and Co.), be appointed a Sub-Committee 
to consult the tea trade of the Commonwealth, 
■with a view to drawing up a memorial to the 
Minister of Customs, asking him to alter the 
regulations under which teas are declared prohi- 
bited imports, and also to draw up a joint letter 
showing the injustice of the present act, as 
proved by the samples on the table condemned 
under those regulations, and which, in the opinion 
of the meeting, representing the tea trade of Mel- 
bourne, are sound, merchantable teas, that are 
fit tor consumption, and should be admitted." The 
Sub-Committee have since drawn up the follow- 
ing letter to the Minister :— 
*' Melbourne, 25th January, 1902. 
f • The Commissioner of Customs, Melbourne. 
"Sir, — We, the undersigned Committee, ap- 
pointed at a representative meeting of the tea 
trade of Melbourne, by whose agency the bulk of 
the tea brought into Australia is imported, beg 
respectfully to draw your attention to the dis- 
ability under which we labour through the new 
Customs regulations having apparently altered 
(without due notice being given) the standard 
under which teas are admitted into the Co.nmon- 
wealth. We most respectfully urge that the 
importers should have been consulted, and that any 
change decided upon should have been notified them 
before such regulations were enforced, seeing that, 
to the ordinary coniniereial mind, the description 
of the standard is meaningless, and that the 
regulation is one impossible to be understood by 
merchants at ports of shipment, so that needless 
and unavoidable loss is thrown upon the merchauts 
here, who are quite innocent and helpless in ihe 
matter. Various teas, which the analyst 
has condemned as unlit for human con- 
sumption, have been submitted to our in- 
spection as experts, and, speaking with inti- 
mate knowledge of the article, and with an honest 
desire to prevent teas injurious to public health 
being imported, we unheHiiatingly assert that the 
said teas cannot reasonably V)e deejiied unfit for 
human consumption. If such teas can be con- 
demned under the present regulations we asked 
most earnestly that these regulations be altered 
in such a manner that commercial men, both 
here and at the various tea ports may understand 
exactly what is the standard, below which no 
teas are to be admitted. It is well known that 
the English and American systems work with per- 
fect satisfaction, and v,'e would be glad if a similar 
system could be adopted in the Cotnmonwealtli. 
The American system consists of a commercial 
standard, samples from emch producing country 
being purchased season by season, by the Govern- 
ment, from whom commercial men can buy samples 
of same, and an Australian standard on sinrilar 
lines would entirely meet the views of the trade. 
We believe any three independent tea men that 
you may choose in any of the states could safely 
be associated with your present expert to draw 
up a reasonable and fair standard recognisable 
throughout the world. 
" We also urge that permission to reship to the 
original port of shipment all teas refused impor- 
tation under the present standard be given with- 
out delay, so that the loss may be minimised to 
the importers, who have no possible means of con- 
trol over the importation, and who are most 
desirous of complying with the wishes of Parlia- 
ment, but under the present system are helpless 
and unable, from causes beyond their control, to 
arrive at any knowledge of what the standard 
really is." 
Three points are at issue between the tea 
importers and the Customs department, one as 
to the particular teas which have just been 
condemned, another as to the right or otherwise 
to confiscate or destroy, and the third as to what 
standard should be adopted for Australia. The 
grounds on which the teas have been condemned 
are simply based on the results of a chemical 
analysis, which is not one universally adopted. 
The teas themselves are perfectly good, and, 
indeed, superior to many low-class descriptions 
that can easily pass the standard. But if they 
are not to be admitted, then the only course 
that can be fairly adopted by the department is 
to allow the importers, if they so desire, to re- 
ship the gfoods, Thsy have been innocently sent 
and innocently received, and to wantonly confis- 
cate them would be an act of dishonesty. 
As regards the general question of the standard 
to be employed, it is difficult to see how that set 
forth in the official regulations is to be made 
workable. The test afforded by the usual pro- 
cess of liquoring and tasting should not be ignored, 
but doubts have been expressed whether the 
official test would permit the importation of any 
China tea — an absurd result, especially as China 
tea is often held to be the best suited for 
Australian consumption.— ilfeZ&ow?ie ^oe, 
Jan. 31. 
