Manawatu Herald. FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 1880. A SUGAR REFINERY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue II, 4 June 1880, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 1880. A SUGAR REFINERY.

Although we expect very small results for good from some of the Royal Commissions which have lately been perambulating the country, we nevertheless anticipate permanent benefit from the labours of that appointed to report on Local Industries. The subject is a very large one, and the fear is that through attempting to report to Parliament daring this session the Coramissioners niay hurry through their, work, leaving large sections of the Local Industries question untouched. For the Colony generally, the subject is one of paramount importance. For years past there has been a constant and steady influx of population into the country, and the question to be answered is, " What are we to do with the people ?" The first and most natural reply is, settle them on land. This would certainly bo one means of overcoming the difficulty. But every man is not disposed to devote himself to farming pursuits, and comparatively few possess the ability, patience, or industry necessary to extract a livelihood from the soil. We have in these columns systematically advocated that the population of the country should be forced back upon the waste lands of the Crown, .believing that if the country districts are developed the towns will develop themselves. It should, however, be borne, in -mind that despite all the attractions that ' can possibly be presented to induce men to settle on land, a vast majority will still prefer town life ; in fact, population naturally gravitates towards large centres. While, therefore, land settlement is to be regarded as perhaps the most important means of transforming drones into producers, industries in the towns themselves must also be regarded as a means for the employment . of, surplus labour. Therefore, we regard the appointment of the Local Industries Commission as a most important thing, and if the members perform their duty thoroughly — by which we mean, if they gather facts and figures as to those industries most suited to the Colony, and arrange those facts and figures in such a form as to impress the country not only with the importance of the industries,, but, with $he possibility of their beirig successfully carried on iv' ttie Colony,— a most valuable work ,Will haye.bpen achieved., 7 , ■;. One matter, which -wo hope t/ see reported on by tho Commission is the question of a sugar refinery for the Colony. The absence of such an establishment in the Colony is a matter of frequent remark, and it certainly is surprising that our mer-

chants are content year after year to import refined sugar from Victoria and New South Wales, when by the outlay of say .£IOO,OOO the whole of the difference in value between refined and raw sugar could be retained in the Colony. The annual consumption of sugar in New Zealand is about 18,000= tons, about two-thirds of wliicli is imported in a refined state, and there would therefore be ample employment for a refinery capable of turning out about 8,000 tons per annum. Very many reasons can be urged wliysuch an establishment should be started, and brief consideration will show how excellently it would pay. If a sugar refinery can be made to pay in both Victoria and New South Wales we may reasonably expect a proportionate profit if one were started in this Colony. Besides, a New Zealand Kefinery Company would be i able to defy outside competition, and yet make n, considerable profit. This may be shown by the fact that the prices of sugar are from £2 to £3 10s lower in S} r dney Oj. Melbourne than in Wellington, the difference being of course made up of merchants' profit, freight, &c, but principally of freight and other shipping charges, besides Customs . dutj . It may be remarked here that both Melbourne and Sydney draw a considerable portion of their supply of the law material from the Malay Islands, and this in turn comes on to New Zealand in a refined state. The whole of this raw material is therefore carried to Victoria or New South Wales as the case may be in crafts owned within those Colonies, the vessels employed being from 200 tons upwards. Were the raw article brought to New Zealand for refining purposes it would most certainly come in locally-owned vessels, which, we hardly need point out, would be an enormous benefit to the country. At present, Australia obtains the advantage of transporting the 12,000 tons of sugar annually used in New Zealand from the Malay Islands to Melbourne or Sydney. The freights on this would nearly all stay in the Colony if a sugar refinery were established. We think the remarks already made are sufficient to show the desirability of a refinery being established, and to prove that there is every prospect of such a concern proving lucrative. It is, however, desirable that every assistance should be rendered by Government to so important an undertaking. The first thing to be done would therefore be to relax the duty on the raw material, if imported for refining purposes. The duty on sugar in Melbourne is only 3s per cwt., for both raw and refined ; in New Zealand it is -J-d per lb. It would be well for the House to pass during the present session a resolution affirming its willingness to lower the duty on the raw article to a minimum, in order to encourage the starting of a refinery. Beferring to our first remarks as to the employment of surplus labour, a sugar refinery would undoubtedly employ a very large number of men, and allowing the concern to turn out say 8000 tons per annum, of an average value of £35 per t>n, there would be a yearly expenditure of £280,000, of which the only pari that would go out of the Colony would be the sum paid for the raw material to the producers. At present the only benefit the Colony reaps from the sugar trade can be ' summarised in the freightage the Union Steam Company derive from its transhipment from Australia to New Zealand, and the profits made by importer*?. Iv conclusion, we may express an opinion that the natural site for a New Zealand refinery is at Wellington. That city, because of its geographical position and splendid port, is the centre of the Colony, and must in future years become the chief entrepot of New Zealand. If its inhabitants are alive to their present and fntnro interests they will not allow some more ambitious and enterprising though less-favoured rival to clutch the advantages that would accrue to Wellington from the establishment there of a sugar refinery.