Colonial Sugar Refling Company.

Otago Witness, Issue 2286, 23 December 1897, Page 7

Colonial Sugar Refling Company.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,— My attention haa been directed to the re- , marks about the company I represent in New KeaJaud, contained in an srtirle, '' Patt-r'a Chats with the Boys : Protection in .Sugar," in a lucent issue of the WitneßP, aud I ask your permission to say a fuw words in reply, which I shall bs Riad if -you will insert in your nextis^ue, as a refutation of fcuch an injurious Vtatemcat. Your correspondent stat's that tug<ir bounties exiot in Au«tralia-arid here, snd that Ihe profita made by us are the consequence. 'J'he facts of the case arc that in no colony has bur refining business any protection except to the extent <.f 5s per ton in Victoria, this trifling, margin -beiup given to the local refiner there to compensate birn for the payment of heavy duties on bags, etc., from, which the importer is exempt. In New South Wales, New Zealand, and South Australia the refiner works in bond, pays just the Sime duties as importers of sugar, and is subject to Stats and local taxation, which such merchants in part escape. In Queensland there is a nominal inipirt duty, which has no effect ou local prices, as there is a/ large export of sugar. Except in regard to the manufactu'e of sugar in. New South Wales— where the withdiavval of the duties thatbavebecn in force for 40yea»s will cause us a loss of nearly all the capital invested in this branch of the business— and the trifling margin of piotecticn in Victoria, the company has no bounty, snbsi«33 r , or assistance from any State, and is in all the colonies but New South Wales compelled to pay high duties on all the plant and material that have to be imported for its trade. It would be impossible, therefore, for your correspondent to have found a worse example for the illustration of his arguments, and if he had taken the trouble to make any inquiries before he committed himself to the statements as to our relations to our employees be would have found that the information given to him on this subject was wholly untrue. In conclusion, may I say that we nave not asked for any protection in New Zealandirom the competition of cane sugar; all we seek is that beet sugar, on which export bounty of nearly £Z a ton has been Riven, should pay an increased tax to the same amount when imported into New Zealand. In the United Stales, at the Cape, and -in Victoria this has already been done, and sooner or later other British colonies will find themselves compelled in self-defence to follow suit.— l am, etc., W. J. W. Piiilson, Auckland, December 7. Manager in N.Z. Dr J. Coats (Professor of Pathology at GUegow University) and MrsCoafes were passengers to New Zealand by the Gothic. / The cycling craze, which women all over the colonies are now developing to the degree of satiety, is responsible for a. Melbourne girl buying a watch on credit the other day, and selling it to another person for each, thus obtaining th« necessary funds to pay her first inataUnwtf «k Q bicycle,