PRODUCING BEET SUGAR.

Waikato Times, Volume 98, Issue 15313, 14 August 1923, Page 9

PRODUCING BEET SUGAR.

AMERICAN EXPERT TO REPORT.

THOUGHT MELBOURNE HAD 8000 PEOPLE. To the list of surprised Americans who have “discovered” Australia must be added the name of Mr W. C. Graham, of Denver, Colorado, who has been commissioned by the Victorian Government to report on the beet sugar industry at Maffra (says the Argus). Mr Graham arrived in Melbourne recently. He said that until shortly before leaving the United States he had imagined Melbourne to contain about 8000 people. “Kangarooes and gold diggers are the associations which the average American conjures up, when Australia is mentioned,” remarked MrGraham. “I did not dream for an instant that tills was the city to which I was coming. You oughlto advertise. The world knows nothing about you.” Since the inception of tho beet sugar industry in America, about 25 years ago, Mr Graham has been intimately connected with it in various capacities, lie is at present acting as consulting engineer. Beet sugur was making slow but steady progress in Ihc United States, lie said. Ab,out onequarter of the sugar now consumed there was beet sugar. In 1920 the production of beet sugar reached 1,000,000 tons; last year it was somewhat smaller, being in the region of 700,000 tons. One hundred beet sugar factories were operating; the majority being in Colorado. These had all been built since the beginning of this century. Sugar is selling in America at 11 cents a lb retail. According to Mr Graham this represents a slight decrease on recent prices. Wholesale, the rate for beet sugar is 10 cents a hundred pounds less than cane sugar.

Mr Graham pointed out that the growth of sugar beet provided byproducts, such as molasses, crushed beet, and beet tops, which could be used for fattening stock and feeding dairy cattle. From this fact he advanced the claim that, including the resultant beef, milk and butter, sugar beet produced to the acre more food for human consumption than any other crop. He knows nothing of the conditions which he will find at Maffra, and little yet of the work which he will be expected to carryout. He expects to remain in Victoria for about three months.