SUGAR SUPPLIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 March 1920, Page 7

SUGAR SUPPLIES.

THE 'PRESENT POSITION. COMPARISON BETWEEN NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA. From inquires made by a New Zealand Times reporter in Wellington, it appears that the position in regard to sugar supplies is much the same as it was two or three weeks ago. The Colonial Sugar Refinery Company at Chelsea, in Auckland, is turning out just over 1200 tons of sugar per week, and this is being forwarded to the principal centres and thence distributed to the surrounding districts. The works are' stated to be operating at high pressure and dealing rapidly with supplies of cane as they come to hand. The Board of Trade is principally concerned in allocating supplies to the essential industries and to the retailers, and also has to guard against duplication of orders. While there is a demand bv the sugar producers in Australia for an increase m the rate of raw sugar from £2l to £3O Os 8d per ton, there appears to be no local indications of a rise in price. At present the price of sugar stands at about £23 per ton. Australia is in a much different position from New Zealand in regard to sugar, for whereas over there the community is dependent upon supplies from the farmers, NewZealand has to rely upon its own manufactory at Auckland. Sugar in Australia is considerably dearer on account of a £0 per ton tax upon the commodity.