The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwiea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1895. THE TEA TRADE.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 15, 17 July 1895, Page 2

The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwiea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1895. THE TEA TRADE.

. — ■ —^> Although we are opposed on principle to putting extra taxation on the necessaries of life, yet we agree with the tea merchants in the colony that they should be put on equal terms with foreign exporters. Our readers are 8 11 aware that several large firms have in the various large centres created quite a new industry by importing tea in wholesale quantities, and afterwards makine it up in small packages to be disposed of by the retail dealers. The outcome of this is that a very large number of hands are employed on very liberal wages in making the necessary wood and tin cases, paper bags, printed labels, mixing, ancl packing the tea. No sooner was it found that the new line was profitable— the exporters soon dis covered that fact by noticing tbe enormous quantities of the leaf consumed in New Zealand — than they started in opposition tohave it packed in similar small quantities, by cheap coolie labor. Now, if this has not a check by imposing an extra duty, we are told by au extract from a petition presented to Parliament by a wellknown firm of tea merchants, on all small packages of tea under, say, twenty pounds, it will only be a matter of time before all the tea merchants in the colony will have their t9as packed for them in Ceylon, India, or China, aud thus many thousands of pounds now annually spent in employing labor in New Zealand will be expended m the abovo mentioned foreign countries. If cerlain other industries are " protected " there can exist no reason why employes in tea merchants' houses should not have their interests looked after.