690 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
April  r,  1896. 
A SPECIAL  DUTY  ON  TEA. 
TEA  MEN  TO  APPEAR  BEFORE  HOUSE 
COMMITTEE  OF  CUSTOMS. 
TIIEV  WILL  PUESENT  PETITIONS  EKOM  THE  TK.I  TK.UIE— 
VIEWS  OF  PUOMINENT  MEJIBEltS  OF  THE  LOCAL  TliADE 
— NO  ACtUEF.JIENT  AS  TO  THE  AMOUNT  OF  DUTY 
TO  BE  CHAUaEl). 
Members  of  the  Committee  of  the  Tea  Trade  of 
the  Ciiitecl  States  v.ill  appear  this  afternoon,  before 
the  House  Sub-Committee  on  Customs  at  Washing- 
ton, to  argue  iu  fai  or  of  the  imposition  of  a speoilic 
duty  oil  toa. 
The  Committee  will,  it  is  uiider.stood,  present  a 
petition  signed  bj'  nearly  every  important  tea  house 
in  New  York  city,  and  will  also  present  similar 
petitions  from  other  lurge  centres. 
A representative  of  this  jouinal,  spent  some  time 
in  the  tea  district  on  Saturday,  in  conversation  with 
people  engaged  in  the  various  branches  of  the  trade; 
and  found  that  the  organized  movement  to  restore 
the  duty  on  tea  is  steadily  gaining  ground.  'J'liose 
in  the  trade  in  this  city  arc  almost  imaiiimons  in 
its  snpjioit.  The  argiimeiils  advanced  in  its  I'.ivor 
are  varied,  hut  the  end  in  view  is  the  same. 
They  are  not  agreed  as  to  ihe  amount  of  duty 
to  he  charged,  but  it  is  generally  maintained  that 
a specific  duty  is  absolutely  necessary  to  effect  an 
improvement,  and  it  is  confidently  asserted  that  an 
improvement  iu  the  quality  would  bring  about  an 
increase  in  the  consumption,  and  that  tea  would 
very  soon  become  a popular  beverage,  as  is  the  case 
in  countries  where  a duty  is  levied.  The  result,  they 
aigiie,  would  he  satisfactory  to  all.  Tlie  Govern- 
ment would  receive  a welcome  addition  to  its  revenue, 
the  public  would  once  more  have  a wholesome  palata- 
ble beverage  and  a much  needed  improvement  would 
take  place  in  the  tea  business. 
Appended  are  a number  cf  interviews  with  prac- 
tical tea  men  who  are  requested  to  give  for  publica- 
tion their  ideas  on  the  benefits  to  be  deprived  from 
a specific  duty. 
Mr.  Thos.  A.  Phelan,  of  Geo.  W.  Lane  & Co.  03 
Front  Street  : “ There  is  hardly  another  article  upon 
which  a duty  could  be  laid  and  at  che  same  time 
benefit  the  people.  Good  tea  is  an  economical  be- 
verage and  an  increase  in  consumption  would  be  a 
National  benefit.  Tlio  only  way  this  can  be  brought 
about  is  by  the  Govermneut  imposing  a duty,  a 
specific  duty,  and  the  higher  the  duty  the  better  the 
quality  tliat  would  be  shipped  to  our  country.  It  is 
worthy  of  note  that  while  hotels  and  restaurants 
charge  the  same  price  for  a cup  of  tea  as  they  do 
for  a cup  of  coffee,  the  o:  iginal  cost  of  a cup  of  coffee  is 
about  five  times  that  of  a cup  of  tea.” 
Mr.  Chas.  E.  Beebe  of  Beebe  & Bro.,  No.  130,  Water 
street:  “ The  policy  of  this  country  for  the  past  25 
years  has  tended  to  till  this  country  with  teas  that  can- 
not be  shipped  elsewhere,  for  the  tea  planters  will 
always  scud  their  inferior  grades  to  the  country  that 
does  not  charge  a duty.  They  would  he  foolish  to 
do  otherwise,  as  they  can  afford  to  sell  their  goods 
here  for  less  than  the  amount  of  duty  which  they 
would  have  to  pay  to  get  them  into  other  countries. 
In  fact  anything  they  receive  above  the  freiglit  and 
other  incidental  charges  is  so  nmcli  profit.  A 
general  prejudice  agaiust  tea  is  the  result  of  the  ad- 
mi.ssiou  into  the  countiy  of  such  teas.” 
filessra.  Hovvlet&Lee:  “What  we  want  to  i-evive 
the  tea  business  is  a specific  duty  of  10  to  25 
cents  a pound.  An  ad  valorem  duty  would  do  no  good  ; 
in  fact,  we  think  it  would,  if  anything,  create  a 
worse  state  of  affairs  than  exists  at  present,  if 
that  is  possible.  It  is  disheartening  to  see  the 
consumption  annually  falling  off,  and  wo 
believe  it  to  be  directly  duo  to  the  fact  that  con- 
sumers are  given  so  much  worthless,  uiiwholssome 
quality.  It  is  at  present  difficult  for  them  to  get  good 
toa  at  any  price. 
xVIr.  E.  M.  i’ayne,  132  Front  street;  ‘‘dim  effjHs 
that  are  being  made  to  improve  the  condition  of  our 
tea  trade  by  eliminating  from  our  market  all  worth- 
less low  grade  colored  teas,  whether  done  by  legis- 
lation or  education,  is  to  bo  commended  by  every 
honest  dealer  and  lover  of  pure  tea. 
“A  moderate  diit}'  on  pin’o  toa,  with  a prohibitory 
one  on  all  colored  and  adulterated  toa,  would  bo  a 
blessing  to  every  consumer,  and  especially  to  the 
poorer  clasms,  who  are  the  principal  consumtrs  of 
these  low  graile  colored  teas,  for  which  they  j)ay 
exorbitant  profits  to  the  retailers,  actually  re- 
ceiving lo.ss  of  the  pure  essence  of  the  tea  in  one 
pound  than  they  would  receive  iu  one-quarter  the  quan- 
tity of  the  good  article..  These  low  grade  te  .s  bear 
tiie  same  relation  to  fine  teas  that  the  coarse,  out- 
side, giound-lrodden,  worm-eaten  le.aves  of  the 
cabbage  bear  to  the  tender,  mitiitions  leo^vcs  of  the 
head.  Are  these  teas  poisonous  ? The  tea  tester  says 
no,  but  I claim  that  the  tea  experts  are  no  authority 
as  to  whether  these  teas  are  poisonous ; they  are  too 
good  judges  of  toa  to  put  filthy  stuff  in  dieir  mouth, 
and  would  no  sooner  drink  a cup  of  it  than  they 
would  drink  a cup  of  water  from  a Chinaman’s  hatli. 
“ Too  little  importance  is  placed  on  the  benefits  of 
good  tea  and  the  injury  of  bad  tea  on  the  human 
system.  Tlie  alkaloid,  theine,  is  craved  by  nearly 
all  the  human  race.  With  the  great  masses  a good 
tea  satisfies  that  craving,  while  a poor  tea  only  partly 
sa  islles  it,  so  tliat  tobacco,  siuilf,  moiphiiio  or  liquor 
is  resorted  to.  Statistics  will  bear  me  out  in  the  state- 
ment that  where  the  laborer  uses  good  tea  there  is  far 
loss  iiilemiieraiico  by  the  use  of  toluicco  aud  liquor  iu 
that  family  than  where  the  commonest  teas  are  used.” 
Mr.  F.  S.  James,  of  the  linn  of  Fraser,  Farlej' & Var- 
mini,  an  old  and  prominent  house  of  Yokohama,  Japan, 
and  who  has  lately  arrived  from  Japan,  said, 
“I  have  read,  with  interest,  the  various  eorrespon- 
deuce  relative  to  tea  duty,  and  as  I am  a tea  packer 
I should  like  to  give  you  my  views  on  the  subject. 
“ In  my  opinion  a duty  on  tea  would  be  a great 
benefit,  not  only  to  tea  drinkers,  but  to  tea  import- 
ers, fn-  the  reason  that  it  would  keep  out  the  trash 
and  deleterious  leaf  that  now  reaches  the  States. 
“ In  Japan  this  poor  quality  is  grown  in  an  almost 
wild  state,  near  Nagasaki,  and  also  in  Mino,  and  is 
principally  used  for  mixing  purposes. 
“ A duty  would  exclude  this  fiom  being  imported 
and  raise  the  standard  of  excellence,  and  the  tea 
drinking  portion  of  the  people  would  gradually  learn 
to  appreciate  leaf  of  good  quality  and  help  in  time 
to  increase  the  consumption  of  the  article. 
“ The  importer  would  benefit,  because  he  would 
have  to  deal  in  a better  article  and  reduce  the  risk 
that  he  at  present  runs  in,  having  his  teas  rejected 
by  the  Custom  House  inspectors  on  account  of  poor 
quality. 
“ The-  Japanese  Government  have  tried  and  arc 
still  using  their  best  efforts  to  keep  the 
growers  from  bringing  trash  to  market,  as 
it  recognizes  that  the  poor  quality  of  a great  deal 
of  tlio  tea  now  being  shipped  is  spoiling  the  trade,  and 
if  this  Government  would  only  help  it  by  levying  a 
duty,  the  commonest  sorts  would  entirely  disappear 
and  become  a thing  of  the  past.” 
Following  is  a complete  list  of  the  members  of  the 
tea  committee Mr.  E.  Tomlinson,  of  Millildn-Tom- 
linson  Co.,  rortland,  Me.;  Mr.  A.  S.  Woodworth,  of 
Robinson  & Woodworth,  Boston,  Mass.;  Mr.  Fred’k 
Mead,  Jr.,  of  Fred’k  Mead  A Co,,  New  Y^oik;  Mr. 
Geo.  H.  Macy,  of  Carter,  Macy  A Co.,  New  Y’'ork ; 
Mr.  M.  P.  lleraty,  of  E.  J.  lleraty  & Co.,  Phila- 
delphia; Mr.  Geo.  N.  Cronze,  President  New  Y’ork 
State  Wholesale  Grocers’ Association,  Syracuse.  N.Y.; 
Mr.  Geo.  E.  Laveuack,  Buffalo,  N.Y.;  Mr.  Win.  11. 
Brace,  of  Phelps,  Brace  A Co.,  Detroit.  Mich.;  Mr. 
Greame  Stewart,  of  W.M.  Hoyt  A Co.,  Chicago,  111.; 
Mr.  Abel  P.  Upham,  of  Sprague,  Warner  A Co., 
Chicago,  111.;  Mr.  F.  Sanders,  of  Sanders  A George, 
Baltimoie,  Md.;  Mr.  P.  H.  Kelly,  of  The  P.  H.  Kelly 
Mercantile  Co.,  St.  Paul,  Minn.;  Mr.  J1 . J.  Branden- 
stein,  of  INI.  .7.  Braiulenstein  A Co.  San  Francisco; 
iNlr.  F.  If.  Krcmiing,  of  F.  H.  Kienniiig  A Sons,  St. 
Loui.s,  Mo.;  Mr.  11.  E.  des  Bordos,  of  Preston,  A 
Stauffer,  New  Orleans,  Ija.,  Mr.  ,1.  Wilcox,  of  The 
Retail  Giocery  Co.,  W aco,  'Tex.;  Mr.  E.  A.  Wiilud, 
Secretary. 
The  Sub-Committoo  on  Customs  is  composed  . f 
Representatives  Dingley,  I’ayiie,  Dalzell,  Hopkins, 
Grosvenor,  Crisp,  and  Turner,— Joaraaf  o/'  Commerce 
(N.Y.),  Feb.  17. 
