The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-02-09
New Ruling Of Tea Commissioners
is Thought Unfair
coloREO ARTICLE IS UNDER BAN
GREEN PRODUCTS ARE cOLORED
AND CONSUMERS DO NOT
LIKE THEM OTHERWISE

Importers and dealers in the tea
| trade are much interested in the meet
| ing of government tea commissioners
| to be held early in February inasmuch
as at this time the standards govern
! ing importations of teas during the
coming season will be fixed. In view
Of the enactment of the pure food law
since the standards were last estab-
| lished, it is generally believed that
| considerable change will be made in
| the existing requirements, says Bulle-
tin and Trade.
| One of the most important changes
| under consideration has to do with the
| artificial coloring of green teas. The
commissioners for 1907 have not yet
been appointed by the treasury depart
| ment, but, as rule, the old board is
reappOinted, and as now constituted it
| is generally understood that four of
| the seven members favor the prohibi-
| ton Of coloring matter. Commenting
upon the possibility Of such action, a
well-informed member of the tea trade
said the other day that there undoubt-
eddy would be difficulty in marketing
uncolored teas, for the reason that the
Fpublic have been buying colored green
teas for years, and it would in all
probability not take kindly to the un-
colored goods, which he said were not
/ at all slightly, and this would place all
old crop green teas at premium in
asmuch as teas already imported which
had passed the present standards could
ture ruling.
Might Make Trouble.
! Another effect of any action against
the use of coloring matter, in this
mans opinion, was the possibility OF
difficulties with Japan. Practically all
the Japan teas now coming to this
market are artificially colored, and to
discontinue the practice of years would
entail additional labor and expense,
which would scarcely be taken in good
part by Japanese exporters. The sub
stances used in coloring teas are said
to be harmless, both as regards their
! natural constituents and the quantity
employed For semi-dried teas, pre-
paration of soapstOne is used. Basket
| fired teas are cOlOred with plumbago
and a very small proportion of indigo
! is used in the preparation of ping
sueys and country teas.
/ According to a ruling of the depart
ment of agriculture regarding the ap-
plication of the pure food law to i'm
portations Of tea, permits the ship
ment of colored teas into interstate
commerce without additional labelling
when the goods remain in the original
packages. The departments opinion
which was obtained by the National
Tea association, of the United States,
| is as follows:
! Department Ruling.
Imported goods may go into inter-
state commerce without further IN
spection provided such shipments
shall be made in original packages.
If, however, the packages are broken
they no longer have the protection OF
the import law, and become subject
to the rules applied to domestic prod
ucts-e. e.. if a case of tea is imported
which contains small cartons packed
with tea, the original case may be
opened and the cartons transported
into interstate commerce without adul-
tional labelling, and no statement that
if is colored need be made provided
the cartons shall not be opened. II,
however, the cartons are opened, they
no longer have the protection OF the
import law. and Immediately become
subject to the rules applied to domes'
tic products: and if the tea is artlfi-
cially colored every carton must bear
the following statement: 'Artific1ally
Colored.' All teas repacked in the
United States must be labeled to show
that they are colored."
IF artifcially colored teas are pro-
hibited it will kill the tea trade IN
America" said an importer of teas
America is the only country IN the
world that uses green teas, and few
who are accustomed to their use will
turn to the black teas. If this deci
sion goes into effect it means thai
they will quit drinking tea altogether
lit will be extremely unfortunate il
such a body blow is dealt the tea trade
in America.
"The recommendations seem mani
testify unfair. Here in the northwest
+uoIvo to fifteen million pounds of tea
, are consumed annually. According te
these regulations the importer OF
wholesaler who sells his teas In the
original unbroken packages just as Il
comes from Japan need not label II
'artificially colored.' but the importer
| or wholesaler who breaks the origina
package and repacks it for sale mus
place the deadly label on every pack
age. The unfairness of this can read