The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-12-02
TEA CONSERVATION
 INCREASED BY PROHIBITION

INCREASED BY PROHIBITION. The marked increase in the inpor- .ation of tea into the United States ends interest to a statement made oy a British tea grower, that world consumption of tea is now exceeding production by reason of the reduced consumption of alcoholic liquors in many of the principal countries of he world. Prohibition, he said, s 70 increasing the consumption of tea hat the wsrld's demands, especially liter the reopening of Russia, must Tar exceed any possible production for some years to come"
 Whether legislation of this character n the United States has or has not Affected the consumption of tea, 1t $ st least a fact that the tea imports nto the United States are now far in Sxcess of any preceding year. A compilation by The National City Bank of New York shows that the quantity of tea imported into the United States in the fiscal year 1918 was 161, ,00O,000 lbs, against 10s,000,- 900 lbs. in the immediately preced- nK year, and 115, 5,OO0,0c0 in the high record year 1909. The value of tha imports of the fiscal year 1918 IS also 50 per cent. greater than in any sar1ier year, aggressing S31,o0o,00 n value, against an average of about I1S,000,o00 per annum In the pre- sOding five years.
 Another extremely striking change n the "tea habit' of the people of he United States is the disposition to Ooae to the Indies for our tea supply instead of &hs ChinR-Japan area as in he past, Prior to 1917 most of the : ca reaching the United States came eSou Japan and China. Out of tho L1v, 900, 900 lba. imported in 1s16, 5S, ,' 100000 came from Japan, 100000 krom China, 10,00O,000 from Ceylon i,o0O,0oo from India, and little ovei half million pounds from the DUtof East Indies. In 1917, however, the amount from the Dutch East Indies advanced to 2,o0o,0oo lbs, and 1T 1918 jumped to over s5,000,o00 lbs The receipts from India and Ceylor Lgo show a marked increase, having osen tn the fiscal year 1918, 46.oo0, 900 lbs, against 11,00o,0O0 in 1917 5tin more recently this new move mont was intensified, and in the eign months ending with August the quan ity from the Dutch East Indies wa B, ,00o, ,000 lbs. against b,0O0,o0O il he Eame months of 1917, and iron British Hast Indies s0,00O.0o0 Tbs against 5000, GOO in the correspond Ing months of 1917,
 The increased movement of te from the British and Dutch Indie 1irsct to the United States Is proba ply due in part to the difficulty whic hose countries have recently foun h sending their teas to Europe, an he feasibility of avoiding submarine oy sending 1t across the Pacihc to th west coast of the United States, 1T Itead of sending 1t to Great Brltai and the Netherlands as formerly. my rate, 1t is a fact that the Dutc HRst Indies now hold the lead owe Jhina, Japan and British India in te snterdng the United States, althoug only one year ago the Dutch East II lies held fourth rank in the list
 
 lrawn, For the eight months enC ng with August, tea from China ar Japan formed only. 40 per cent. ghe total entering the United State while in the corresponding months 1918, 1t formed about 60 per cent. she total imports On the otht hand, tea from India and the DutC East Indies formed in 1918, 53 D. sent, of the imports against only per cent. two years ago. Tea 6 ports from the Dutch East Indies the United States in the first thr nonths of 1913 were over 10,600,0 O. 7bs, against less than 100000 in t, mnas months of the year prece ng.
 World production of tea nt amounts to over 1000. ,0oo Il annum Cexoiusive of that consum n China and Japan, for which the s no record) Of this, about 30 poo, ,000l lbs. are produced in Ind 100000 in Ceyion, 100000 Jhina (for exportattion), T5,006,o 0 n Japan (for exportation), 150,00 900 in Bormosa and 50,000,0OO lave.
 The value of tea entering inter- sicnal trade under normal condiuo Is about SITS. 5.O0o,00O per annum, which approximately $65, 100000
 sxported from IndiaI $40, O,000,000 fri Ceylon; sa5, ,060,00O from China a s15, 5,OO0,e00 from Japan including 3oiany of Formosa. The above f aFes of SITS, ,e00, 900, the value of sntsrlng international trade, are tn at the ports of importation Of countries In which produced, g fnubtless arc considerably larger wi dated by the ports of importation inc countries in which the tea is e sunasd. The largest tea import countries are the United Kingd 32e,00e,0e lbs, Russia in 1914, ii coo, ,0G0, United States in 1917, Il 100 ,0oe lbs, and in 1918, 151 1,0eo,' lbs, Canada and Australia 4e,O'
 geo lbs. each. Investments in
 oiantatioas Of the world are estila
 d at about $a5s, ,OOO. the great
 guccesses of today being those U
 zing largs capital