63« 
going to oonviot the defendant, and if the prin- 
cipal did cot come down from Osnton with'n a 
reasonable time he would order the sale of Ihe tea. 
Mr. Ewens said he did not cara whether his 
Worship convicted or not, so long as they retained 
possession of the tea 
Mr. Wise (to Mr. Pollocli)— If yoa don't produce 
Ihe real owner I must sell the tea. 
Mr. Pollock maintained thit his Worship had only 
power to forfeit the tea after conviction. 
Mr. Wise — Oh, no. Ate you going to iiod the 
owner ? (a laugh;. Under the circumstances I will 
discharge this man, but what I propose doing now is 
to give you time to produce the real owner. 
Ohu Yu Tin (re-called) stated, in answer to Mr. 
Pollock, that the trade mark of bis firm had never 
been registered. 
Mr. Wise — I don't miod telling you my opinion of 
trade marks in this Colony. Registration of trade 
marks is abfolutely worthless for trade purposes or 
otherwise. However, all I am going to do jutt now 
is to acquit your client. I suppose you will i-ot 
raise any objection to that. 
Mr. Pollock — Oh, no, but I want the tea back. 
Mr, Wise— But I will not give it to you. 
Mr. Pollock — My objection is that as the trade 
mark is cot registered in this Colony the tea ought 
to be given back. There is no charge in respect of 
the tea itself, and therefore the police cannot detain it. 
Mr. Wise — 1 overrule thjit objection. 
This concluded the proceedings. 
A RETROSPECT OF THE TEA MARKET. 
It is well that planters should sometimes see the 
position of tea as dealers view it, and we, therefore, 
give at some length the following summary of the 
tea market as it appears in the Grocer : — 
" The world is full of surprises, and seldom, if ever, 
has this trade shown such fluctuations in value as 
in 1891, or such an upset in calculations as to stock 
at the end of the season. We began the 3'ear 1891 in 
the best of spirits as far as the market and import- 
ers were concerned. Trade was good, and deliveries 
for both home consumption and also export were on 
the increase. Supplies from China were much cur- 
tailed. The Indian crop 1890-91 failed to give the 
estimated extra 10 million lb., and instead we received 
only 100 million lb., or say one million lb. less than 
the previous season. Everything seemed to favour a 
big rise and absolute scarcity of supplies, as the 
retailers nearly to the end of 1890 had been only 
buying Indian teas from hand to mouth. The opening 
of the market in January, 1891, was buoyant at a 
material advance over rates obtained before Christmas. 
By the end of January a telegram was received from 
India that the export would be under 100 million 
lb., and prices went up with a bound. Quotations 
for China tea soon went up to 8d, and Indian tea to 
lOJd per lb. in the spring. All dealers' stocks were 
being Ijought up, until they refused to sell any more of 
their Indian stock. Importers were eager sellers all 
through, and many could not understand it, as it looked 
as if there would not be enough tea to go round up to 
the end of the season. Some large ' bear ' sales of 
China tea soon broke that market, the ' bears ' import- 
ing some big lines of Moning from America. Unluckily 
for China tea, export orders, which had been so good 
for the first half of the season 1890-91 (.June to Decem- 
ber), fell off from January to June, 1891, to the extent 
of nearly 4 million lb., and this fact, together 
with the extra supplies from America, helped to 
weaken the position of China terminals. Common 
Congou itself was scarce, but better teas had to be 
forced off as the end of the season drew near, so 
tl)at (Canadian shippers got teas at their own price, 
and the trade were able to fill their most modest 
requirements at fairly low rates. Indian teas were 
however considered to bo in a far hotter position, 
and holders were quite confident that the trade 
would have to take their stock, as Indian teas could 
not bo rciilaced by any other kind. IMixers and 
fcUilcra decitled otherwise, and Gey Ions coming in 
freely and at a lower range of pricas, they were so 
freely used that their consumption increased nearly 
11 milhon lb. for the first five months of the new 
year, while Indians fell off considerably. Dealers, 
therefore, got hung up with some very dear China 
and Indian stock, and their Josses have been very 
heavy. Smce the beginning of the new season 
(1891-92) supplies have been coming in so heavily 
from all three countries that they have far out- 
stripped demand, and, whereas we commenced the 
teason with 8 millions less stock than in June, 
1890, yet as the year closes we have 10 to 12 million 
lb. more. China has sent us this season a full 
supply from Hankow of very high-cost Ningchows • 
the trade took a little, with a fair quantity of Kin- 
tucks, but unluckily the Eussian famine has stopped 
all buymg of high-priced teas from this market, and 
the consequence has been smash-out sales of all the 
good and choicest Ningchows at losses of from 6d 
to Is 6d per lb. to the importers in many cases, 
or cent per cent on dealers' early purchases, some 
of which they still hold, whilst Kintucks can now 
be bought at a drop of 4d to 8d per lb. It will 
thus be well understood why the wholesale dealers 
are so depressed, coupled with the fact that 
they are losing a very large portion of the retail 
trade, owing to the enormous business some of the 
packet and co-operative societies are doing, and who 
buy direct from the market. ' Out of evil comes good ' 
they say, and if only the low prices of fine China 
teas attract the public attention, it may be the means 
of rehabihtating China tea for home use. Our most 
eminent doctors recommend it for nervous people or 
for those with weak digestion, and on the strength 
of Sir Andrew Clark's lecture many of the leading 
retailers find this a favourable opportunity to intro- 
duce a fine China canister at a moderate price. It 
may succeed with the few, but no doubt the ' million' 
will continue to prefer the stronger Assam pnd 
Ceylon gi-owths for some time to come.* Speaking 
roughly, we may say we have had, from all quarters, 
inferior teas to deal with this year ; and this, together 
with the heavy supplies up to date, accounts for 
the^ very low rates that are now ruling. Home deli- 
veries for the last few months have been splendid, 
with increase upon increase throughout the year. 
Export, which showed an increase at the end of 
the year 1890, fell off from January to June, 1891, 
some 4 million lb. ; but, curious to relate, this 
second half of the year, which takes , in the 1891-92 
crop, is very little behind when compared with the 
similar period last year, although there is supposed 
to be no demand for Russia, while the Continent 
has also wanted less owing to larger direct imports. 
As regards the small falling off for export from June 
1 to Nov. 30, we find from Messrs. Gow, Wilson, and 
Stanton's circular that the export oi Indian has increased 
1,000,000 lb., and Ceylon 600,000 lb., or nearly double 
what it was last year in the same period. It is most 
difficult to see ahead, or try to give any advice. 
Prices are very low and look as if they must have 
touched bottom ; nevertheless stock is rather heavy, 
and Ceylon promises to give us a further large 
increase next year. All these increased supplies from 
India and Ceylon are at the expense of quality ; but 
the trade do not want all this common rubbish. 
China Tea. 
The total import from China for the season is 
expected to be about 60 million lb., or 10 millions 
less than last season. No doubt we shall require it 
all, and still be able to use up some of the old 
stock, as we delivered 81^ million lb. from June 1, 
1890 to May 31 1891. At the rate we are now 
delivering, we must reckon a falling off of some 12 
miUion lb., thus showing a need of say 69 million 
lb. for the season ending next June. Total stock on 
Jan. 1, 1891, was 94 million lb., against 106 million 
lb. in 1890. 
Indian Tea. 
Consumption was very much checked by the 
hi gh rat es ruling for the first six or se ven months 
* Aud for all lime. Persons of commonsense know 
what is gold for them bettor than does an utterer of 
rash rubbish like Dr. Andrew Oiark.— Ed T A 
