The Red Cloud chief., 1884-03-07
Frauds In Tea.

The fact that with the growing ten
dency of all classes to drink tea the inn
portation has been decreasing has &C.
casiOned considerable comment. When
q reporter called this morning upon q
prominent Water Street merchant, a
solution of the mystery was volunteered.
previous to 1876" said this gentleman:
England was overlooking with spuri-
Gus teas of every description. Leaves
that had been used in China were dried
and curled again and imported as a SUI
perior article, and more stuffs were used
as authorizations than / could name in a
day. Finally Parliament took up the
matter. and in the year l mention a bill
was passed excluding all those COM
pounds from British ports. The dealers
who practiced this illegitimate business
turned to America as the country on
which to unload their stock. Several
million pounds of this stuff were shipped
to INSCRIPTIONS jobbers in different
parts of the United States. Large COM
paines were formed, elegant stores were
fitted up throughout the country, and
premiums of crockery and glassware
offered to customers. These enterprises
met with success. The public in gen.
eral were attracted by the gaudy appear
ance of the establishments, and the
presents were an inducement that was
not to be resisted. Hundreds of shrewd
SPECTATORS put their money into this
spurious tea, for the simple reason that
there was nothing to be lost and every
thing to be gained. Fifty per cent. and
over was realized on all sales. The Gus
toner who purchased to the amount of
ten dollars received three dollars worth
of tea and two dollars worth of crock
ery. Meanwhile. what had become OF
the legitimate trade? Pure, genuine
teas could not be sold at the same price
as the spurious. and consequently bust
ness was almost at a standstill. Money
was rapidly lost. and many firms collap-
sed. 1t was at this crises that the eX-
ample of the tea merchants of England
was followed. A petition, signed by
sixty-fOur importers and jObbers, was
addressed to Congress, and the result
was that on March ?, 1888, = bill was
passed prohibiting the landing of spuri-
Gus or adulterated teas upon American
soil. This is the reason of the decrease in
the Importation. In that same year H.
507, $40 pounds of spurious tea were de-
MED a landing on our shores. This
stuff that was sent V here previous to
the passage of the bill is now nearly used
up. and, of course when the people who
use it come to purchase genuine
tea they will find that the price will be
much higher. What will these syndi-
Gates do who give away premiums?
Well. several of them have opened tea
manufactures here in New York city,
where they make their w goods. And
Just here l may say that half the coffee
consumed in New York city is also
manufactured in the vicinity. Rye and
cocoanut shells are largely used for this
purpose. There is not another branch
of business under the sun in which more
frauds are perpetrated. or more dis
honest transactions practiced, than in
the importation and handling of teas.
And the legitimate trade wish to throw
light upon this subject for the benefit of
the public. Spurious tea is as danger
Gus to drink as poison."-N. Y. Mail
and Express.