The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-02

New York Commercial Advertiser. |
Whether 10000 pounds of tea, i'm
ported for the use Of the Chinese
residents Of this country, shall be de-
stroyed or not, under tho law passed
by Congress recently, is the ques-
ton to bo decided by the board of
general appraisers, at hearing to
be held this afternoon in their Off
cos, 1876 Bleecker street. The pro-
ceedings arc to be enlivened by the
presence Of delegation of Mott
street Chinese merchants, reprosen-
tatives Of the Chinese minister and
Government, and. a number of tea
experts.
General Appraiser Hichborn is to
preside, and Col. Gibson, counsel for
the Government, il to uphold the
Government contention that tho tea
shall be destroyed. Messrs Rooney
" Spence, custom house brokers, and
members Of two firms Of lawyers are
to appear for the professionals. In
the present case only $4,000 is in
volved, but the matter is important
because the law regulating tho i'm
portation Of tea is to bo attacked,
and If the board Of appraisers de-
clare that the tea shall be destroyed,
the Cinnamon will appeal tho case to
the Courts.
The trouble seems to have been
brought about because the China
men were not consulted as to their
iaste in tea when the schedule under
which the grades OF tea allowed to bo
imported arc defined was drafted.
This schedule WAS prepared last Jan
uary. The primary purpose Of the
law was to prevent the importation
Of adulterated tea and tea that could
not be sold in any other country in
the world.
1t has been said that prior to the
passage OF the law this country was
the dumping ground for the worst
and cheapest grades of tea that
China and Japan produced. The
best grades won't to England and
Russia. Americans were compelled
to pay large prices for low. grade
teas, ana the abuse was brought to
the attention of the Government. 4
committee WAS appointed by Con-
gress to investigate it. Numbers of
experts from this city, Boston, Phil
adelphia and other cities were heard,
but the committee ignored the wants
OF Chinese and Japanese residents.
The committee sat in this city, and
when the hearing had been concluded
a schedule defining thirteen grades
and qualities Of teas was made up
and presented to Congress. This
list included all teas in popular use,
such as Oolong and Hyon, but no
mention was made Of Pang Yu Tai
teas or Y,ien Shun teas, without
which no Chinaman can enioy his
moals. These arc the teas that the
Mongolians prefer above all other
kinds.
The sch> dule was Incorporated in
the law, and provision was made
that all teas not mentioned in it pre-
sented for import into this country
should be seized by tho customs au-
thorities and destroyed. The Chi
nese residents did not know anything
about the law, and when their sup
plies OF Yuen Shun ard Pang Yu Tai
teas were exhausted they sent homo
for more. The first lot to arrive was
tho 10000 pounds that is now held
by the customs anthorities, and re-
garding which the hearing is to be
held this afternoon.
The Cinnamon, whom informed
that their tea would have to be de-
stroyed, employed brokers and law
yers to protest. They appealed to
the Chinese minister at Washington,
and he laid tho matter before Secre-
tary Gage, who ordered the hearing.
A meeting Of all the Cinnamon in
terested was held at rs Mott Street
yesterday.
Speeches condomning tho seizure
Of iha foa uorn ~, olo kx rh,, ~ IN