48 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO BULLETIN. [XVIIL 2. 



sugar used in the United Kingdom 23 tons of foreign grown sugar were 

 used, and of theie 23 tons, no less than 18 came from Germany and 

 Austria. So serious was the sugar situation that very shortly after 

 the war commenced, the Hozne Government bought 1,000,000 tons 

 of sugar, about as much as the colony exports in twenty years, and it 

 continued to buy sugar on a similarly large scale during the duration 

 of the war Now the Government was only able to get very little of 

 the sugar from within the British Empire. It was compelled to go 

 outside and some of the countries to which it went are those with which 

 we have to compete in the future. 



CUBAN SUGAR OUTPUT. 



For example, Cuba, a West India Island not very far away from 

 us, has made wonderful strides lately. Ten years ago Cuba produced 

 about 1,500,000 tons. This year it is producing the enormous crop 

 of 4,000,000 tons (of 2,000 lb.), as much as we produce in about 70 

 vears. Cuba has several mills each of which makes more sugar than 

 the whole of Trinidad r.r/. in 1915-16 eleven mills ivaking 40-60,000 

 Ions, three making 60 to 80,000 and two 80-100,000. Cuba, although 

 it has done so well is not resting content but is still working hard 

 to develop its sugar industry and hopes, T see it reported, to reach 

 8,000,000 within the next ten years. We cannot dream of doing 

 anything on this scale in Trinidad. We have not the land nor the 

 labour. In 1917 our record yeai", we made nearly 71,000 tons and 

 the cane farmers were paid over ^1,000,000 for their share of the 

 crop. If we could increase our crop to 100,000 tons it would mean 

 at least another $250,000 in the pockets of the cane farmers. 



To this we must increase tlie capacity of our factories ; increase 

 the efliciency of our factories ; improve our cultivation, grow the best 

 possible varieties of canes. 



The capacity and ethciency of the factories are not within your 

 control as cane farmers. You may, however, rely on the owners doing 

 all they can in these matters. When sugar is paying the more you 

 make the greater the profit. With more efficient milling and a 

 higher recovery of sugar from the juice, less canes are required to 

 make a ton of sugar. This interests you because the factory which 

 has to use 12 tons of cane.^ to m^ke a ton of sugar cannot pay so 

 much for a ton of cane, as the one which can make a ton of sugar 

 from 10 tons of the same quality cane. About 10 tons at the Usine 

 Ste. Madeleine is the best we do in Trinidad but in some other countries 

 a ton of sugar is made from eight or even less tons of cane. In 

 countries where cane farmers work on a larger scale than here it is 

 possible to fix a sliding scale for canes according to the richness of tlieir 

 juice. With our small areas that is not practicable but the factories 

 can control the situation to some extent by refusing to take, or by 

 giving a lower price for canes known to be poor kinds. The way in 

 which you cane farmers can earn more money and make more profit 

 is mainly by giving more attention to your cultivation and so getting 

 more canes to the acre. 



A PLEA FOR INTENSIVE CULTIVATION. 

 There is a tendency all too common in Trinidad for many planters 

 both large and small to attempt to culti^•ate a larger acreage than they 



