Vol. XVII. No. io-: 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS 



415 



Therefore we quote. nomiQally: — 

 Fine to Fully Fine 72c!, f.o.b. and freight 



iiK<ii:(;iAs AND FLOEiDAS. The market in Savaq,nah. 

 and throughout the interior, has remained very quiet, with 

 limited demand. 



Under the present disorganized and unsettled conditions 

 of business everywhere, there is a general indisposition to 

 do anything, and in consequence, it is impossible to give any 

 ■established quotations. The sales reported are made at very 

 irregular prices, cepending upon the requirements or wishes 

 of the holders of the unsold stock, which is accumulating 

 at all interior points. 



We can buy to-day, in a limited way: — 



Fancy 65i!. f.o.b. and freight. 



Extra Choice 64c. ,, ,, ,. 



The exports from Sivannali for the week have been 

 to Northern ilills 82(5 bales; and from .Jacksonville to the 

 Northern ilills, 253 bales. 



The shipments from Savannah were largely made by 

 ■George H. McFadden ^v- Bros.' Agency, which are reported 

 to be Government cotton held there on storage, and now 

 being forwarded. 



THE JAMAICA IMPERIAL ASSOCIATION. 



At the quarterly meeting of the Council of this Asso- 

 ciation, held at Kingston, .laraaica, on October 16, 1918, 

 the report of the work of the Executive ( 'ommittee of the 

 Association was presented. 



This refjort is dealt with in the Jamaica G/c'iiier, 

 ■October 19, 1918, from which the following items are taken, 

 showing the activity of the Association, and the benefits 

 likely to accrue to the colony from its public spirited etforts. 



Since the last meeting of the ( 'ouncil on June 26 the 

 Executive Committee of the Association has devoted itself 

 particularly to etl'orts looking to the maintenance and devel- 

 opment of Jamaica industries. The most important of these 

 efforts may be arranged under the following heads: — 



(1) The obtaining of shipping facilities for Jamaica. 



(2) The development of the sugar industry. 



(3) The procuring of a better price for Jamaica sugar. 



The .juestion of shipping facilities for the removal of pro- 

 ■duce from the outports has also been engaging the Executive 

 Committee's attention. Representations on this matter have 

 been made to the proper authorities, and it is confidently 

 hoped and believed that satisfactory arrangements will be 

 made to facilitate exports. 



The Executive Committee, in view of the fact that 

 nothing had been done for over a year to settle on practical 

 lines the central sugar factories ijnestion. decided to take this 

 question up with the Governor in connexion with the Jamaica 

 Sugar Committee. The Chairman of the .lamaica Sugar 

 Committee was accordingly invited lo associate himself with 

 the Executive Committee for the purpose of urging upon the 

 Governor the necessity of pushing on with a programme of 

 sugar development. A lengthy letter, tracing the history of 

 the sugar development n.ovement in Jamaica from October 

 19U, was prepared and des|)atched lo His Excellency. As the 

 Secretary of State for the Colonies did not acceiit the scheme 

 prepared by Sir Francis Watts, and adopted by the Legisla- 

 tive Council, but had insisted upon permanent Government 

 control in any central factory scheme and also upon the 



' foverument sharing the promts of such venture (unless one- 

 trfth of the money required were found by cane farmers inter- 

 ested in a central factory), the Executive Committee with th* 

 Chairman of the •'ainaiea Sugar Committee, thought it a^lvis- 

 able to support the original scheme of the Sugar Committee. 

 That, as generally known, provides for a division of tb»- 

 profils between the Government and the cane farmers as 

 follows: the canes to be purchased by the cane farmers on a 

 -■J per cent, basis, 25 percent, of the net profits of the under- 

 taking to go to the Government in perpetuity, and 75 per 

 cent, to go to the cune farmers. In regard to parishes which 

 may already have an established sugar industry, and which 

 may desire to amalgamate their several concerns into one or 

 two great centra! factories, tlie proposal is that ti.s Govern- 

 ment should advance them two-thirds of the capital required, 

 on their giving adequate security for the repayment of the 

 loan. 



His Excellency has, since the receipt of the Committee's 

 letter, had an interview with the i hairman of the Associa- 

 tion, and has made some counter suggestions to be considered 

 by the representatives of the Imperial Association and the 

 Jamaica Sugar (.ommittee. It is understood that His. 

 Excellency is prepared to push on with sugar developments 

 on the basis of the scheme which will .shortly be placed before 

 the sugar producers and the country. 



In view also of the danger of the island's depending oa 

 the banana industry in the future as much as it did in the 

 past, the Executive (.ommittee is strongly of the opinion 

 that no means should be neglected of placmg Jamaica's sugar 

 industry on a broad and stable foundation without delay. 



It was recently brought to the attention of the Executive 

 Committee that Cuban sugar producers obtained a better 

 price f.o.b. for their sugar than the sugar producers of 

 Jamaica. The Committee at once took this matter up with 

 the local Government, with the Sugar Commission of London, 

 with the West India t.'.ommittee, and with Mr. ■!. R Bruce of 

 the International Sugar Commission of Canada. It also 

 communicated with the Chambers ot Commerce of Barbados, 

 Demerara, Trinidad, and .Vntigua, asking their co- operation 

 and the co-operation of their several Governments in 

 its eti'orts to obtain a better price for Jamaica sugar. 

 The Government of Jamaica has supported, on the 

 Executive Committee's request, this move on the part 

 of the Jamaica Imperial Associaiion; and the Chambers of 

 of Commerce in the colonies mentioned have promptly 

 CO operated with this Association in this matter. The Sugar 

 Commission of London replied to the .\s.sociation to the 

 eti'ect that 'f.o.b. prices for I'.ritish West Indian sugars will 

 be governed by prices fixed for Cuban crop, which, however, 

 have not yet been determined.' 



The difficulty of esta'es obtaining machinery at present 

 is another matter that has been brought particularly to tha 

 Executive Committee's attention. The Committee has there- 

 fore made it known to those approaching it in this matter 

 that it will do its very best to place the needs of Jamaica for 

 machinery before ihe Imperial Authorities. 



With regard to agricultural implements, the Associatioa 

 has moved the West India CommiUee to eudeavcmr to obtaia 

 the steel necessary for the making of such implementa. 



Cotton cultivation to a limited extent his been tried ia 

 Ijiueensland with success,, 16,977 tti. having been accepted by 

 the Department of Agriculture in May 1918 as against 

 10.1(i3 B). in May 1917. (Th B-i^ifd aj Tnid< Journal^ 

 October 31, 1918.) 



