The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1882-12-23
TEA AND COFFEE.
The Consumer Getting a Better Article at III
Reduced Values OF the foods.

htdueeh values or the foods.
Chicago Tribune
The fact that the wholesale price Of
tea and coffee has fallen considerably
has been stated in New York dispatches
and elsewhere. For several years past
the price of tea has been steadily de-
clining, while 70 market report re-
Gently stated that coffee was lower in
Now York than had ever been known
before. reporter who has failed to
note any corresponding reduction in
this branch Of his household expenses,
recently interviewed some Of the
leading dealers with O Tiewto discover
ing, If possible, whether tho public
WAS getting any of the hencat Of the
cheap rates. lie first spoke with
member Of a firm which deals almost
exclumyoly in teas aud codees, and
asked for information on this interest,"
ing point.
The dealer said it was i,uo chat there
hal '5svs, vvusiduranie decline in tea
during the past three years He thought
the reduction during this season amont.
ed to about 10 per cent, but IL vas NE
most entirely on the medium gradcs
Fine teas were as much ia demand os
over and commanded very nearly tle
old dgnrcs. There had not boon any
decline in The rcihl prico % teas. bua
be aud other dealers sold q much beiicr
quality for ths anne money People
got into thu taht u buying go. 50 go
or 75-oent tea. aud could not bo persuad
ed 20 change their standard But they
got the beneli. Of the reduction in the
improved quality, for whore compete
hou WAS az close ns 10 10 in Chicago
dealers had TO give good article in
order TO do business. He showed sam
pies OF tea 10 20 cents pound, or ten
pounds for 50, and sud that the quality
was guite fair. He did not believe that
tens We're adultorated, although proba
bly, the Chinese and Jups used some
harmless
coLoaNo MATTER ON cERrAD GRADES.
The reporter said that wholesale
dealer had stated that tea which he hid
sold Mt % cents would be sold by the Job
Der NJ %, and by the retailer at 30
cents, and asked If this was notarathpr
steep percentage of profit
Il believe it IN" was the reply; "tlat
is more than we make on that grade of
toa.D
What do you consider fair profit
TO the retailer?"
Il think about % per cent. We have
to sell in small quantities, 10 keep clerks,
supply packages and deliver the goods.
The last item is quite an object, for
people think nothing Of demanding
that a hah.pouHd package shall be de-
livcred at Fortieth street or near Lin
coin Park. Then they want it right
away, even though the wagon has made
its rounds for the day
"What about cofIees?"
Rios have gone down very low, but
Javas, Mochas and the fine grades
generally none too plentiful. Coffee is
sold very cheap in this city and the
consumer gets good value for his money.
You can buy prime Rio at IS and 20
cents, Just ns good as anybody could
ask. If you want fancy Java you must
pay for it,"
Another dealer who was questioned
said that he handled only the better
grades OF tea and coffee, and that there
had been little or no reduction in these
not more than a cent or two. He
corroborated the statement that Rio
coffee was lower than ut any previous
time, and gave it as his opinion
that the reduction would never get
round TO the consumer. He based this
opinion ON his belief that coffee at
present figures
WAS FIRST GLASS SPECULATION
and that it would be bought up by men
who would hold it for an advance.
There was not, in his opinion, any great
surplus, but the South American crop
had beeu o good one. As to the amount
OF profit exacted by the retailers he
could give little information, but he
thought that as usual the poor, who buy
in small quantities and often ON credit,
had to pay a presty heavy percentage
ON Il and were not likely to get much
beneiiN from the decline.
A third dealer, doing a general gro
Gerry business and handling all grades
Of tea and coffee, was asked to give his
views. He reported what had been
said by tho others about the consumer
getting better quality attbe old figures,
aud agreed that there had been no cut
ia prices. OF course under this system
the consumer is ut the mercy OF the
retailer who may or may not-giye
him an extra good ten for his so to 60
cents. But the dealer referred to said
that competition settled this, and that
with the tea-dealers it was a competi.
ton of quality rather that if tho duty
Of 10 cents per pound was reimposed
it would keep great deal Of worthless
tea out OF the country. Dust and
sweepings and rubbish generally had
been sold in New York for 8 or 10 cents
per pound, and had helped to democrat
ize the market. He thought 10 to IL
cents per pound was q fair profit for
the retailers, and WAS about all any of
them got. But they had to make up
on something else for their losses on
sugar, and probably they stuck the
price on to tea in good many cases.
In his opinion. the iobbers were getting
the lions share of profit Just at this
time, He had been told by some Of
them that il it was not for what they
u,ada m Zoo kba.r oe,,ll not ltva ak oil