THE SUGAR COMMISSION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 200, 3 May 1912, Page 5

THE SUGAR COMMISSION

MR. KNOX EXPLAINS. By Cable—'Press Association-—Copyright. ' Sydney, May 2. Failing to get a hearing before the Sugar Commission, Mr. Knox has published a page statement in the press, dealing with the position of the Colonial Sugar Company with regard to the industry. He shows that during the period, April 1, 1907, to March 31, 1911, the profits of the company from the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane refineries were £591,785, or 15s ll%d net per ton of raw sugar treated. He claims that sugar refining is wholly a free trade industry, and in support of this points' out that in New Zealand there is no duty on sugar, and refining is free from Customs supervision, while the prices charged only differ 5s per ton from the rates ruling here, when the £6 Customs duty is deducted. He rebuts the charge tliat the company has a monopoly of the sugar trade in Australia, and declares that only about one-third of that produced in Australia is made in the company's mills. Regarding the white labor question, he holds that there cannot l»e the least hope for the maintenance of the industry otherwise than with sufficient protection to cover the extra cost of white labor. He shows that raw sugar can be imported considerably cheaper than it can be produced ! by the company in Australia. After re- j ference to the good relations between , the company and its employers he concluded: "Like .every other employer in Australia, what the company most wants is to be left alone, so long as its actions are in conformity with the law."

A DEADLOCK. CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE. Received 2, 0.35 p.m! Sydney, May 2. A serious situation has been created at the Sugar Commission. Mr. Knox and other directors of the Sugar Company failed to attend. Mr. Kater, chairman of directors, wrote stating that Mr. Knox, the manager, knew all that he and the other directors knew. The directors had decided that he should represent them.

Mr. Knox wrote a long letter, in which he declared that as he had not been supplied with a copy of the evidence, as promised by the commission, he was unable to rebut statements which were untrue. Therefore, he could not Bubmit himself for examination or crossexamination.

Mr, Justice Gordon, chairman of the committee, declared that he did not know of any right of the company to dictate as to who should give evidence. Dealing with Mr. Knox's letter, he stated that the excuse seemed very like a shuffle. Regarding the statement that the commission had promised to supply a copy of the evidence, he characterised the statement as "a deliberate lie." He had only said that he would not object to the reporter supplying a copy if it did not interfere with his work. The reporter found that it did interfere. He mentioned that the company had two shorthand writers present at all the meetings of the commission. Mr. Knox's excuse was not genuine, and was delivered in covert defiance of the authority of the commission. So far the commission had met with little success so far as any revelations with regard to the company are concerned. All the officials of the mills did not know whether the mills were working at a profit or a loss. Muffled secrecy pervaded the whole arena of the company's service. Being in the city, he would not take upon himself the responsibility of authorising the prosecution of these gentlemen for not attending, but would leave it to the Federal Government. The commission has adjourned for a week.