The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-30

in the fall of this year. if due to legiti-
innate conditions and in no sense
brought about by a combination or
other unnatural causes.
Some advances was to be expected
at this time, as values of tea were
far below what they should have been,
forced there by the hand to mouth
policy on the part of the buyers, adopt
ed ever since the war tax of 10 cents
per pound was imposed on tea. In ad-
zion to this, prices of tea have nat
uyally advanced on account of possl-
bic scarcity caused by the disturbance
to the China trade, which is almost
inevitable now that a state of war
practically exists in that country.
According to recent information, the
troubles are spreading to the south
of China and are reported to have
reached the provinces of Hupe and
Human, in the former of which the
important tea center, HankOw, is sit
uated. Even before this they have
had their effect on buyers, who must
go from the coast to the interior to
make their purchases, and upon the
native bankers, who advance the
money for that purpose. The latter,
it is stated, stopped doing business
some time ago. In order to move the
crop it is the custom for the middle
men who buy from the producers, to
go into the interior with cash, an1
this in the present unsettled state of
the country is very hazardous, and
the action of native bankers, who
finance this branch Of trade, is there
fore only natural and to be expected.
Were European and American tea
houses willing to send their own ma
tive agents with the large sums of
money required for such operations
the Probabilities would be strongly in
favor of their being murdered and
robbed or of their taking advantage OF
the situation and making off with the
funds. 1t will thus be seen that the
probabilities are that very much less
tea will reach the coast. With a short
age Of China supplies, and the known
fact that there is this season a short
crop in Japan, the only other source
of supply is from the British East In
dies (Ceylon and Tndia), whose teas
are already favorably known in this
market, and are being used in increas-
| ing quantities annually. But though
! these countries produce an enormous
! quantity of tea, and it has been fear
! ed production has more than over
| taken consumption, there is no large
| stock to draw upon. The teas of Cey-
| lon and India go mostly to Great Brit
ain, Australia, Russia and Canada, and
a certain quantity comes here, but the
! stock in Great Britain is equal only
| to about two months consumption in
that country, and if the usual supply
| of China tea is not forthcoming all
| the countries named must try to sup
ply their deficiency from Ceylon and
India. The price of these teas is al
| ready advancing, and must go still
higher when it is certain that there
will be a shortage of China supplies,
There is good deal Of China green
tea used in this country, and so far
Ceylon and India have manufactured
only of the black variety, but the
planters of those countries are now
preparing to make green teas on a
large scale, and one of the unlocked
for results of the Boxer uprising and
the misrule of the Chinese government
may be the loss to China of the bal
ance of the tea trade of which at one
time it had a monopoly.