Java Taking India's Place: Sales Still Above Average London, May 1.
In the report stage of the Budget, the House of Commons to-day re Jected, by 290 votes to 144, a motion submitted by a Labour member to reduce the duty on tea from 4d, to 1d. per Ib.
Mr. George Pilcher (Conservative) "dwelt on the increasing use of Java tea, the consumption of which, he asserted, had risen to 61,000,000 Ib. in 1927, compared with 18,000,000 Ib. in' 1919, while the consumption of Indian tea had fallen to 233,000,000 Ib. in 192% compared with 258,000,000 1b. 1919. Apparently an incrensingg proportion of Java tea was being used in blending with Indian tea, Mr. A. M, Samuel, Financial Secretary of the Treasury, promised to consider Mr. Pilcher's point, but, in the meantime, he said, it was a fact worthy of note that inst year's tea clearances totalled 402,000,000 of which 820,000,000 Ib. were grown within compared wit (000,000 1b. be! an average of 261, fore the War, The tea duty was then confirmed by the House—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.