Tux letter we published in our last issue from a Correspondent at Hankow will no doubt have been read with interest by tea-bayers, It is to be presumed that the state of things therein referred to has been more or less familiar to members of the ten-trade for years past, but they are none the less me debted to our contributor for the very proviso and detailed account he gives of the malpractices carried on. The method of procedure is extremely neat, The edges of a chest of tea are forced apart, and the ten allowed to percolate through the opening, which is then pasted up again inside and out and pre-santa the same unsuspicious appearance as before. In this way several catties oan be extracted from one chest, and gotioraly without detection. But it not the process 80 much us the organi sation that calls most urgently for our attention. It appears that the various classes of Ohinese concerned in the trade combine so ably and consistently that the foreign exporter is virtually at their mercy. There is no check upon them; ench man plays into the other's hands, and nothing is known of the mischief until the ten is found to weigh up shorter than it should in London. The coolies who carry the ten on board are in longue with the cargo-bent man who purloin the tea, The coverings of the cargo-boat and the foot that these operations are generally conducted by night, help to render detection extremely difficult. "The coolies and boatmen combine and assist each other to create confusion and noise to attract the ships-officers' attention, while ove of their party takes advantage of the opportunity to pass the tally-sticks on board the ship." Once cargo of ton, which had to remain the onrgo-boat over Sunday, was weighed by the man in charge, and fouud ten piculs short; and the man accepted a bribe of sixty thousand cash to say nothing about the matter. Then there is no difficulty in getting. rid of of the stolen goods. There are plenty of shops only too glad to take them—shops, in fact, whioh make a business of it, and "will buy a handful of tea, or cotton, or seaweed, or any kind of cargo that may be brought them by colies working on board the vessels that frequent the port." But it is not necessary to recapitulate all the details which have been brought before our notice. The question is whether anything can be done to stop the evil. It appears that certain measures, doubtless as well meant as energetic, wore taken some time ago. by Her Majesty's Consul at Hankow, in sending a witness to be punished in company with the thieves against whom he testified. If the facts are in accord-
2 with the representations made to us, we may be quite sure that the Con-cul's action was justifiable in so far that the man was deserving of the punishment he received. But we can quite understand that such action had also the undesirable effect of deterring the Chinese from helping to catch any-more thieves. We are informed that, with the aid of the British Consul, a stop could be put to the abuses now complained of, and that a certain feeling of satisfaction exists that the interests of the merchants in this particular trouble might be cared for with greater zeal than is actually the ense. Tt her the fashion, indeed, to say that junta at the outports do not receive that fall and hearty assistance from Consuls in their various difficulties which they conceive they have aright to expect. In the meantime, however, We reay be permitted to recommend the adoption of additional precautions on the part of the merchants themselves, It is said that the depredations complained of take place principally in outside poate, and in nearly every case after night fal. Here more stringent regulations are clearly possible enough. It is also a good plan to pay one's compradore or godown man an extra sum to hire the services of some respectable assistant under whose inspection the work of shipping shall be carried on, and who will be able to keep an eye upon the stevedores, Cases have been known in which stevedores have actually worn double trousers, which they have filled with the tea as it was purloined; and in one instance, we believe, no Consular assistance was forthcoming when the det of the robbery, the witnesses, and the thieves themselves were brought before the authorities. It is not only uncovered cargo-bouts that the depredations are effected, but in open boats also, and the ingenuity here practised is such as to render the utmost attention absolutely necessary. It is always worth while to pay a little extra for increased vigilance und while such depredations are known to be practised it is imperative that such expenditure should be made, That the Chi will cheat if they can may be ae. cepted as-axiomatic; and this brings us to another point—the foreigners are bound to show them a good example. Whether foreign tea-bayers always act on the strictest principles of honour in the matter of weights is best known to themselves. If in any cases they do not, they are not in a position to complain of the pilfering of their toa by the Chinese. There is, we believe, a regular and recognised allowance of lbs. per package in To take anything over may be euphemistically described as "the best policy." It has also an injurious effect upon the market, for if man secures an exorbitant allowance for himself in weight he will probably be tempted to pay a higher price for his tea, and raise the market upon his more conscientious colleagues.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.