, 1873-03-22

produce, which Inc lluflCeu supply Vi Id
bour would alone render OF more impor-
lance than increase of quantity. But there
is another circumstance which may soon
make a necessity what is now merely desir-
able-I mean the reduction of Sugar duties
in England.
s45-It is possible hat the increased pro-
duction simulated by that measure will be
only in proportion TO the increase in de-
mand created by lower prices. If, how-
ever, it should prove otherwise, as is the
generally received opinion among mer-
chants. and there should be in consequence
q general fall in prices, the chief sufferers
would be the producers of inferior sugar,
such as is almost exclusively exported
from this colony. For their margin Of
profit being smaller, they could less afford
to lose any portion of it.
s46-Fears on this head were becoming
general among the planters last year, but
have for the time subsidized, in conse-
ouence of a rise in the market, and the
indications of movement which they
prompted have for the most part disap-
peared.
'47-High prices have, however, almost
invariably followed great European wars;
and there may be at present another eX-
ceptional cause for them. Though high as
regards the profit to the producer, they are
YET, by the reduction of the duty, low to
the consumer. Increased demand has pro-
badly been the immediate result of this
cheapness, while the eff cts of the new sti-
mulus to production have not yet had time
to show themselves fully. Il, therefore,
the above fears had any ground at all, there
appears no sufficient reason to justify their
removal.
'48-But whether the profits of agricul-
ture and, as a consequence, the prosperity
of the Colony are in danger or not, there
can be no doubt that improvement in the
quality of produce is of the first import
ance and the only question to be solved
is as to the means OF improvement best suit
ed to the circumstances of the Colony.
'49-The estates here are, for the most
part, too small to support, singIy, cxpen-
sive works such as produce the cry8tllIised
sugar of Demerara; and on this account
the cooperative system which has achiev-
ed extraordinary results in the neighbour
ing colony of Martinique, would appear to
offer by far the best prospect of success.
'5O-That system, having as yet been
introduced into no English West India
Colony, is probably little known in Eng
land, and therefore a short description of it
as compared with that which is supplant-
ed, may not be out Of place.
'51-Its chief distinctive feature is the
entire separation of agriculture from manu-
facture. Though cooperation has proved
useful for the introduction of the system,
and has tended greatly to enchance its
profits, it is not essential to it.
'52-Before this innovation, every Sugar
planter in the West Indies was also a man
ufacturer. He not only grew Canes, but
ground them and turned their juice into
Sugar.
'53-Such a system cannot be otherwise
than a w~asteful one. If every farmer was
also a miller and a baker, it may, 1 pre-
sumo, be taken as certain that wheat
would be less abundant, and bread worse
and dearer, while the profits of produc-
ton would be less. Aud yet the West
India planter has combined occupations
even more %incongruous, as being singly
more difficult. For the ordinary a~nxieties
attending cultivation and manufacture are,
in this case, complicated by peculiar diff
culties connected with labour and
climate and, apart from these, even the
common process Of Sugar making in
wolves no easy task. Though there have