BEET SUGAR.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18924, 12 February 1927, Page 16

BEET SUGAR.

A NEW INDUBTRY. PROPOSED ESTABLISHMENT IN CANTERBURY. in the establishment of the tugtr beet industry «w the request of a deputation which waited yesterday afternoon on the lion. Mr McLeud, MiniiUr for Industries and Commerce. The deputation was heard in the Chamber of Commoroo Hall, and included, among others, Dr. C. Chilton, Mr Hadfield (Agricultural Department), Dr. H. (;. Denham. and Mr J. W. tJtrachan, president of thu Canterbury I'rogress lxa>£K!. Mr J. S. Tuliocb, who was tlio only t>penker, eaid that he had been connected with the endeavour to establish the industry sinco 1918. It had been ditfitult work, but to-day the time was opportune- for that development, lie had come to that conclusion through the great activity at llomo in the sugar beet industry. 'lho Growers' Hovtety in England iminded many prominent men, although the Old Country had been tho last in the Old World to take up the industry. The prcsont consumption of mgflr in New Zealand wan tiG,(X>O tons annually. Practically two-thirds or this was used in the South laland, ao that if wo produced 20,000 tons of beet sugar in C'antcrI'tiry, there would be no difficulty about the market, and there would be every reason for the peoplo in this island to demand its establishment here. About 110,000 tons of beet would have to be grown, which meant 7000 acres under rrop. Twenty tons to tho acre should he possible. Employment would he given to at least 700 men for 30 weeks of the year, in addition to from 200 to 300 In tho factory all the year round. Crops Orown a Success.

Mr Tulloch tabled a report prepared by Mr Ward, of the Agricultural Deportment, regarding the am-ceas attending the growth of beet on Canter* bury farms. Crops grew well, and the average was from VI tons to 221 P or acre. With better mothoda, from 20 to 25 tons might easily havo been achieved. There was no more difficulty than in growing mangolds. Tests eliowcd tho sugar content to bo equal to anything in the world; about 16 per *ent. of the beet was sugar, Eight farmers in the Koiapoi district were growing experimental crops again thjs year from seeds supplied by the Government. Cereal crop which followed boot were increased by from 15 to 20 per cent. A refinery in New Zealand rouJH afford to pay 85s per ton for the beet grown. Trie cost of growing, it was estimated, would be about £ls Cr acre, so that there should be nt ist £9O profit, in addition to the indirect advantages. Beet was the finest eras farmers could grow, and what WWO it of great importance was the certainty of success because of the special desiccation process invented by m Vocchia. an Italian. The proposition had Men endorsed by a British Government White Paper. A refinery would coal £175.000. and it was proposed to establish one at Kaiapoi. Slioinc *nd drying stores could be fcnllt in districts where the crops were Stvwn, Mart) than half tho sugar prooctd in tho world was from beet. To establish tho industry would be to remedy the present agricultural stagna-

Subsidy Wanted. Mr Tattoos) asked Mr MeLebd to instrae* tho Council of Scientific and Indostrfsi Seoearch to Investigate the possibility of establishing the Industry, and to report on tho de Vccehis process, Jmbodying the erection of a sugar ronery with slicing and drying stntlons; or the amount of State financial nid requisite to place a de Veeehis factory on a sound commercial basis} and the arsotut of subsidy, If any, to be paid to growers per ton of beet .to.encourage tMK to grow the crop.. "Tho natter Is entirely one for research sad advice," said .Mr Mel*odUe fcoptd for wry much from tho Besoateh Department, which wsi far from oassplete. It had men who could giro tlo solsstirlo information, bat he was Mt so well assured that it had tho men ftbhi to giro tlio same results on the oeoaasalo' ride. They must have men wk« oo«M IiTS this lido • thorough •mhavL Out of tho troubles which fen* doveJoMj lii eonnexlpn with beet and JUadrtd orops was disease. In the North Wasd fanned dare not plant •mm fodder orops two years in sueoossiov, Wstjasw Hot Serious.

Is reply to Mr MeLeod, Mr Htdfleld ■aid mangolds and sugar beet were vary free from serious disease in the South lalaad.

Mr M«L*oa said that if the good profits whleh had ban mentioned eould be realised, thore would be no need of a nbeidy. Sugar beet growing had had a very bad KHbaak in Amerlea. He had •MB a number of factories closed in the TMted Btai** when passing through. Till was a result of the action of the cam ngar people. "Wi don't ?•«£,*• St ourselves tangled Tip," said the Minor* The strongest monopoly south of tht Mat was the Colonial Bngar RefinisTg Company- He eould not say how Jang .11 would remain a benevolent neaopely. How It would a«t if a eompeUtlve Industry was growing np in its WrrUftr* he did not know. He would diMass the proposals with his colleagues. II will typical work for the Besearch Mt Tulloch said the dosing of faetorita in America had been due to overlapjfrg and bad organisation.

HEART FAILURE. ■■ ♦ ■■■ joung man collapses in Whs.

-\\tnmu iwoetttiox tweo*u».) ' .ii *! \ V BUNEDIN, February 11. 4. joung nan named George Gold, «gl4 about SI, lost his »«»in the Bald«UMk JtanioipaJ Bftthi this afternoon. HI hid b*W pbattaff "water tig" with a«n» coaipanioM,.Bj)d had JMt dived in and wiAayuomintjacrosa the baths :*iy to pwl bimaolt up. His tgmgar -'. ieaa want to hU rescue, and pulled him .«tii of tho water. Two doctors were lUMM«Mi and tried artificial reapira»won for ov*r an boor without avail. ft* doctor* gavo it »• their opinion tkaVdMib was not dua to drowning, An inqoatt will ba'htld.