25. Sir J. D. REESasked the Secretary of State for India if he can give the House 1652 any information as to the progress made during the War in the development of India as a tea-consuming market, a policy which was strongly favoured for economic and sanitary reasons by Lord Curzon during his tenure of office as Governor-General?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Mr. Herbert Fisher)During the last five years the consumption of tea in India has approximately doubled, and is now seven or eight-fold greater than in 1905. The increase is attributable to the successful efforts of the Indian Tea Cess Commissioner and his staff to develop the retail trade in the larger cities and to encourage the tea-drinking habit among the Indian population.