, 1885-06-13
THE G. PROBLEM.
From the Argosy.)

raw beet sugar to England to be refined
instead of refining it themselves and
would you have an answer ready IT the
question were put to yOurself7 1t cannot be
because the English ~refiners are more skill
full or have q greater command OF labour,
neither is it because Goals and machinery
are cheaper in London than in Berlin. 1t
Is not because beet sugar by itself is a
very poor sort of stuff, and the cane sugar
that is required to mix with it is cheaper
than almost any where in the world
English refiners van beet crystals to work
upon, because the lower and cheaper
grades OF cane sugar are of too dark a
colour to be prOftably refined alone, and
therefore they out-bid their continental
rivals in their own markets if they could
get a plentiful supply of cheap grey crys-
tails from the West Indies they would ra-
Their nave nothing to do with beet. The
makers of m~uscovado sugar should be
looked up0n as traitors in the camp, they
not only supply the raw material that
enables the beet sugar to compete with
cane i'll the grocerS' shops, but it is a
material which is practically only useful
for that purpose. West Indian planters
instead Of talking about going over to
America should use the remedy that is i'll
their own hands and do all they can to es-
tablish central factories and to encourage
the practice of boiling in vacuO, even on
small estates where central factories are
not practicable. The reason why British
Guiana has nearly a monopoly of the
manufacture of what are called Demerara
crystals, is of course the want of water Ill
the Islands to cOndenSe the vapOur from
the vacuum pans; but this does not apply
with equal force to triple-effet plants. The
triple effet would furnish water sufficient
for it's W wants and II crystals could
not be manufactured with the trlple-ettet
alone, it could be made to supply water for
the vacuum pan too. Surface cOndenSerS
would probably be necessary, also a tank
for cooling the water for the next days
work. Centrifugal machines, steam EN-.
gines and boilers are not necessary the
points that serve to grind the canes can
also work an air pump; an auxiliary heat
ed-air engine would prevent any danger
from the wind dying Town after grinding
is finished and a common teache with a
cover on would supply steam to boil the
triple. The surface condenser would be
the same as what we call a juice heater,
only much larger in proportion, and tori
cellian vacuum would he used as much as
possible, the water being pumped back
for the condenSers by the wind, by an air
engine. or by hand. If such a process was
started in the Islands, the increased yield
of sugar would soon make it popular the
sugar made by it would be sure to find
favour with the ~refinerS in Canada, and
it's adoption would help the establishment
of close commercial relations with that
colony. Why is it that we DemerarianS
do not do more in that way ? When we ex
pected to make a treaty with the States,
the lesser proposal naturally gave way to
the greater, but now that hope is gone,
the other ought to be revived. The Cana
dams do not want our "fneSt straw" but
we might make concessions to them if
they would take grey sugar from us free
of duty.
Since writing the above I have read
"West Indian and Pacific Notes" from the
European Mail. The writer should have
set the example of keeping cool and
being sure OF the facts. His remarks,
which are worthy of Mr.. Giffin, certainly
do not apply to Demerara. All we ask
for is a free field and no favour. We did
not ask to be allowed to enter into a reel
procal treaty with America until redress
was refused us in England in the matter. of
the sugar bounties. The probability OF
the United States admitting all sugar free
is not a menace to us it is the best hope
we have and it is. with the expectation
of it's leading to that result that we wished
to see a treaty concluded. The writer OF