DEARER TEA.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 187, 17 April 1915, Page 7

DEARER TEA.

COLOMBO AND NEW ZEALAND.

Householders who have thought of the matter at all have probably beep, congratulating themselves upon the fact that up to the present, they could drink their tea without thinking that here was another •- commodity,... which' had advanced in price. Indeed, the absence of a rise was matter for congratulation, since merchants' buying prices have, since the beginning of the year, advanced very considerably. “Wellington dealers, however have refrained from passing on the increase to retailers and consumers. They have made their stocks last as long as possible, and have waited vainly for a turn in the tide of prices. The principal cause of the advance is the ukase of the Tsar of Russia prohibiting the drinking of vodka. The Russian peasant does not drink tea, nor does the average well-to-do or middle-class Russian consume such a groat quantity ns the New Zealander. The consumption in one year was 152 million pounds, or about 0.91 b per head of population. Much of this was the highest grade tea, and naturally, so far, when a duty- averaging 1/10 per lb had to be paid,, the consumer thought he might as well have a choice grade for the money. In New Zealand the consumption of tea per head of population is about 741 b per annum. When vodka was prohibited the demand for tea in Russia i.<creosed enormously. At some ton, .v/es in Colombo and in Calcutta, prior to the closing of the Indian season, the Russians bought up to GO per cent, of the offerings, and they also bought a large proportion of the tea sold by auction in London. This tea would be shipped from London to Yladivoatoek, obtaining a remission of duty as against shipment to Odessa, even if the latter port were possible just now. Not only is Russia buying largely, but France is also in the market for supplies for her fighting forces as well as the civil population. Naturally this influx of new buyers has resulted in an advance of prices at Colombo. The advance has been equivalent to 2d or 3d per lb on all grades, and has been reflected in Australian and London markets. In Melbourne the prices of blended teas were advanced Id per lb some weeks ago, and it was stated that this represented only a. portion of the increase r>a?d by the merchants. Auckland packers decided recently to discontinue the sale of tea at 1/6 per lb, the lowest price in the. future to bo 1/8. Presumably, most of the packers ere selling the

j eighteenpenny tea at this figure. In i Wellington, individual packers have I made slight advances, which have not { b«'on passed on by the grocer; and ! ie-st one grocery firm, selling its ow •• | tea, has advanced the price by 2d ; bur | there has been no genera.] «dramm. | L'tost advices from Col. ■Lo report | a slight easing in the mm Vet. but j equivalent only to rbo -, t 1 -G.l per lb. j and not general. It is r.ot •-• Ceb-,?-.*-.'. 3 j I l ’ at the market will she*'- -vr ; . r . v . j able ease until the T ”* v “ •» • a 1 I r,- nJt ; •-> .Time. A G-'ebne then is not j cort-’in, and it, is t.h-r the I growth in coT'sum.ntion h-»« -»it sir wired the growth of sunn'm*. ■> to the United Kingdom *« UP i were 37484,23 531/3, or 9,4-K 7TU*-.* mere than in .1913. Deliveries of io. for consumption, with’? *■')•> T’*-'W Ki«r,-. dom amounted in 15*4 ♦ .-> 311.531 "UIb.'t, as against ,305 690 “CCh* Last year India co'stribrt**! 15L-BUV 80 Tibs, Ceylon China 18,013,30711)3, and other 2!),010,89411)3. Stocks in hand at the close of ~the year wore stated tt 121,478,0001b5, so against 13S,00S.0001bs on 81st December, 1913, sad 135,492,000lbs twelve mouths earlier. Aa increare of 3d per lb f roakinjr Sd) has already been made in the duty upon tea imported to the United Kingdom, and should th* Bridget provide for another iaeroaao, consumption may be reduced. On the other hand, if Russia sees ft to remora a portion “ of the present heavy duty she charges, her importations ere bound to increase still further New Zealand at present is restricted to Ceylon and Indian teas, other varieties being dutiable, but even if this were not the case, Java arid other teas are alab -ljclng competed for keenly* , •«.