TEA PACKING. TO THE EDITOR.

Evening Post, Volume L, Issue 43, 19 August 1895, Page 2

TEA PACKING. TO THE EDITOR.

Sib— No donbt " Pure Tea" is either very ignorant about the tea trade or is oonneoted with one or two of the firms that are trying to do the working oloaaes and the trades interested out of employment. " Pure Tea " says only Ceylon and Indian teas arp imported in packets. If he would only open his eyes he would see that paokot tens are imported into New Zealand from China, England, Victoria, and New South Wales. "Pure Tea" says China teas arc imported for the purpose of reduoing price. The fallacy of this oan easily be proved. For Us information I will give him the total amount of China tea imported from China last year, viz., -£I,S9Ub. a very' umall bite ont of a -total tea import of 3,667,5851b, and the bulk of this coat as mnoh as the Ceylon and Indian tea, and is just aa pure. No suoh .firms as Nelson, Moate. anql Co,, W. and Ot. Tnrnbull and Co., Kathaa and Co., and many others ever think of using what he oalls oheap China tea. All the reducing of price {if any), oan ba done to far bettor advantage with Ceylon and Indian, which are just as aheap. One of the principal reasons China tea has gone oat of consumption in New Zealand is owing to the bigh cost, for the public will not pay the prioe retail in New Zealand that good China tea fotohes in China. Russia pays more for China tea in China than what Ceylon and Indian teas can be sold at retail in New Zealand, and at the present tima China tea oommands a higher price than any other tea, and the lowest -prioe is very little less than Ceylon or Indian. Owing to Buoh facts as the above, and the way Ceylon and Indian have been pushed in New Zealand, the import* of China tea at the present time are not worth mentioning. I don't think there is 40,0001bft weight of China tea in the whole of New Zealand. " Pure Tea " ought to stiok to the truth if he wishes to strengthen his weak oawe. I say weak, because at the present time the tea-paoking industry in New Zealand is of great importance. 3 here are thousands of -pounds spent every month in wages and other expenses oonneoted with the tea-trade; and the publio gets a better and fresher article, without the injurious efforts caused by having tea packed so long in suoh small lead pickets. J am, Ao., • Fatbplat.