THE PRICE OF SUGAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16266, 27 June 1916, Page 6

THE PRICE OF SUGAR.

CHARGES ON THE COMPANY. COMPARISON WITH AUSTRALIA. [BY telegraph.— correspondent.] Wellington, Monday. A3 was recently reported, the result of the inquiry made by the Board of Trade in. Auckland in regard to the price of sugar is that the present agreement, under ■which the wholesale price was fixed at £21 a ton, is to be renewed for a further 12 months from, July 1. In reference to the renewal of the agreement, the Post says :— The wholesale price of sugar in the Dominion was fixed over a year ago, at £21 a ton, but there have since been extra charges imposed upon the company which have not been passed on to the consumer. Last year's Finance Act imposed a primage duty of 1 per cent, equivalent to 3s Id a ton. There was a further advance of 3s 6d a ton in freights making a total of 6s 7d a ton. On the annual output of 60,000 tons, this meant a total extra sum of approximately £20,000. Fiji, also, it is understood, has placed an export duty of 5s a ton on sugar, amounting to another £15.000. or a total sum of £35,000 which has been borne by the company. New Zealand is now obtaining its sugar at a lower price than any other portion of the J British Empire. Wholesale prices quoted in trade reports from various parts compare as follows :—New Zealand, £21 ; New South Wales, £29 ss; Victoria, £29 7s 6d; South Australia, £29 17s 6d; Western Australia, £31; Great Britain, £41 12s 6d. The variation in the Aua tralian prices is accounted for to some extent by freights. " In the Commonwealth a Customs duty of about £7 a ton is levied, and Great Britain has a duty of about £14 a ton/'