THE SUGAR SHORTAGE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2472, 27 May 1915, Page 7

THE SUGAR SHORTAGE

(, ACTION BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright 1 (Rec. May 26, 9 p.m.) Melbourne, May 26. In connection the threatened ; sugar shortage, a special Gazette, under ; the War Precautions Act, has been issued, giving the widest possible powers to the officers of the Attorney-General's j Department to inquire into matters re- j lating to the sugar question, including' the right to search, the impounding of j documents, and arrest, if necessary. j Replying to questions in the Federal ; House, Mr. Hughes (Federal AttorneyGeneral) said that the Government was bound to ensure the supply of vital j foodstuffs. It was alleged by a big combine that there would be a shortage of j sugar. At the present juncture no ques- j tion was of more vital importance, and : the Government had exercised its powers and taken steps to ensure an adequate > supply. STATEMENT BY THE SUGAR COMPANY. ] " i CHARGE AGAINST THE FEDERAL 1 GOVERNMENT. (Rcc. May' 26, 10 p.m.) ( Sydney, May 26. < In a letter published in the Press : to-day, Mr. Knox, general manager of 1 the Colonial Sugar Company, says, in reference to tho threatened sugar short- ; age: "It will be to the interest of the ( public to know that the authorities are attempting "to stop us from obtaining our supplies from Java, by preventing the dispatch of cablegrams thither. On May 20-we received an offer of sugar and on the same date replied accepting so fai' as sugar available for July was concerned. Wo again cabled for a reply, but havo received no answer. We can i only assume that it also has been hold back." Mr. Knox concludes: "It would bo • interesting to know if the object Is to : bring about tho shortage we wished to prevent." Questioned in tho Federal House, Mr. Hughes said it. was not true that the Government had icfttsed to allow Mr. Knox to get supplies from Java.