The times., 1899-12-31

Louis Stern, Commercial Agent at Bam-
| beg, Germany. has sent to the state De-
/ partment q long communication regarding
the sugar markets OF Germany. He writes
| as follows:
''The last sugar conference at Brussels
having passed of without bringing about
any result the proposition was made in
I Germany, from a private quarter, to effect
the abolition of the sugar bounty by the
division, in a fixed proportion, Of the va
rfous sugar consuming countries among the
sugar producing states. This proposition,
| the execution Of which is scarcely to be
thought of seriously, is based upon the
! consideration that the bounty is conse-
quence Of international competition, and
that consequently the only means OF en-
tirely doing away with the bounty is 10
do away with the competition.
"The execution of the project would
naturally mean radical interference with
international economy. and it may well be
| assumed that the various producing states
/ interested in this question viii not agree
/ to such an arrangement. 1t is true that
I the unbridled liberty Of commerce in the
markets Of the world, and the competition
caused thereby, has pre- eminently contrib
uted to bring about and extend the sugar
/ bounties; but even supposing the competi-
/ ton between the European beet-sugar
states could be abolished by means of an
international agreement, like the one pro-
posed, there would yet remain the great
struggle between beet sugar and cane
sugar. The losses sustained by the Ger
man sugar industry in the last fifteen
years must be attributed in part, at least
to the competition of cane sugar.
Germany has. from 1859 TO ISlS. ex-
/ ported about S.4C0 000 tons Of sugaT-that
/ is, nearly so per cent of the entire German
! sugar production. This expectation has,
( however, only been rendered possible by
I the opening Of the English and tempo
/ rarily, the United States markets. Il
! reached its climax in the case of our
country in 1S97-i g., before he new tariff
/ came into force. Altogether the expOrta-
| tion of sugar upon bounty from Germany
! has been as follows:
/ Eighteen hundred and eighty-nine raw
/ 3i9.3i0 tons; refined, 1I2IIS tons; 1890
/ raw, 545. 5SS tons: refined go 65I tons:
1891, raw. 5365l5 tons; refined, 219 C63
/ tens; 1899. raw. 1881 tons; refined,
/ 23l $50 tons; 1888 raw, 43S1S9 tons. re-
fined, 265 1iI tons; 1894, raw, 1928 tons;
/ refined. 500 33l tons; 1880 raw, 4II539
tons; refined. 415,ae5 tons; 1880. raw. $50
1 369 tons refined, 402, I3l tons; 1897, raw,
! 6Sl,5l6 tons; refined 45S,9l1 tons lSgS,
raw, 5i666O tons; refined, 51442e tons.
According TO these figures. if is above
| all the expectation OF refined sugar that
has increased. The value Of the whole Of
the German sugar exports is estimated at
| $50 60O 600 for the past year as against
S54.700, 600 in 1887 S56,3G0,0 600 in 1896. and
S3S 100000 in 1889 The bounties paid were
S4,3S000G in 1886 $6l00, coo in 1S96-97,
| and S,735, 900 in lSg7-gS.
The bulk of German sugar exports EOes
| TO England where the consumption per
head Of The population is about three times
as large as in Germany. England received
! from Germany during the last five years
/ 1881. 5r9 i4i tons valued az Sil too 900;
! 1898, GSS .g.I tons. valued al S33. 100 00g,
1896, 5l7.l63 tons. valued az $50 500 coo;
/ 1897 5II.596 tons, valued al SIS au3.D0l,
and 1895 $50 go tons, valued at 81 2e0 90.
/ Germany sugar exports 90 the United
States have been; 1924. us O63 tons, valued
at S6.33J. eco: 1850 SIf3Y tons valued a-
$3,Sg0 coo; 1896, aI6.2a6 tons. valued az
SIG lCG. coo; 1897. 316.Zs toLs valued IL
$I6.GlI0o0, and ISsS, -l9.5l6 toas. valued az
{ $yrbNNFNtt-
The efforts of our Government % st.mu-
late the home production OF sugar VII no
doubt lead TO a furthe. decrease O. Ger
man exports TO the United States.
There has also been clu4ldeCab.. tal.-
ing oil OF Jne exports Of German sugar @
the Netherlands until 1925 ranking ta.y
among the important markets .o- that
article. At the present time the shipments
amount 20 only the tenth Of their former
size They We're, in 1894 1.i6S ton a
1888, 417J tons; in 1896 2.-6l tons, ID
1897, 1924 tons, and in 1898. 76S tons.
Belgium, too, received 1850 tors o..
German sugar fifteen years ago. bar oH y
sos tons last year. Iu Sweden. as "aIl Is
in Belgium. the duty upon Sugar has ..el
raised several times, and the home
duction of sugar benefited 10y rot IHlou~- l.
erable concessions in taxation. The beet
culture has. in consequence attaiIed sr
dimensions in thaJ country that ar tie
present day the requirements Of the home
market can be supplied by the twenty or "a
sugar factories Of the country although
Sweden's sugar consumption has IL a. y