The Saint Paul globe., 1899-03-23
THAT TEA INSPECTOR
TWIN CITY MERCHANTS ARE MOST
ANXIOUS TO HAVE ONE
HERE
WIRING TO WASHINGTON

The Justice Of the Request Set Forth
in Statement by August f..
Behnke-LOcaI Merchants Have
Now to Wait Until All Chicago
Tea Has Been SampIed-Mer-
St. Paul JobberS are determined to OBJ
tain the appointment of a tea inspector
for this place If possible Yesterday
morning, at the suggestion of Secretary
Townsend. Of the Jobbers' union, a num-
Der Of kilograms were sent to Secretary
Gage, asking that the appointment be
not revoked
Gr1ggs, Cooper & Co. wired: Hope or
ders for appointment of tea inspector
Will not be revoked. We are as anxious
as other importers to have standards
maintained and will acquiesce in any ac-
ton Of the department to that end
j. II. Allen telegraphed that the ap-
pointment would not jeopardize the
standards.
Foley Bros. & Kelly Mercantile COM
pany telegraphed that they would cheer
fully comply with the regulations, and
that. If competent man were appoint
ed, there would be no difficulty
Seabury & Co. wired that they were
anxious for an inspector and would CO.
operate with him.
Mccormick, Behnke &c Co., McMurray
Bros. and several firms from Minneapolis
also telegraphed to the secretary Of the
treasury to the same effect
There are now four tea inspectors in
the -country-one each at New York, Chi
cago, San Francisco and Tacoma Sixty
per cent Of the tea which reaches this
country comes through ST. Paul, as it Is
carried from the coast by three roads,
the Great Northern, the Northern Pa
cif1c and the Canadian Pacific. Tea can
ern Pacific, unless 1t comes through st.
Paul. Millions Of pounds year are used
in st. Paul and distributed from here
throughout the Northwest.
1--WE don't care who Is appointed" said
August F. Behnke. of Mccormick,
Behnke & Co.. 'as long as he is good
man. but we do want an inspector. Chi
cago men say If we had an inspector up
here the standard would be reduced. L
fail to see a reason for that. The in
spector here would be an employe of the
government, just the same as the in
spector in Chicago, and would do his duty
just as we'll
Then it Is said that an additional in
spector would create trouble and friction.
] don't see how that could be. There
are certain things to look for In tea, and
any competent man can do that. Tea
inspectors were first appointed on ac-
count Of the gunpowder tea that the Chi
nese were sending over. Merchants in
Canton would put mud in their tea leaves.
The weight was all right, but it was not
tea. A great deal Of that tea was sent
back, and good was accomplished
''Tea that comes to st. Paul now for
distribution here and through the North
west is In bond. When trainload ar
rives the custom house officers go down
to the track and bore into every chest to
get samples These are tested. But ahead
of them Is the tea for the Chicago mar
ket. OF course all the Chicago tea Is
tested by the Inspector first. When he
finishes that the inspector tests the st.
Paul samples. Sometimes we have to
wait two or three weeks after the tea
arrives here to get it out of bond. We
want our tea when 1t comes, and If we
had an inspector here we could get it,
1t was originally decided to name an
inspector for ST. Paul, but, while the gov
ernment was looking for a suitable man,
the Chicago merchants sent protest to
Washington and the order was Cancelled.