asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce what are the arrangements for distributing tea supplies henceforward; and whether wholesalers, who used to draw supplies from London, will receive their supplies from Tea Importers, Limited, on the same terms as were available heretofore.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Distribution of Tea Supplies.
The teas imported by Tea Importers, Limited, will be distributed through the wholesale merchants who receive licences or permits under the Tea (Wholesale Distribution) Order, 1947. Tea will be supplied direct from Tea Importers, Limited, only to those licensed or permitted wholesalers whose quotas are not less than 5,000 lb. a month. This restriction is necessary because Tea Importers, Limited, cannot handle issues below 5,000 lb. a month. Those wholesalers who do not receive supplies direct from the importing company will obtain their supplies from other licensed or permitted wholesale merchants entitled to draw directly from Tea Importers, Limited, and the terms for the supply will fall to be settled between the parties concerned.
Is the Minister aware that the terms he has now announced operate to create in this country a vicious little monopoly, that the restriction excluding persons whose monthly consumption is less than 5,000 lb. has been devised to cut out every rural wholesaler in Ireland and to leave the wholesale distribution of tea in the hands of a couple of dozen wholesalers in Dublin, Cork and Limerick so that they get their rake-off, while we small wholesalers throughout rural Ireland, who had free access to the Dublin market, the London market or the Belfast market in the past, are now constrained to buy from Tea Importers, Limited, on the board of which is represented each of the wholesale firms who are going to constitute the monopoly created by the 5,000 lb. minimum? Is there sense, meaning or justice in that?
I think the Deputy misunderstands the position. These small secondary wholesalers will draw their tea from the primary wholesalers in the same way as before.
These small secondary wholesalers were wholesaling tea in this country before some of these "bucks" were ever heard of and they are now to be required to sell themselves, body and soul, to any arrivistes who have landed in this country during the past 30 years. Many of these small wholesalers have been in the business for 100 years.
Is the Deputy asking a supplementary question?
Is it fair or just that our own Parliament should take ordinary enterprising businessmen throughout the country by the throat and force them into the hands of a couple of dozen fellows who want to plunder us when, if we are left alone, we have access to London, Belfast, Calcutta, or to anywhere we want to go for the best value for the people of the country. Is the Minister aware that that is open plunder?
Could the Minister say whether there will be a flat rate for the tea under the new arrangements or whether there will be different varieties of tea at different prices?
So long as we are working on a ration, there will be a flat rate. With regard to what Deputy Dillon has said, I think he misunderstands the position. The export of tea from Great Britain to this country has stopped by order of the British Government. There is, therefore, no way by which wholesalers in this country can obtain supplies from Great Britain. The tea is being imported direct from the countries of origin by the organisation set up for that purpose which will then make it available to the wholesale firms here who will distribute it to the secondary wholesalers and the retail trade.
What is this new description of "secondary wholesaler"? Is the man who has been in the wholesale business for 120 years to be told by a brat who landed into the business 30 years ago that he is a secondary wholesaler and must, therefore, go with his hat in his hand to take whatever is offered? Is the man whose firm has been in the business for 120 years and who has the right to choose what he wants and to use his skill in selecting what is best for his customers, to be reduced to the level of a beggarman and must he take what is given? I ask the Minister if that is fair?