The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-09-17
OUR TEA AND COEFEb'
Am erican Taste for These Teuporanc" Dow
orn..na EnLcuIn.cd 10 "a NLcetN.

OUR TEA AND COBFEb'
American Taste for These Temperance beV
erages Calculated to n Nicely
II Is doubtful whether there are dozen
persons in the United States who are
aware Of the actual quantity Of tea and
coffee that IS consumed in the country
duriug a twelvemonth, or what proportion
is consumed on an average by each one OF
u.s.
As tea drinkers we are not a success
and judging by statistics. 1t Is very eVl-
dent mat we have not arrived at the age
Of old women, who in fables anG para
tea 1lbbers. But WIN IL comes TO coilee
coffee that is consumed on an aVerase %
les are regarded as the extremists am0ib
we can hold our own both collecll'ely
ard individually.
To ascertain the exact quantity Oh yea
and coff' e that passes into the cup thHI
cheers it is necessary 20 delNe INTO tile9'u
tisstics compiled by the Treasury Depart
lssd sIue6 5Au 10 s7JnSU 2ul pug lu2 }tn
will answer our purpose. THESE give thS
net quantity Of tea and ofcoffeeimported
her during each fiscal year and the aver
age quantity per capita of or rcpulau'H
as follows: 40.
ISIS, .s994i.547 40 4Os.5G2.775 G.s1
1SSo. 10 1872. 253 LIS 56l 132.1OO DO
1SgO Sc 1896 1.33 400 1870 ~
3S9} .Sl.395824 1.29 5U04lA59 t9s
1Sg2. .Sg.GiO7H 137 623, fO9.0o0 o0a
These are big figures. Taking ne aver
ages Of these tlye years we hha ta"t VIZ We
have consumed each year tota4 OF oo'y.y
O0O pounds OF teaaid 5l8W,pJ 9odhu9
Of coffee as ration. But coming uo"h -
our individual selves we find that e2cn
ono of MS c.nsumes one and ono third
pounds OF Tea and eight and one-qnatet
hounds OF coffee annually or a total OF
N, ira than nine and Onc-half pounds OF
coffee temperauce beverages In its sold
form IL we were 10 add the weight OF
the water that transforms ms nine anu
one-half pounds Of SOLIDS into us li4uiu
for,, the AGGREGATE would be appalling.
lust think of the number Of cups Oh tet
that can be made from fe" plhcnes oL
the leaves, increase this In your iindsi
uattou 10 a mound Of Ia. and then Try 10
apply it to $4,000 Of pounds OF tea.
But perhaps it IS best not. our asyIuinS
are .Iyeady crowded.
What does It cost us2 Here again the
stotietics are useful. The aggregate value
az o,,r last Yeas imports OF |'olu'te"
mounds OF tea was Sltl64 AL. an average
import price Of 10 cents per pound FOR tea.
Yne agrregate valve 81 last year imports
of e23. 7C9O5C pounds Of coffee was $l9'ooI-
40. an average import OF ~ cents per
pound for coffee. We each spend nearly
g a year for coffee, but only = cents per
annum for our tea. Evidently coHee j
the favorite American drink. IL Is status
tically proven
There Is another point that is Of direct
interest TO us as individuals. This is the
import price Of tea and coffee as compar-
ed with the retail price. The latter toufn-
as our pockets. hence its appeal ihe
price that we have 20 pay for poun OF tea
averages very much higher than the retali
cost Of coffee. yet the value OF tea lald
down I'm New York averages only - cents
as compared with ~ cents FOR coiiee' We
know that there IS very little tea for SAFE
I'M any retail store for 8 cents per pound,
aud that is Of very poor quality composed
mostly OF stalks and being Of strong ard
bitter flavor. Good ten sells at 70 cents or
Sol,ar. AND more ser soUnd. prlces that the
masses cannot afford, which leaves a pro-
fit Of several hundred per cent, TO be diYid-
"a between "a importers and the whole
sale and retail trade. There is evidently
| good money 10 be made In the tea Dust
ness ana IN is mol 50 Surprising that fetan
tea dealers can give away cheap cups ana
saucers, bars Of soap. and chromos 10 tea
! nibbcrs.
In the case Of coffee however, there is a
much smaller margin OF profit 70 the
| trade If we put the average retail price
| OF coffee AZ 30 cents per pound. then there
| is only a margin Of 20 per cent profit 10
be divided among those who handle II.
| Perhaps there is monopoly In the tea
| trade which believes IN large profits with
out much trouble rather than biz sales
| and smaller Trodts. Perhaps the inertia
| OF the Eastern bungalow comes with the
! tea and permoates our local tea prices. But
| he roffee dealers make the most money
[ ia the end, because theic aggregate OF
sales is so very much larger that the
| smaller per pound profit grow beyond the
| fewer princeiy proat 81 oolong.
This tea and coffee trade becomes the
| more interesting the deeper we delve into
| st. Each sip gives increasing and better
| flavor We nave already shown that the
value Of our imported tea and coffee was
! large. $lW.U0O00 last year. but there l.
no duty collected on either unless, per-
| haps. on little OF the coffee. This. how
| ever win not be the case for long. The ma
| tional treasury Is confronted with in
| creasing expenditures and decreasing re-
! venues. and something has 10 be done &c
make both ends meet That is easily set
tied. The present Congress is in Dem
Ocratic control. and the Democratic plat
form Of 1892 pledges its party TO establish
| a tariff for revenue only. Here Is the
very opportunity 10 add TO our depleted
revenue. The Comyittee Of Ways and
| Means Is already At work upon the subject
! \ tariff for revenue means an equaliza
ton Of our customs duties, an average OF
| 30 per cent, for Instance upon everything
that we import from abroad. Let US
apply It 10 tea and coffee Thus:
1902. Imported. valve. Tariff at 80
| Coffee. ~, 3S7.720 d.6l6.3l5
.sii,lG,u $3.50 225
Total tariff for revenue. .......s 81 $50 So
per cent.
Hero " the very thing. Just what th'
| country needs an increase OF sn.s6s5 81
| In IT'S revenue from two commodities II
| daily use that now escape all the inpostl
| Of the custom house Under the tariff
for revenue TO which the Country is pledg
| ed both our tea and coffee must pay thei
quantum OF revenue. They have been
imported free OF duty hitherto for III,
benifit of the few. They must now con
tribute TO the revei-ue for The benefit
az the many. Our 30 cent tea vii
IN future cost GO cents. and our 30 cen
| coffee will cost 10 cents, but the eemocra-
| tie platform Of a tariff for revenue OIL!
| must be carried out I'm its entirety.
IS what the people voted for. what the!
| demanded. Let there be no backspdin,
In the cause OF temperance. There Is al
| ready an added zast. a more ptQuan