THE AGKICULTURAL NEWS. 



January 12, 1918. 



leaat as regards climate and probably soil, being very 

 similar to one another. 



It would be a very false idea, to assume that 

 because of their small size and relative unimportance, 

 these islands could be exempt from economic laws. It 

 is true that legislation under war conditions has 

 taken great strides in a socialistic direction, and that, 

 even after the war, it may not be possible for any man 

 to produce just what he pleases, and as he pleases. 

 But it is most improbable that under any circumstances 

 the price of a product like suu;ar would be legislatively 

 fi.\ed higher than necessary, <mly for the benefit of 

 the small producer. It is to be hoped that in the 

 future it will be impossible for any commercial 

 'tnist' or 'ring" to squeeze out small producers by any 

 fictitious lowering of prices with a view of a forced rise 

 to follow at the ultimate cost of the consumer. 

 Although therefore it may happen that the minimum 

 prices of necessary commodities may be fi.xed by 

 Givemment Departments when peace conditions once 

 more obtain, as they have been fi.xed to meet war 

 beeds, yet it appears certain that any such regulations 

 will be made with a view to the benefit of the 

 greatest number, i.e. the consumers, and that any 

 commodity will have to be produceil at the lowest 

 cost possible. In any such legislation it would be 

 alinost certain that the wage earners will receive 

 great attention, and that minimum wages will be 

 fixed, if minimum prices are. 



Now, in view of these con.siderations, is it possi- 

 ble that the sugar-cane industry of these islands can 

 continue, and expand, as it certainly might do, within 

 Reasonable limits' 



One of the chief reasons of the rapid decline of the 

 giigar-cane industry in the trying times of the latter 

 part of the last century was, as regards most of the 

 islands, the low rate of wages. This was not altogether 

 the fault of employers. Those who kept on growing 

 and making sugar were doing so more often than not 

 at a loss, and with the probability of final ruin facing 

 them. They could not pay liett'.r wages because they 

 had not the moans of doing so. On the other hand, the 

 West Indian labourer, though accepting the situation 

 more or le.ss calmly, very naturally gave only a litlK^ 

 work for his little wage. And liirther, the industrious 

 ones emigrated in numbers to jjlaces like the Panama 

 Zone, .Santo Domingo, ami even to the Tnited States 

 and Canada, where although the work was harder, and 

 the cost of living higher, the wages to be earned were 

 ali^o much more. The result w.is that in most of the 

 islands the labour siipplv il.t.i innitiil both in (juality 

 and i)uantity. 



In considering the ipn'stion of the future cost 

 of sugar production, attention will have to be paid 

 to the wages side. The end to be striven for 

 is a fair day's work to command a fair day's 

 wage, which will enable all employt'S in field or 

 factory to live healthily and contentedly. What the 

 rate of wage should be can only be settled by careful 

 consideration and co-operation. We feel convinced 

 that one great solution of the labour question will be 

 the increase of individual man-power by a scale of 

 wages which will be an incentive to indixidual industry. 



But the ijuestion still remains how the plan- 

 ter, in face of the certain return to normal prices for 

 sugar, are to increase their wage bill. This it seems 

 can only be done by increased production, and by 

 lowering the cost of production in other directions. 

 To begin with the production of the raw material: the 

 tonnage of canes per acre can be increased, and ought 

 to be increased. Where plant canes are concerned, any 

 thing less than 30 tons an acre should be considered 

 too low. Planters will have to strive continually for 

 better results, and not to remain passive, with the 

 notion that what was good enough ten years ago is 

 good enough still. It is a good omen that there are 

 signs of a progressive attitude of mind, and a readiness 

 to try new methods manifest among the planters. This 

 appears to have been a good result of hard times. It 

 is to be hoped that the sunshine of present prosperity 

 will not cause any diminution of alertness of mind and 

 effort. 



The process of manufacturing the cane juice into 

 sugar has of late years been brought to a high state 

 of efficiency in some cases in these smaller islands, as 

 the report on the Antigua and St. Kitts Factories, in 

 No. 40.") of this .Journal, shows. It may pay perhaps 

 in the future completely to refine the sugar at its 

 place of origin as a further step in progress. In this 

 direction, however, it may be well to point out that 

 there may be a po.ssibility of making better use of 

 what may be termed by-proilucts. Should alcohol 

 largely take the place of petrol for use in motor 

 engines, which seems at least very possible, 

 the manufacture of this for commercial pur- 

 poses from the molasses, might well form a remun- 

 erative adjunct to every sugar factory. Agai'n, it may 

 be possible in the future that it will be ri.'iimnerative 

 to recover the wa\ on cane stems, or the salts from 

 megass, or to utilize the latter for paper making. So 

 that even the sugar manufacturer has no reason to 

 cease from efforts alter progress. 



