TOE SUGAR QUESTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18722, 30 May 1924, Page 5

TOE SUGAR QUESTION.

: wr.—iua sugar workers are to be * coa? i >.■' gratulated on tha result of_their meeting reported in „ your issue of 'Monday. f .The', position seems to ? have * been discussed Jto •&i •; the fairest possible spirit, and ifooluxons* 3 were ■written,it •would be difficult; to place the matter; more 1 concisely before the , r gen- 1 ; eral public, x all of whom are greatly inter- < g|g| ested in the question." In'coiirsil of con-' versation with- ; one of our largest manu- rg: facturers, he told me that he felt sure . that - there ..- would -be<•:an', agitation throughout New Zealand to prevent the possibility of | the refinery being closed, as such a course * • ■would be most serious to evi-ry manufacturing industry in the % Dominion-; - % The , general | public can hardly be expected to realise the ' importance of ~ manufacturers especially,. having ' regular 1, supplies of a high-grade- sugar ;at a moderate V. price. ; t *> ' Every; manufacturer i admits ■ that nothing '•; of | equal quality to ' the Colonial Sugar ! Company's refining "can be iraported..'-; If ; 5 the supply ofsugEu- for New Zealand were ' dependent upon | merchants' $ importations, ,_ it Woufd be quite impossible to f avoid periodicalf, - scarcity alternating . with : glutted markets. . Besides, the article 'is | a most r risky one,to import in the refined , state, and few merchants ■ would care to take the, risk of sweating and other ' damage often incurred during a long sea voyages' vDo those . who . advocate forcing ; the ' company to close its refinery realise that the foreign syndicates in Java So not ' refine sugar . from *' philanthropic'Sg,; motives? And ii New Zealand had \ to' - depend on Java for her supplies w« might find that we should not be treated quite ' ~ so fairly A3 we are by the Colonial Sugar Company, which has always.been ready, to give courteous consideration to any suggestion from' the New Zealand Government, which ■would not be listened to by I a foreign syndicate. I think the worst complaint I have ever "heard made against,, the company is that , if; is prosperous. , This may bo fairly attributed to,the adoption by the company of the latest and most effectual scientific ■ methods "to eliminate waste from the by-pro3ucts of the refining process. M less capable' hands it would be just ,as easy to lose money. ..In'fairness to the . company it should >be stated ' that •: it ; has never ■; attempted to take advantage of its position during a scarcity of sugar. .. In ; conclusion, I should like to emphasise what has been , repeatedly stated by our Prima Minister and others, that wa ; have ; for many years ' V past been provided with - high-grade sugar - at a lower price than any other country. - in the world, and let it not be forgotten ' that the company does not ask for a. huge protective tariff varying from 25 per. cent, , . > upwards,' like most other industries an joy. , i The protection asked for is - rather less' than 10 per cent. on. the present selling price. . ..TVhat -other ; industry.;: could thrive ■with such 1 a* rate? - If the efforts of the Opposition ■ in 'Parliament ; . lead to" th® > withdrawal of this very moderate protection, which was granted last year to the Colonial Sugar Penning Company, they are bound, if they are consistent, to advo- . '■ - cate '.a : free I trade- policy • in"- this country, , the effect of which would bo to wreck every industry in the Dominion, and yet ft the very , members who; advocate; suca atijr coursa pose as the friends of the working men. ■ . , Mskchak?.