SUGAR SUPPLIES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 234, 28 June 1921, Page 6

SUGAR SUPPLIES

GOVERNMENT AND THE NEW CONTRACT > A PROTEST At ths meeting of the council of thp Wellington Chamber of Commerce, held yesterday afternoon, the following letter •from tho Masterton Chamber of Commerce on the subject of the proposed now sugar contract was read:— "In view of the fact that the present contract of the Government with the Colonial Sugar Company will be shortly expiring, and a fresh contract entered into, I am instructed to invite your support to tho following telegram which was this day (Juno 16) forwarded to the Acting-Prime Minister:— Masterton Chamber of Commerce directs attention London cable report Royal Commission sugar supply,, and strongly suggests fullest investigation of the position before Government renews contract with Colonial Sugar Company, as apparently enormous stocks are held by British Government, in addition to those at Java,

Cuba, and Mauritius. Jf in accord with tho above telegram Xny chamber trusts matter will bo treated as urgent, so that tho best possible contract may bo made for the ensuing twelve mouths.” Homo of the members of tho council stated that it had to be remembered that for tho last four or five years the ■New Zealand Government had been able to securo sugar from the Colonial Sugar Company at a rate cheaper than tho su"ar was supplied to any other country of "the world, so that it could scarcely be said that New Zealand had fared badly in that respect.- It was taken for granted that the situation of the sugar market generally would he reviewed in making the- new contract. Mr. T. Munt eaid that the Board of Trade had already indicated that there was likely to be a’ decrease in the price of sugar. Finally it was agreed that it was sate to leave the matter in the hands of the Government, no action to bo in respect of the resolution from the MasNorton Chamber. BOARD OF TRADE STATEMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, June 27. The Board of Trade representative has deceived tho following official telegram regard "No truth in the statement either that the importation of Java sugar has been prohibited or that the Government has entered into a new agreement with the Sugar Company at _C37 a ton.”