PUBLIC MEETING AN LEVIN.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 September 1910, Page 3

PUBLIC MEETING AN LEVIN.

T.HE SUGAR BEET INDUSTR7

. Amongst the. matters to be discussed at to-nighit's pib ,; o mee'ing in Ltvin is that of I'st&'vlU'iLig the siik it beet ministry m Horo.\h<']jna Coiin%.. It is generally recognised that .this .particular industry is one which will . need its greatest lift from the farming community, although the 'residents of the various towns will derive financial benefit from any successful establishment k>f the industry in this county. A discussion which took place at a meeting of Hastings farmers the other day may prove interesting at the present juncture. The chairman ot the meeting (Mr A. Masters) in introducing the question, said that during the past thirty years, the companies which ha a gone in for sugar beet were the most prosperous. Thirty years ago the sugar produce of the world amounted to. 6,000,000 tons, 2,000,000 tons being sugar beet. Latterly things were reversed, the produce now being 8,000,000 tons, beet sugar forming two-thirds of the output. The land here was equal to any land in the world for sugar beet growing, and could produce as much to the acre. It was essentially a, farmers' matter and, if they could see as he did, they would take the question up, as, after tho cxmse of pi ting wp th? mills, the indnistry would prove very remunerntivp Abmt GO tons coild l-e pro dluced to tho acre, 'bringing 16s a ton. __ The ibeot pulp would prove splendid feed for cattle Mud so work in with the dairying. It was argued that it was an exhaustive crop, but this was not so, as it only required cultivation and rotation like all other crops, and in this regard he particularly instanced potatoes. As far as" his information went they could take a crop from the land every four years. It would, he thought, be well worth while to a.ppoint a committee to collect data and further details.

Mr W. H. Smith did not agree. He had lived) in two countries, France and Germany, where the beet industry was built up on' big Government bounties, in order to beat out the English and American cane. The beet sugar industry could never stand in France and Central Europe but for these subsi dies, which had the effect of ruining Jamaica and Damara. It was only in countries where there was very close settlement and cheap labour that the industry would have a chance of success.

Mr J. djeatson said that sugar cane was grown in Queensland and the Islands. It would be impossible to grow sugar beet in New Zealand to compete with cane, and it could not be shipped to Europe, because of the freight and prohibitive duties. Tf it had had any chance of success there was always plenty of capital waiting for investment.

Mr W. H. Smith said that .two mills in England, with a capital of £100,000;, were lying idle because of competition.

Mr Cartwright Brown, speaking with an experience of beet growing, stated that it could not be grown profitably within a certain distance of the sea, because it absorbed the salt. It could only be grown where the sea. had no influence. It had been tried in the Wa ilea to, but had not proved a success.