THE COMMITTEE OF THE TRADESMEN'S ASSOCIATION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12439, 17 December 1903, Page 8

THE COMMITTEE OF THE TRADESMEN'S ASSOCIATION.

TEA DUTIES. To the Editor Sir, — Irritation has succeeded tho excitement caused by the unnecessary alteration in the duty on tea. This irritation has found utterance through business men who have been «>iiher importing teas direct in packets, cr getting others to indent teas for them. There seems to be little uoe.d for either irritation or excitement, since those gentlemen may easily secure teas of eqjuol \alue pack id in this colony, ar,d at no greater ccst to themselves. The chief cause of trouble is, no doubt, that many of them have been selling teas under labels specially supplied to them, ar.d [these labels are known by iheir customers, llach rman's label is, ns it were, a trade mark, Should these gentlemen bo assured of obtaining equal value in tea, each with his, special label, there will probably be Httlo more heard of tho matter. The public will prefer tea mixed md packed by machinery, and labelled by our cwn lads ancl Lis^ins, rather than iliat handled by coolies in stuffy tea rooms in Ceylon. Speaking from over 25 years' oxporicn.c, I can assure consumers of tho fragrant hevoran;e that eolonially paeUe 1 teas have for joins given if anything- more satisfaction than the imported packets. In each centre where tea business is curried on a considerable nm,ount of labour i« required in blending, weighing, wrapping and packing, and tho lads employed in the work must learn to be oxact, alert and rout, thus laying a foundation for usc-fulno»s ii afterlife. Much money is spent on pvintod labels, and the work is more neatly done in this colony than "m Our timber mills arc also called^ into wsn ice since the Ccylrn tea boxes arc soMowhul trumpery. nn«l our stronger N,vv Zealand cnsiv* are required.— l ' m> &C "' A. BUCHANAN, Wholesale Agent f«-r Teas packed in • this colony and tea* packed m Ceylon. . . . Jersey Holme, Palmevston, lie oein!ber 14th, 1903.