In 1780, Great Britain purchased, through the East India Ca, a large quantity of Chinese tea seeds and copied our methods of the plantation, Since then, Chinese tea has: Veen planted successfully in Indin merchants monopolized the tea trade in such places as Urga, Harbin and along the Chinese Eastern Railway. What a shame His that the Chinese merchants cannot monopolize the tea trade in their own territory.
In foreign countries, the tea trade is monopolized by ' the British, Butch and Japanese and, in Chine, it is monopolized by the Russians. In spite of repeated petitions. by the merchants for the abolition ~f vexatious taxes and for the grant ing of subsidies, the Governmen: has refused to pay any heed: orders have been issued but they have not been enforced. In addition, the nek of government protection, the of 'Chinese owned ships' and the lack of banks to finance the native ten traders have been responsible for foreigners seizing our tea trade monopoly.
Within the past ten years, except for green tea produced in Chekiang and Anhui, which the British, Dutch and Japanese cannot pro-dyce, the value of our red tea export has decreased considerably. The *ted tea produced in Anhi Hunan and Hupeh costs the native merchants not less than Tls. 80 per but, owing to foreign com-Wwe are compelled to sell it at about Tls. 10, In 1925, Hunan end Hupeh produced more than. £00,000 chests of tea but the! demand had become so small in Larope and 'America that only pare' was exported while the surplus went to waste.
Discussing China's tea trade, a former chairman of the Soviet Co-Union informed the traders that, though the quality of Chinese ten was among the world's best, it Incked fertiliza~ tion. in. plantation and the taste was not suited for foreigners. This is quite correct and, if steps are taken ¢ traders to improve the quality' of our tea, we still may ments be approached by Chinese Giplomats for reductions of import Guties on Chinese teas; '8. That special offices be established in Mongolia, Mancharia and Tibet to stimulate the sale of Chinese tea; '9, That a Tea Industrial Bank be organized to finance native tea traders; 10, That agents be sent to for-ign' countries to learn the fastest and most economic methods transporting China's teas to and in foreign countries; and 11, That tea exhibitions be held annually to stimulate the sale of Chinese tea.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.