, 1880-05-08
DEMERARA...
(Fr0m the Sugar Camel

sugar duties, for, on the nature of the next
customs tariff will depend whether our trade
in sugar with the States is to continue or
cease. Under the existing tariff, until it was
modified by a recent irregular order issued BY
the Treasury, sugar was classified in the GUS
tomhouse for its rate of duty by colour only,
and it was quite 10 accordance with modern
commercial tactics that the American reflaers
should take as much advantage of this CLASH
fcation as its incompleteness rendered posi-
BILE. They sent here and arranged with our
planters to make vacuum pan sugar of high
saccharine richness but of a GLOW" colour;
and simply by allowing the dirt to remain in
the juice and abstaining from any attempt at
DELEGATION, the planters produced a sugar
polarising $50 and upwards, but Of so dark a
colour that it was admitted into the States
at low rate Of duty. Once 10, the re6ners
had only to wash it, to render it fit to be ex-
ported as q high class sugar, entitled 20
much higher drawback than the amount of
duty paid on it when it was introduced. When
this "blaok sugar" trade came to be under
stood, the customs authorities in the States
rushed to the conclusion that the sugars were
being artifcially coloured here, and on that
assumption they seized some cargoes in Balti-
more and New York, and laid a charge of
fraud against the importers. The Baltimore
Cdoo Cdln0 vi III u COuloc3 QCloiC q July III
the importers were declared innocent of all
fraud, but the jury he'd to the belief that
the sugar had been arti6cially coloured IN.
known to the importers. The rider Of the
verdict was not in accordance with the report
Of the men accredited to this colony by the
United States to inspect the manufacture OF
the sugar in question, aud who had had the
amplest opportunities afforded them by the
planter to follow the process from the cane
carrier to the vacuum pan. Three times,
"black sugar" commissioners have investigated
the manufacture, and on each occasion the
report has been uureservedly in favour of the
planters. 1t is rather surprising, therefore,
In the face of th ese results to learn by a tele-
gram received to-day from the States and pub
lished in another column, that an agent of the
United States Treasury has declared his abili-
ty to produce a letter from SIR Michael Hicks
Beach, (Which contains admissions from
Demerara as to the correctness of the Treasu.
RVS view on the subject of the artificial colour
ing of sugar" The general opinion here is
that the Treasury agent has committed him
self to a statement, which be will find impossi-
BILE to substantiate. The Secretary of State
for the Colonies has recently had submitted to
him a report from a Commission Of local Off
cials, appointed at the instance of the United
States Government, to report upon the dark
sugar manufacture, and though the report was
not made public here, it is we'll known that it
completely exculpateS the planters from all
attempt at fraud or unfair a%rtifoe. The dark
ness of the quality of sugar in dispute is due
not to artificial cOlouring, but to the total
absence Of artificial delegation, or of any
attempt whatsoever to cleanse the Juice from
its impurities during the process of boiling
and the importers hold that they were justified
in avaI)iDg themselves of the opportunity offer
ed by the United States Gastoms tariff to-
introduce this nature colo675d sugar, and
making a legitimate profit by exporting it
after it had passed through their machinery.
The framing of an equitable and more s%oienti-
fc sugar tariff will be the best way of termi-
mating these dark sugar disputes Roy0L
Gazette. 49,. ua
The West Indian, referring to the above
letter, makes the following observations -
1t is a curious illustration of the mode of
levying the duty on sugar, and the trickery
resorted to for the purpose of evasion and,
in regard to the Colonial producer, how he
is constrained to make an inferior sugar, to
obtain admittance in the foreign markets. Yet
in the face of this, he is charged by the Pro
duce Markets RcUieac, and other organs in the
interest of the beet-root manufacturers, with
neglecting the methods in use for the improve
ment Of the quality of the sugar.
nsd1ETfIi GERMANY.
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