The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-04-29
RESULTS OF BRUSSELS
CONFERENCE ON SUGAR
Consul Heenan Tells How 1t
Affects Russia.
Internal Measures Favored to Render
the Industry in the Cars Domains
Independent of Worlds Market.

The beet sugar conference, which re-
Gently closed its sessions at Brussels, ar
rived at an agreement which, il Endorsed
by the countries represented at the con-
ference, will abolish all bounties on
sugar in 1903. This information has been
sent to the State Department by Consul
Heenan at Odessa, who says:
1T was also agreed, subject to the same
Endorsements, that the duty on sugar i'm
ported into each Of these countries should
be fixed at IS cents per 100 pounds. Should
this agreement be ratifed-of which there
is considerable doubt-the price of sugar
would at once rise il the markets Of the
world for the reason that the annual pro
duction would be Iargerly curtaiIed.
The current production OF beet sugar
in Europe, according to the latest statis-
tics, amounts to over 6,0G0.0 600 tons, which
exceeds the consumption by more than
900 900 tons The countries represented
at the conference were Germany, Austria
Hungary. France, Belgium, Holland, Swe-
den, Denmark, and Roumania. When the
result of the conference was announced.
Roumania withdrew
Russia was not represented at the con-
ference says the consul, but the action
of that body was closely watched here,
and the results are even now agitating Of
fetal circles. Russia has the largest area
under cultivation IN the quantity OF beet
root used and sugar produced; and stands
lowest in the yield Of roots and of sugar,
and third in the percentage Of sugar to
the weight of beet. The action of the con-
ference must naturally have an effect on
the sugar industry Of Russia, though the
official NJ the declares
that Russia VIII not enter into any kind
of agreement which in any way attacks
her tariff policy and the organization
her industry Instead OF such an agree
ment, a series Of internal measures are
recommended which. it is hoped, viii rem
der the sugar industry OF Russia indie
pendent of the worlds market.
The export Of Russian sugar to west
eTn Europe is comparatively small but
its export to Eastern countries is large.
and the countries represented at the con
ference viii certainly endeayor to secure
share OF this trade It would not he
difficult for Russia TO use up its present
export of sugar in the home market: the
consumption per capita is very small and
the cost to the consumer IS ahuo-mally
high. The Government fixes the price
al which sugar may be sold in Russia
According to Russian calculations. the
sugar industry loses annually on the eX-
ports to western Europe over s., 600, 600,
or about Is koDeCks 6 CentsD on every
pood t361 pounds) OF sugar produced. The
profits on the sales in the home market
are so large that this less is not felt An
order from the Government lowering the
price Of sugar in the home market would
speedily result in such improV ement in
the cultivation of the beet root and in
the method OF manufacture as would
make the cost of production very much
less than at present
1T is also stated in the official organs
that the production should be curtailed.
as ii is abnormal In view Of the small
consumption Of sugar per capita in Russia,
this statement excites surprise. The en-
tire sugar surplus of this country does
not exceed Is TO II per cent and. at
lower price. it would be readily consumed
by the population"