The Cultivation and Manufacture of Tea

by Edward Money

That your Petitioners have reason to complain of the system of weighing the Teas in the said warehouses for the purpose of levying the duty.

That the present system of weighing is to weigh each package in the gross, then to turn out the contents, weigh the empty case, and thus arrive at the nett weight of the contents.

That the only exception to this rule is when the package, i.e., the empty cases, in a Break closely approximate in weight.

That by the said system of weighing, two serious injuries are inflicted on the grower and importer of Indian Tea, viz.:—

In the first place, a loss of weight is sustained by the fractions over the even pound in both gross and tare being given against the seller, and in favour of the buyer, amounting, it may be, to 1 lb. 15 oz., or an average of about 1 lb. in every package weighing over 28 lbs. gross, in addition to the usual trade allowance of 1 lb. per package.

Secondly, and by far the more serious grievance, very great injury is caused to the Teas by the process of turning them out of the packages, in which they arrive hermetically sealed, for the purpose of weighing the empty packages. The Teas are thus exposed to the atmosphere, the humidity of which they readily absorb, and sustain further serious injury and depreciation by breakage from rough handling in the process of repacking: the lead linings also are so torn in the process as to be rendered comparatively useless for the purpose for which they were intended, eliciting loud complaints from the trade of the rapid loss of condition of the Teas.

That the concession of this Petition, by rendering it unnecessary to turn out more than a small percentage of the chests to test the correct weight of contents, would admit of the Teas being bulked in India; and while it would free the industry from an injurious and vexatious restriction, and admit of the Teas reaching the consumer in a purer and sounder condition, it would also greatly simplify and reduce the work of the Customs.

That the foregoing statistics significantly demonstrate the importance of the Indian Tea industry to both England and India, and constitute a claim to the favourable consideration of both Governments, especially that of India, on the ground of the benefit accruing to the districts in which it is conducted, and the increment of State revenue to which it has directly and indirectly conduced.