Jan, Mr. Ukers, editor of the "Tea Coffee Journal," a New York publication, has this week in the course of his visit to Shanghai told China tea interests that they must bestir themselves to save their markets both in England and America. He did not particularize with reference to England, but pointed out that the best thing that could be done in America would be to start advertising campaign' aimed to meet the eye of the dealer. There is no doubt that Mr. Ukers shows a very great grasp of the China tea problem, and in the case of America he has suggested what should be an effect whether it is practi entirely different matter.
What jean be done in the case of Indian and Ceylon teas, and what is being undertaken by the interests affected, may be found to be quite beyond the aspirations of those connected with the China article. Indian and Ceylon tea interests in recent years have inaugurated distineadvertising campaigns to promote the consumption of their commodity in different countries, Firet of all, realizing: that the home market should always be considered the most important, they ca) d one out in India itself, and proceeded to follow it by a similar effort in France, where the popularity of tea as a beverage had been greatly enhanced by the presence for over four years of British troops. Then America was tackled, and to start with a sum of £50,000 was allocated for the object. In all over £200,000 has been made available for these campaigns, and it may well be asked where China tea interests are to find anything like that an, or even a quarter of it, to attempt to compete with the Indian growers. In India and Ceylon there is what is known as the "tea ces a levy on every chest exported, and this it is which has enabled this extensive advertising to be done. Nothing of the sort exists in China nor does there seem any chance of it.
The difference between the positions of Indian and China tea is that in India great companies control estates of considerable magnitude, and in many instances these companies market the tea themselves, A combina tion of these firms. for. any specific object, especially. when under Government direction, at any time ensy, and ambitious schemes such as those above noted are well within its compass. The ease, however, in China is entirely different, and it is doubtful whether such undertaking are possible without external hell As a rule the tea grower a small farmer whose activities are confined to the particular number of mow which have descended to him from his ancestors. A dealer in the interior buys his produce, and that part of it earmarked for export is in turn sold to the for-feign merchant at the port of loading. So from the outset we find a number of men handling an article which in its total con sumption outside China-is smal! compared with the: Indian and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.