Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1905-09-25

increase of tea production in India and
CeyIOn is a matter of comparatively re-
cent times, while the largest growth OF
cultivated area and production of cof-
fee in Brazil dates back only to the
last decade of the last century. Be
tween the years 1885 and 1903 the tea
product of India is stated to have
trebled in quantity while that of Cey-
Ion increased about So per cent during
the years 1895 to 1903, and the prOduc-
tion of Java during the decade 1898 to
1903 increased about 160 per cent.
Of special interest to the United
States is the coffee industry of Porto
Rico. It's banner year. was 1896,
when the island exported 5S,763, ,476
pounds, valued at $S,31S,544. The fall
in prices, which became acute about
that time, combined with the hurricane
of August, 1899, the change in money
standard. and the partial loss of the
Spanish French and Cuban markets,
caused an abrupt decline, so that in the
fiscal year 190O-1901 the exports were
only 12,159,OOS pounds, valued at ST.,
678,9SS Since then there has been a
steady increase, the exports for 1904
being 34,329,972 pounds, valued at So
903,2 257. There is every prospect that
the record of the banner year will soon
be equaled, especially since Cuba, un-
der the reciprocity treaty grants 10
Porto Rican coffee a 20 per cent re-
duction of duty, and the vast market
of the United States, which formerly
took only t,ifling quantities, now alb
serbs a rapidly increasing amount Of
the Porto Rican product.
Coincident with the spread of tea
culture in the Asiatic colonies Of Grea:
Britain a marked fall in the price OF
tea is noted. The import price of tea
| brought into the United States, which
was as high as 37.7 cents per pound
/ in 1873, the highest price marked dur
/ ing the last seventy-five years, has
/ been declining gradually since that
date until the year 1901, when tie low
| est import price level of 1913 cents pei
| pound was reached. How far this fall
| in price was due to the depreciation OF
| silver (the monetary standard in most
OF the tea-producing countries at the
time), which set in about the same
time. would be hard to answer. For
! the purpose of this practical story il
is sufficient to state that but for the
rapid decline of the value of silver since
! 1875, tea prices on the whole, WOulC
have probably maintained a higher le-
! vel at least during the earlier part o
the period under consideration.
The movement of coffee prices, ow-
ing to the fluctuations of production
shows a less regular course. Thi:
! course was in the main due to tn,
vicissitudes Of the Brazilian market
! which showed the effects not only o
climatic conditions, but of economic
and social causes as well. as for in
! stance, the abolition of slavery anC
the depreciation of the national cur
rency. Just as in the case of tea tn
period of the largest increase of cof
fee production is marked by the heav
lest fall in the exchange of the Bra
lillian paper milreis.
The consumption of cacao has In.
creased at a rate even greater than
t51at of coffee and tea. Figures Show
ing the worlds production are avail
able for the last decade only. Accord
ing to an authoritative German trad
journal. Gordian, the world consump
ton has increased from 142,212. 81
pounds in 1898 to 2SO.9S1 .266 pounds il
1904 or 97.5 per cent. The increase l.
! especially heavy in the United States
namely from 17.494. .936 pounds in 1S9
to 62.S4S.917 pounds in 1903, or 259 pc
cent.