TEA PRICES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 217, 8 June 1920, Page 5

TEA PRICES

Sir,—ls control exorcised over Government purchases and importation of tea by qualified tea experts? Tho present prices .of'3s. Gd. and 4s. per pound charged by to retailers actuates tlna important query, as quotations froih the sourco of supply odviso atx enor-

mous drop in price of tea, hut aro thd public benefiting, or does tho Government omplay exerts to superintend and tofij tho teas imported, thus protecting th® pubhc interests? Tbo grades vary so considerably iu quality and cost, viz., from 3d. to Is. Gd. per pound, wholesalo (not present values), for general usoi in Now Zealand, so 'that small firms employ tea oxperts to protect their interests. Tho, Government institutions are our largest consumers. All imported teas pass through tho Customs, and a duty of 3d. to sd. per lb. is lovied, yielding a xcvenuo of .£IOO,OOO per annum, _ If teas are not examined, but only ths invoice and package markings taken as correct, this opens up an opportunity for adulterations or mistakes occurring, leading to loss of revenue and tho ignoring of the Pure Foods Bill Act, as inferior quality teas may pass tlib Customs. ' Where a commodity ranges in value and quality as teas do, which, from latest market reports, havo dropped in prico from Is. Id. per lb., surely it would be wiso to protect the people from imposition and exploitation, and Government institutions from paying too high a price for inferior teas purchased by men who' are not experts,_ by employing tea experts to supervise and control this important department, thereby effecting a great saving and serving tho publio interest. The result of speculation on tho market is passed on for tho people to pay; • they pay all the time, and need protection against unfair profiteers. Tea ' may bo termed a bread and butter line, being in use daily in most homes, and the exorbitant cost of this commodity is severely felt by the general communitv. The vearly consumption in New Zealand of tea is something over 7,000,0001b. weight, and under present conditions every housewifo suffers, so, perhaps, the Government will devise some remedy or improvements on present conditions. Possibly, Mr. Editor, tbe Board of Trade will look into this matter, which can stand inspection, by revising or assuming control io enable teas to bo sold at a reasonable price, the usual 2s. tea having advanced to 3s. Gd. and 4s. per lb.—l am, ANXIOUS. fThe Secretary for Industries and Coinmerce (Mr. J. W. Collins) stated yesterday that the Government did not employ experts to superintend thte importation of tea. The public was protected in regard to priccs by the Board of Trade Act, and by the organisation that had been created under the Act. Any person feeling aggrieved by the price charged for tea could have the matter investigated by the local tribunal. Merchants, as .1 matter of fact, had reported to the board iliat they were likely to suffer considerable loss owing to tho fall in tho prico of tea in tlie overseas markets. They had bought tea at the high prices ruling recently, and now .they had to sell this tea j in competition with th>> cheaper tea that' was coming to hand. Tea was imported' by very many merchants, so that competition was fairly keen. High prices could not bo maintained in tho face of tho fallat the sources of supply. Thb Board of Trade hns investigated several complaints, relating to the sale of tea in packages on which the original printed price had been, increased. A package, for oxample, had "2s. Gd." printed upon it, but a larger price,, "3s. Gd.." told been super-imposed, Innnirv showed that fie merchants l>nd held large stocks of the printed laltfls before tho price rose, and thnt thoy had altered the price pn tho labels before using them for the packing of the higher priced tea. "We went into this matter very deeply in Wellington, Auckland, and , Christchurch," said M l '. Collins. "The incrensed prices of tea proves to be jus- < tified br the rise in tho wholesalo markets. The Board of Trade is watching tho- position with the dbjcct of seeing that tho consumers' interests are fully protected."—Editor, Dominion-!