THE SUGAR SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 296, 8 September 1920, Page 8

THE SUGAR SUPPLY

DIRECT SHIPMENTS TO SOUTHERN PORTS

DIFFICULTY OF GETTING SUPPLIES HANDLED

Questions about the supply of sugar lor rvcw Zealand woro answered by tho president of tho Board of Trade (tho , ]1 - } <Jk Lee) in the House .yesterday afternoon.

Mr. .E. Parry (Auckland Central) naked whether the Minister was aware that the employees of the Colonial Sugar Company, at a meeting held in Auckland oil Sunday, had agreed to resume work on the sole condition that all the workers should -be taken back, without any discrimination, and whether tho Minister, in view of tlio fact that a number of industries had to ■close down on account of the shortage of sugar, thought that the company was "justified in pursuing a policy of victimisation." Mr, Parry said that thi-' was the first timo that tho employees of the company had taken advantago of the industrial laws of the country, and it looked as if the company was trying to terrorise them for no greater crinm than forming a union recognised by the laws of Now Zealand.

Mr. Leo reminded the hon. member that tho Government woo not tho employer of tho men in the sugar refining works. Tho dispute was at present before the Arbitration Court. Tho Court had expected that it would bo ablo to see the working conditions before giving its decision, but unfortunately this expectation had been disappointed, and the award had in consequence been delayed. He had endeavoured to get rawsugar carried from Auckland to Wellington and other parts of the Dominion, but there had been no men offering to load the Union Company's boats, and consequently there was no sugar forthcoming. The Government had requested the company to allow all of the men to return to work. Mr. J. E. Hamilton (Awarua) asked tlie Minister whether tho breweries were still getting full supplies of sugar. Mr. Lee replied: As a matter of fact, (he supply to breweries is last on the list. ■ Mr. G. Witty (Riccarton) asked whether it would not be possible to bring sugar direct from the Islands to any port in New Zealand, instead of taking it to Auckland, where at present they would not refine it. , Mr Lee said he thought it possible that'the next shipment of raw. sugar from the Islands could be delivered at southern ports, provided that tliere weic no difficulties 'in the handling of it That was where the difficulty lay at present. There was plenty of raw sugar which (if the men could be got to handle it) could be slapped to the bouth Island The Government endeavoured to take the Ivaiapoi over to Chelsea to load raw Mißar for the South Island, but no labour was available to load the vofel He could not say what troubles there might be in _ regard to the handling of the next shipment, but ho »« < endeavour to supply the South Ma'" l with raw sugar; in fact, lie had been endeavouring to do for some time pa. , because it was obvious that a ceit.nn amount of raw sugar would .have to ba used until refined sugar was available. The raw sugar coming fonvaul vas above the average m saccharine eonte.it The price' would be the eame as that for refined sugar. , Asked "who was to get the extra profit," Mr. L« said that there had been a good (leal of loss, ami the Gov eniment had to pay the company a certain amount, even for raw suj^ai.