THE SUGAR-BEET INDUSTRY.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 302, 16 June 1898, Page 3

THE SUGAR-BEET INDUSTRY.

PUBLIC MEETING AT OH A UFO. A PUBLIC meeting was held at Teddy's Ohaupo Hotel on Tuesday for the purpose of discussing the sugar-beet question. Mr \V. H. Maudeno, chairman of the Waipa County Council, presided, and between 20 and 30 leading farads were present. The Chairman, in his opening remarks, said it had been deemed advisable by some of those who had been striving to further the iutere ts of the industry to call a meeting in order to strengthen the hands of the members for Waikato and the Bay of Plenty, who were about to leave, for Wellington to take up their Parliamentary duties, and leave no stone uuturned to induce the Government to pas.? the Bill introduced list sess'on. Mr Gune said the principal object in calling the meeting was to strengthen Ihe hands of their members who were about to leave for Wellington, to show that they were still alive to the advantages that would accrue from the starting of the industry, that they were still desirous that the thing should go on, that there was no feeling of coldness, and tint the idea had not been allowed to fizzle out of the minds of the majority of the settlers. He was sure the settlers were as enthusiastic as ever, and were willing to do their sha<c of the »vork. Being such a large enterprise, the prospect of getting the thing started without a bouuty from the Government was small, but in America the development of the industry was most wonderful. In nearly every State with a suitable climate, the industry had either been started or arrangements were being made for commencing at once. He then read the fohowing extract from an Arreriean paper as showing what advantages were likely to accrue to any district where the industry was established :

20,800 tons of beets, which cost .. £28,440 4,500 tons of coal 2,700 200 tons of coke .. .. .. 685 1.000 tons of lime rock .. .. 804 40.000 double sugar bags .. .. 1,160 4,150 yards heavy duck .. .. 124 1,050 yards German duck ~ .. 105 o,ooolb sal soda 80 4,5001 b tallow 50 30,0001 b sulphur 120 10,0001 b muriatic acid .. .. 70 Laboratory and other supplies .. 1,000 Wages 10,584 Total £45,882 The above figures are rather less than the exact total. These items occur every year, the output of sugar being 4,000,0001 b. The above tends to show what a sugar-beet factory means to a locality. The cost of the buildings and plant is very considerable—say £50,000, and once erected the annual outlay for material, beetroots, and labour comes to nearly the same money. The great advantage would bo that there would always be a good demand for the roots, which did not exist for any other kind of produce. He proposed the following resolution " That thik meeting request the members for Waikato and the Bay of Plenty to urge upon the Government the desirability of passing into law the Sugar-beet Bill as introduced last session by the Government ; also that the members be asked to insert a clause in the Bill placing beet machinery as regards customs doty upon the same basis as dairying machinery, viz,, 5 per cent, add v*l. ; that the members for above electorates be asked to continue their exertions in this matter.”

Capt. Runciman had great pleasure in seconding the motion. He considered it was their duty to their fellow settlers to pass the resolution. Mr Roche apologised for the absence of Mr Lang, who previous to receiving notice of the meeting, had made arrangements for meeting his constituents at Onewhero.

Mr A. Swarbrick *aid that although there was a prevalent opinion abroad that the beetroot business was dead, that it had never had any practical existence ; but that it was a wild scheme formulated among men who did not know what they were talking about. He intended to give them the evidence of some men who knew, a great deal about the matter ; but he wished to guard against making promises—they had had a great many already—in fact, far too many. He would give one or two facts in order to keep hope in those who were inclined to despair. He had promised about a year ago to write to some friends at Home and see if anything could be done in the matter. He had done so, and fully set forth all particulars regarding the climate, the tests, that had been made, etc., and a m&p of the district. He had tried to make his statements as fair and honest as possible, upon the prospects of the establishment of the beet industry in Waikato. He had secured the co-opera-tion of three gentlemen, all of whom were practical successful business men. They were not company promoters ; but took the matter up merely on account of personal friendship. One was a mer-< chaut, -the other a sugar broker, and the third was at the head of a large beetroot factory, where £IOO,OOO was paid away for beetroots every year. He had fully reported the matter to the head of the beetroot sugar factory, and that gentleman's opinion was favourable on every point. In fact, they were all of opinion that the making of sugar in the Waikato would be a practical and profitable undertaking, and they were willing to back their opinion with a certain amount of capital, even under the present circumstances. It had been asserted that the price of roots cculd not possibly be 20s per ton. He had put down 20s as the price of roots, and his friend informed him that there would be no difficulty about the price, and even suggested that if roots were produced of better quality, that the price might be raised. Facts and figures were given in detail, and he (the speaker) was convinced that, if once the undertaking was started, it would be a profitable and permanent industry. It meant an enormous thing for the Waikato—£6o,ooo or £70,000 a year paid for roots which every farmer in the district could produce. He had devoted his attention to the question for some years, and Had come to the conclusion that it was the one thing that would bring money into the district. It would ,b 9 the salvation of the "Waikato. He was still working at the matter, but made no promise. His friends would send men out to enquire into this business, but there was one difficulty, they wanted to know what the people of New Zealand were doing, what were their big financial institutions and the Government doing. This was why it was important that the Bill should be passed,—not so much for the support it gave as to show the interest the people took in it. This assuredly was the moat essential point in having a Bill of this kind passed. (Applause,) Mr Shepherd thought the thanks of everyone were due to Mr Swarbrick. He was certain the meeting was regarded as a purely formal one, or more farmers would have been present. One thing that he considered had been overlooked was the necessity of keeping the information regarding the growing of beetroots in Waikato up to date. If any influeutial persons were prepared to take it up, some defini e information would be required. Anyone who read the report of the chairman of the Colonial Sugar Company must have been much disappointed at the small amount of information given. The Chairman asked who saw that gentlemen when he was in Waikato. Mr Shepherd did not know whether anyone had, but the chairman of the company was an influential person, and his report was an eye-opener. He thought it would be wise to have plots of beet grown in the Waikato every year, in order that they need not rely on teats made four or five years ago.

The Chairman thought the suggestion regarding tin; growing of beets was a good one. As to the ieport of the chairman of the Su. ur Cotnpuny, they could not expect, ucr was it likely that the matter shoull r ccivc, very favourable cousido'ation f mil that (]' arler, an 1 his information must be t-ktu '.nth a considerable amount <>f saU. Mr Gune aid '.ha 1 up to the present no beet seed i>f a it liable nature had been obtainable, hut he was pleased to say that the Agricultural Depaitmcnt was sending seed to different pirts of the colony and to the Waikato Farmers' Club, in order that tests might be ma'e On bet.-g put the motion was carri d unanimously. The customary compliment to the chairman closed the meeting. AN APOLOGY. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, I ttust you will allow me space to apologise to my Waikato constituents for my apparent inattention iu not attending the meeting at Ohaupo, re sugar-beet. The facts are these : I have been down to Opotiki visiting my constituents at that end of the electorate, aud only got back on Tuesday evening, when I found the invitation to be present at the meeting. It was therefore impossible for me either to be present or send an apology, I beg to assure my Waika.o friends that no effort on my part will be spared to work with my friend Mr Lang in attaining the desired object, aud trust that we shall see the Sugar-beet Bill passed through all its stages aud become law during the forthcoming session.—l am, etc., W. H. Herries. Shaftesbury, 15th June, 1898. TO THK EDITOR. Sir,—lu view of the early meeting of Parliament and bringing forward for the second reading of the Bonus Bill, on behalf of this industry, we have pleasure in informing you and our 534 guarantors, that the ntcessary capital ia still available to us for establishing the industry, and that our Chairman will proceed very shortly abroad to complete all arrangements. In the meantime we must ask our friend 3, through your valuable paper, to do all that they can to bring pressure to bear upon the Government re the Bill, if they desire to see the industry in their midst. —We are etc., The New Zealand Sugar-beet Syndicate. Nicolas Lewenbero, Chairman. A. L. Harvey, Secretary.