SHORTAGE OF SUGAR

Otago Witness, Issue 3197, 23 June 1915, Page 3

SHORTAGE OF SUGAR

COLONIAL SUGAR COAIPANY’S STATEMENT.

MERCHANTS’ SHARP CRITICISM. TIAIARU, June 7.

The Real manager of Messrs R. Wilson and Co., Dunedin, merchants, takes strong exception to a telegram published on Friday stating that the manager of the Colonial Sugar Company declares that the supples are ample to meet the dominion’s requirements and that he does not anticipate a shortage.

Messrs R. Wilson and Co. are the company’s distributing agents for South Canterbury, receiving a shipment of about 100 tons every lh:ee weeks. Last Friday 25 tons only arrived. The company had offered 10 tons, but the director of Messrs R. Wilson and Co. .made personal representations to the company at Auckland, and secured an increase to 25 tons, which is about a quarter of the ordinary shipment. On Friday evening Messrs Wilson and Co. received a telegram from the company as follows:

Bearing in mind that the stocks are short, any orders sent must not exceed urgent requirements. We think the last two shipments should keep most of them going without further delivery. Next

Wanaka. This means that the next ordinary shir ment to Timaru will bo cut out. As Messrs Wilson and Co. have no sugar stored in this district, a famine is threatened. The firm naturally asks why, if ample stocks are available, the company is not distributing them. SUGAR COMPANY’S EXPLANATION. AUCKLAND, June 7. Mr W. J. Philson, manager for the Colonial Sugar Company in New Zealand, explained to-day, in reply to a, message from Timaru, that he had stated that the company would have no difficulty in keeping up the. supply of sugar for New Zealand. The requirements of ,New Zealand, “gauged from the experience of the last 30 years, had been found to be from 750 to 850 tons a week, hut the demands made on the company for April aggregated something between 1280 tons to 1400 tons a week. There was no cause for this increase in the demand, except that the public were laying in supplies by purchasing three or four times the quantity they needed from the grocer each month. If the public bought only for present needs there would be ample sugar to go round, and some “over. Just now, however, the company’s stock was swept clean every Saturday. The company first of all filled its contracts (to jam and other manufacturers), then set'aside what was required for, local Auckland supplies, and finally allotted the remainder of - the supplies to the various prominent districts of the dominion, according to the urgent needs of those districts. Two trips ago the Wanaka took about 1750 tons of sugar south, and probably 150 tons of that went to Timaru. SHORTAGE FOtTJAM-MAKING. NELSON, Jane 15. Kirkpatrick’s K jam tactovy will nave to close down next week for a period, as it is unable to obtain a supply of sugar. A large number of hands will be affected. NELSON, o Line 17.

When seen to-day regarding a statement made by tho Auckland manager of the Colonial Sugar Refinery Company* in replying to a telegraphed statement that the K Jam Factory would have to. close down for a period owing--to being unable to secure necessary supplies of sugar. Air Kirkpatrick said it was stated that the sugar company was unable to supply companies for speculative purposes. This implied that the firm had had supplies upon which it intended to make a profit. This was -absolutely incorrect. All the firm desired was enough sugar to keep the works going. Further, ho liad offered to’ pay the increased price of the sugar if the company could be supplied, simply to save closing down the works and inflicting hardship on the workers. The orders booked would- use up all tho sugar on hand. All tho travellers and agents had been telegraphed to, instructing them to stop booking orders for jam till supplies of sugar wore obtainable. Many orders had already been refused, and the company would have to stop jammaking next week. Air Kirkpatrick mentioned that tho sugar company had supplied lus firm with more sugar than last year, as tho factory’s requirements were heavier, solely due to increased trade.

AUCKLAND, June 15. Owing to the difficulty of getting sufficient supplies of sugar, Thomson and Hills jam factory, employing 70 hands, has had to close down on two days a week. Tho attention of Air Philson, local manager of the Colonial Sugar Company, was directed to this, and to the difficulties being encountered in Nelson by Kirkpatrick and Co. in the same respect. Mr Philson said ho had no knowledge of the matter, and, so far as ho knew, jam factories wore receiving sugar “to keep going.” He added that tho company was unable to supply companies with sugar for speculative purposes.