THE SUGAR INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15167, 5 December 1912, Page 7

THE SUGAR INDUSTRY.

COMMISSION'S REPORT. AGAINST NATIONALISATION, STATE/CONTROL OF PBICE& By Tele* —Prei AsMciation.—Copyright, (Received December 4, 10.5 p.m.) Melbouenb, December 4. The minority .report of the Sugar .Commission strongly defends the Colonial Sugar Company. It urges that thai beet industry of Victoria ■ should' be encouraged as far as possible, as it is unlikely that., the requirements of Australia \ will be/met; by, tho production of cane sugar in New South',; Wales arid Queensland for several year* !': to come. ■_';■-/ •■•' '.•''•;-.. ".'- ''/. ': : .J" The conclusions submitted -in the minority report include the following:— ; " That the excise and bounty in conjunc- j tion with other measures had fulfilled their .: purpose. '■';_;. V •//•'_'; ''■''*'■;.. .;■■■'-i "That the profits of the millowners and!.■■■■] refiners, while sufficient, were not exces-.....■,■; sive, . \/ /-"-'/■.;/'/■ "That the consumer and the primary; > producer were being better served under ; existing conditions than they would be under a system of' small independent re-, ■fineries.- ■ '■', . ' - .';' . ' : '~,'.•>. " That the farmers do not receive an ; adequate return for their labour and enter- * prise." \] The minority ' recommendations include / the abolition of the excise and bounty, the prohibition of coloured labour, an increase in the import duty on sugar to £7 per ton, but if the excise and bounty are ' re- ; tained, and coloured labour is not abolished, ; the import, duty should be increased to "gyw*'"—« i^i) ""''''"s w^ ■The minority _ report also recoßS9§B(j* that the wages and conditions of labour 'in* the sugar industry should be regulated 'by local boards. - ■'•':■■.-? The majority report (partly cabled yester-< day) states that the figures supplied by the Colonial Sugar •• Company show, that the business produces high profits. The Commission is opposed to the // nationalisation W the ' sugar . industry or V the Commonwealth , competing with exist-' '"<■. ing concerns with a view to keeping down prices of refined'. while raising the price. ' of raw sugar. .(. ~-.;'-" '';'./' *„,■"„•; • The report further recommends an f amendment of the Constitution to enable - the Commonwealth to control the prices of; % raw sugar ; and sugar cane; and that the / price of raw sugar be fixed on a sliding /: scale by an f inter-State commission, the; price of cane to be fixed by a board for each mill. ';■'■'. I:■■'.:.:.'■:■:■'; :.';■■ ■-,'■'<\-W'l^'k- ./■// A minimum wage of 8s for an eighth hour day and better conditionsfor workers are recommended, also the retention of the rebate of sugar, duty oni exported // manufactured products, • and- the special excise of £2 a ton- on beet sugar when the / production exceeds thousand tons;: '