THE SUGARCONVENTION.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12826, 10 June 1907, Page 7

THE SUGARCONVENTION.

GREAT BRITAIN WISHES TO WITHDRAW. United Press Association— By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, Juno 7. In the Houso of Commons Sir Edward Grey announced that Great Britain had intimated to the States concerned in the Sugar Convention that she was prepared to withdraw from the Convention in 1903 unless granted exemption from penalising bounty-fed sugar. Sir Edward Grey's idea is to enlarge the sources of supply. Hβ declared he did not desire to see a rovival of the system of bounties. Commenting on the action of the Government, "The Times" argues in favour of a convention under which the statue of the colonial sugar industry will be revived, adding that the Government has now crushed out tho cane industry and has given Germany and Austria a monopoly, with power to raise tho prices. After running counter to tho wishes of tho selfgoverning colonies in tho Colonial Conference, the Government is offering up the West Indies on the same altar of fiscal prudery. Under the Sugar Convention of 1902 Great Britain, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, unci Holland undertook to suppress the direct and indirect bounties by which tho production or export of sugar might benefit, and not to establish bounties of such a kind. Great Britain was influenced in agreeing to tho Convention by the fact that tho sugar trade of tho West Indies could not compoto with Continental bounty sugar. Opponents of tho Convention contend that it has meant tho raising of tho price to tho population or the United Kingdom to benefit a few small communities in the West Indies, which can at best supply but a small fraction of England's needs. . They contend that tho increase in the price of sugar means several millions to British consumers, ami that it -would, bo much cheaper to pay the West Indies what they gain by the Convention, and revert to tho old condition of the trade. ____^______