, 1881-10-12

and of invested capital the planters here
have thus been enabled to produces sugar
on a system secure against any competl-
ton elsewhere. We nave spoken of the
merits of their method of growing cane
and Of extracting the sugar; they are
equally successful in the converting this
crude Saccharine matter into portable raw
sugar and, further. in refining this again
into edible sugar. The ordinary boiling
down process is finished off by means of
the vacuum. pan and much of the sugar
so finished passes through the centrifugal
machine, and reaches the home market to
be put directly on the table of the consu.
mer to the great CONSERVATION OF many
of our English refiners.
At the present moment there is great
Importance in the question of the prOduc-
ton here of expOrtable raw sugars for
certain markets. The United States offer
a market of great extent. Within the
States is grown only one-eighth of the sugar
consumed, and not less than 100000
tons are needed ever now each year.
But the Americans are e~ndeavOuring by
a system of duties to "foster" the indus.
try of sugar refining, and the West Indies,
British Guiana foremost among the num-
Der, would faiu supply these wants of the
United States. But there are endless
complexities involved in any connecting
of sugar with fiscal schemes, and the
United States Treasury has fallen foul Of
the United States refining industries.
Some standard had to be adopted for the
levying of the duties, and the choice fell
OH the Dutch or colour standard. Among
others, the Demerara planters soon dis
covered the making Of q "black' sugar
eminently suited to this standard The
Treasury authorities soon discovered an
excessive richness in this sugar, which
proved the futility of colour as a test of
strength. They at once started the idea
that this b~lackneSS was adulteratlon
for purposes Of entering under the
lesser duties. The TIE tsufy based
protests on this idea, and as II consequence
Government inquiries have been instituted.
1t is noticeable that this Treasury protest
is obviously contrary to the interests OF
the American r~efners, for its object is to
prevent raw sugar of great richness from
entering the States at a peculiarly low
duty. However, now inquiries have been
made with the aid Of the best authorities
of scientific chemists, of practical sugar.
makers, ofprOfeSSi0na discoveries Of frauds,
and the general result has been to prove
that, 50 far from being artificially or
fraudulently cOlOured, this ''b]ack" sugar
is in reality far less "chemicaln than those
white crystals made for the Copenhagen
or the yellow made for the English mar.
ket. In these latter classes the vegetable
matter, naturally inherent and giving the
black colour, has been taken out by sui.
phuric or the improved salicylic acid pro.
cesses. British Guiana planters have
thus produced a sugar which is exactly
that wanted by United states and Can.
adian r~einers, but if the Treasures of
these countries interfere and prevent the
~refnerS enjoying these advantages, British
Guiana planters will no longer produce
these particular sugars, but turn their at
tention to penetrating the protective tariffs
with highly refined crystals which will at
once and directly compete in the local
market with the productions OF the local
~retinerS.
In British Guiana, the cost of producing
sugar inclusive, that is, of the capital
invested in machinery, in land, in stores,
and of the money expended in la5our,
superintendent, and so ~forth-varieS, OF
course, with the particular kind of sugar
turned out in the works, There are com.
mon process raw sugars that fetch EGO in
the English market, and there are the
best Demerara crystals the home price OF
which often approaches $50 the ton. The
cost of production in the colony varies,
with the kind of sugar produced, from ES
uD to 9I6 the ton. The costs of transfer
ence to the English market need mover
exceed Ga. 1t is certain that beet-grOwers
can never destroy the facilities which ma
1900 I.,,o ofrarc for tho Jnrnd,ot;OO Of SUGAR.