THE TAXING OF SUGAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 13, 16 January 1905, Page 5

THE TAXING OF SUGAR.

j Statement by Mr. A. Caamberiaia. | LONDON, January 14. The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Austin Chamberlain), replying to a deputajon representing the augar-usine j trades, said he declined to discontinue or , modify a tax that was prodocing a revenue of £G. 000.000. Instead of describing the sugar tax as the only tax on raw matenal, the deputation ought to have described it as one of several taxes on jiood. Tea and other articles had been taxed under the present system for many years. The raw sugar tax was 30 per ! cent., and the raw tobacco tax was tiOO ! per cent, of the value. The deputation, he said, had practically Jacmitted that the development of their ; industries was dependent on the artificial cheapness of sugar. The Bounties Convention had tended to restore the natural j course of trade, and the deputation was not entitled to expect the maintenance of artificial conditions in favour of a particular industry, and to refuse protection to any other trade. They were not entitled to ask for sugar below the cost of production. The sugar articles imported paid the same duties as the sagar-users in Britain paid on sugar. The true remedy lay in the opening up of fresh sources of supply. The imports of cane sugar had increased largely, and he predicted a greater increase.