New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-07
THE ApULTERATT0Y OF TEA.

ATTACKING AN HLEGrTIsiATE BUsINEss-How CON-
srMFRs HAVE BEEN CHEATED.
The recent seizures Of several thousand chests OF
adnlterated and spurious teas by Government In
spector James X. Davies and the local Health board
caused unqualified satisfaction among the majority
of the tea importers. They believe that 1t Is the
first step toward the breaking up of an ilegitmate
business which has causedlnjury to the consumer
as wei! rs TO the trade. The law under which the
seizures were made was q recent act of Congress
which went into effect on March g 1888. IL pro-
vjdes that il shall be unlawful for any person or
corporation to import bring into the United
States apy merchandise for sale as tea, eduterateu
with spurious leaf or with exhausted leaves OF
which contains so great an admixturo OIL cnehiios'
or other deeterious substances as to make 1t unhi
for use"
Phe act was intended to prevent the Importation
not only of tea adulterated with spurious lear, OF
with spent or exhausted leaves but also that adul-
terated with so much coloring matter as TO maAeh
injurious to the consumer Tea that was
already on shipboard for shipment TO
the United States at the time Of the passage oil inc
act was exempt from its provisions Prior to this
and subsequent to the passage Of tho English law
which contained stringent regulations against the
admission of such tea into British ports great guam
tes of the inferior article were brought 10 this port
Tea-drnkers wero able to detect this worthless
stuff and properly demanded that Congress shoulu
pass a law prohibiting from being brought here tho
refpse and poisoning compounds which England re-
fnsed. Adyices received from China on Saturday
state that the effect Of this law Is beginning 10 DC
felt In that country and that buyers were AFRAID 10
touch tea for the present at least 1t is asserted
that il is an English syndicate that is seuding the
spurious and adulterated stuff here. and that no
reputable American merchant would ever import IT,
IL fbr n
while GOOD tea Of the same chop" or brand
bnngs 80 cents a pound The dealers alone u j.
said. get the profit. the consumer paying as muSh
for the poor stun as he would for the good article
The spurious tea that has been brOught
here has been forced upon consumers through
the auction business. Dealers are thus on
ab,ed to buy IN small lots and the trade
has become completely dem0ralized IN conSIo-
ouence Good tea has been driven out OF the
market 80 that the total consumption of the coun-
inv is not more than % 100000 pounds year, ~
an average Of Il pounds 10 each person. Now tnal
consumers can hope 20 get unaduterated tea, II Is
believed that the consumption VIII increase pnt II
is not expected that u will reach that oil the Ing
| ish people-an average OF 2 pounds to each PET
! son n wear. The English do not drink as much
coffee IA Americans do. 10 is estimated By lnspec-
tor Davies that about 20 perceut OF the tea coming
~ this market should be rejected on the ground OF
! adulieraton. IL Is admitted that there are no
natura green teas, and that they are colofed WIN
| foreign substances, but not 20 that extent as 20
| make them deteteriOus. The chemicals used IN tho
| adnlteratOn Of tho spurious teas are Emma clay,
| soap-stone gypsum, Prusslan blue or indigo ana
an oil which u put in the pans 10 make the 0ther
ingredients ad acre TO the leaves IN hnng Such III
feTor stun would not soil unless 10 was 50 treal'd
OF the Ping.ucy teas the chop that was seized last
week in Diapers auction room. the production IS
| about s.4O0 900 pounds annually IW0-thirds OF
this comes 10 this country, ana - mostly
trash. The adnlteration OF this and other
] teas orr gin ated with the Chneso. Chinese grower
] will in ono season do well with his chOp; ana the
next year. thinking be has the market, VIII Send an
| Inferior article. he Chinamqn Will not ken ~
Tor hi. own use but saws: Alice samee blong l1l-
| lin lforegnl chOwchow, and shipsll To WhouSoeFor
! will buy II. ,.-...,..
| tea begins IN the country whence II - exported
said Mr.. Davies. " IL " the duty oil the shlPp"I7
10 send verified samples OF the tea exported ia can
| listers containing about two pounds each' Which
samples reach the port Of destination "a month De-
| fore the cargo arrives Tho samples must bo ta6oh
| from the tea IN bulk. and before II - packed III
the chests The shippers also prnt circulars s,anng
| the names and destinations OF tn ships, ana inc
| quantity embarked. These circular come oy ma
| and reach Ncw-YOrk long time before me aI'ai
| of the vessi When the vessel arrives the CON
sIgues mus send verified samples OF the cargo 10
| the Appraiser, 80 that "A comparison can be male
| with samples that have arrived IN advance. Inc
| detection of impure deletcrlous tea Is made
through the aid OF the three senscs-sight, taste ana
| smell. and this requires an expert OWING 10 tho
condition OF the water IN some paItsoi thls counS
| especially ia the Southwest, highly cooreu tla
is reqIred. The Chinese, know thls ~, 49,
| artiicldlly produced coloring 10 some OF 'hcI
poor teas using III the process the Substances you
| have men Ioned, and all OF which are Injurious
They have also dried the leaves OF eNhluHcu tfaS,
having no more y:rtue than tho refuse thrown from
the tespo aud by means OF colorng have made them
appear good. Rotten leaves have also been sent 10
THIS market and sold genuine tea. AL this can
be detected by an expert, and 10 confirm us knoW
edge AN analysis made by n United STATES ctemiHt
| Is frequently asked for. Tea That to the oron'rJ
person appears good. proves valueleSs under proper
| examination, and such tea under the now law Gun
be rejected and destroyed" -, -
! 1ea tus' IN shipped from Japan principally IN
large quantities every year. IL - primarily th@ re-
J mains OF tbs sweepings oil the houses where tue
tea Is fired. The sweepings are first put through u
fine sieve III order that the tea leaves may DO re-
tained While the dust passes ont. ii tins dust con
sists only OF particles OF the lea and - thus I'M
ported IN the pure slate there IS no provision OF
law To exclude H. The impression prevails that IL
is seldom. II ever imported pure, ana mat from JUS
very nature IL affords the widest opportunity LOT
adul Grafton. William MacGregor, "A tea Importer AZ
No llD FTUnt-st who was an expert Tor many
years m China; e.. g. Boarfman, importer al NO.
il2 Water st., and Others showed to a TRIBUNE re-
potter samples of the spurious teas, which AFTER
drawing LETT O sediment IN the bottom OF the cup,
and thick scum on he surface oil tho decocnoh'
OBI1 UARY.
VIARn0T