SUGAR SUPPLIES.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 January 1928, Page 4

SUGAR SUPPLIES.

THROTTLINC THE WORLD. foreign ring formed. VANCOUVER. Dec. 12. The agitation to seek some relief from the throttling attitude of certain sugar-producing nations to- compel the rest of the world to continue to pay extortionate prices lor the essential cnmniodity has 11 roused much protest throughout the North American continent, and a pertinent letter has just appeared in the Montreal “Daily Star” on the subject from Benjamin It. A [organ chairman of the Sugar Federation of the British Empire, with offices in AA’estininstcr, London. In the course ol his appeal, which has been freely circulated throughout the Dominion of Canada, Afr Morgan says: “Great Britain is again to ho the subject of organised foreign control rf a staple foodstuff. Reference has been made to the formattion of 11 now sugar ring of Cuban. German, Czechoslovakian and Polish producers! which the Dutch are also expected to join), and the official communique of the ring has been quoted that the ‘principal function will ho. the regulation of. the production and consumption <>i sugar throughout the world.’ The Cartel svstem. which made Britain dependent for her sugar supplies upon European beet, led to the enormous prices which had to he paid in the war. which, in turn, developed Cuban production to the five million tons love ,

and thus gave the United States v.itual control of the price ‘> f 0(1,1 e sugar. ~ “The Sugar Federation of the Jintish Empire, embracing the produce's and refiners, foresaw the inevitability of such a combine when it caine in o existence in April last. The British public have been enjoyn.g a long, period of ‘cheap foreign sugar supple and every student of tho situation knew that tho time was approaching, when the pendulum of prices 1 swing the other way. and the losses which growers everywhere, hnte - cur red would have to be repaid with interest. It is nothing short ol enminal follv that the people of Giea Britain should continue to he depon - ent on foreign sources ol supply foi nearly three-quarters of such an esicntinl commodity, especially after the terrible experiences, amounting v.rtuually to starvation, which the. country experienced during the war.

THREATENED DANGER, j “()f the countries comprising the I r i„g, in the year 1926. O.ccho-Slo-I valiia sent to the United Kingdom I sugiu- to the value of £5,150,000 j (6 333 fV.’Gewts) practically all refined , j Germany, £655,000 (882,C0Ocwts). of I which ever tiro-thirds was refined ; I Cuba sent £3.202,000 (o,4so.oooc'vts) all unrefined Poland, £330.000 (000,-eon-wts), about half of which was refined to join this alliance, sent in the J same year £3,680.000 (4.732.000cwt5) 1 all refined. “The threatened danger lias now beI come a concrete and definite peril. If Great Britain is not defended against the effects of this agreement, of which she is the main, if not the only obiect .she will have to pay a hitter penalty for foreign control. Her only safeguard lies in the development of the Empire sugar industry. As business people the foreign producers are taking a perfectly normal business step to ensure that their exports to Great Britain—and this is practically the onlv market for their surpluses—shall he sold at a price that will give them a margin over the cost of production and distribution. “But what of the Empire producer and refiner? “If the consumer of Great Britain is made to pay an exorbitant price for his future supplies, lie has only himself to blame for not taking advantage of the simple remedy of giving such eneouragnient to Empire production jjs will secure all his suplies from that source. The Federation ask* for equal treatment here for British Empire

sugar producers with those of foreign producers in their home markets, and its request is for free entry for Empire sugar coming into Great Britain if sold to a British refiner.

“Thus, and probably in no other way. can the Empire producer, the British refiner, and above all the consumer in Great Brtain, he saved from the effect of this world movement to dominate the United Kingdom' market.’’