388 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



I >» EMBEB t, 1915. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



THE ANTIGUA SUGAR FACTORY. 



In the recently issued number of the Weti Indian 

 Bulletin (Vol. \V. No. -i. there appears a review by 

 Dr. Franci Watts oi ten yt irs wort oi the Antigua Sugai 

 Factory (G mth irpes). Seeing that some measure of Govern- 

 ment a was given to this factory with a view to 

 obtaining information, from actual working, of the manner in 

 which modern factories might be substituted for the musco- 

 vado works existing in the smaller colonies, and whether this 

 substitution would prove both a safe and sound form of 

 advance, results of ten .years' working are of particular 

 significance. 



The conditions under which the factory was established 

 are stated, and its equipment bo£h at the outset and at the 

 present time detailed. 



It had its origin in a series of agreements between 

 a group of owners of sugar estates and a Company formed 

 in London. I nder these the Company agreed to erect and 

 work a sugu factory capable of making not less than 3,000 

 tons of sugar in a season of 100 working days, and the 

 estates' proprietors agreed to supply the canes from stated 

 numbers of acres for a perod of fifteen years. They were to 

 receive as a firsl payment for their canes the value of 4itt>. of 

 96° sugar for every 1001b. of canes, and at the end of each 

 season they were to receive a further payment resulting from 

 the division between the cane suppliers of one-half the profits 

 of the factory after proper charges had been made for working 

 expenses, interest and sinking fund. Should the price of 

 sugar be such that the first payment on the -UK), basis failed 

 to reach 10?. per ton of canes, then the first payment was to 

 be made up to that sum at the close of the season before any 

 division of profits. 



It is shown that the history of the factory has been one 

 of steady growth, as indicated by the output of sugar in each 

 year, which has been as follows: — 



full information is given with regard to the cost of the 

 factory and its financial standing. The growth in output 

 shown above has been accompanied by a corresponding 

 increase in the equipment of the factory with its concom- 

 lnitaut increase in capital cost, so that whereas in the firsl 

 year of working it is stated that the cost of the factory 

 with its railway was £15,359, in 1911 the cost had risen to 

 £102,961. 



It is shown that during this period of ten years, the 

 total amount paid in Debenture interest was £13,661, while 

 £6,013 was paid in interest other than Debenture interest, 

 and the Loss on Exchange amounted to £2,359. 



The total profits paid to the shareholders .luring this 

 period amounted in the aggregate to £34,113. As this sum 

 is equivalent to half profits, it follows from the terms of the 



Contracts that a similar amount was paid to the Original 



Contracting Proprietors supplying canes. 



Detail are given showing the quantity of canes dealt 

 with in each year, and the amount of sugar manufactured 

 therefrom. During the whole period I77,6f,s tonsof canes 

 have been dealt with, and these produced 50,474 tons oi grey 

 crystal ,-aigar, so that the output of sugar was 10'57 percent. 



of the weight of cane, or one ton of sugar was made, on the 

 average, from 9-462 tons of cane. 



The price paid for canes, including the bonuses 



representing the cane suppliers' share of profits, has been as 



follow- 



The cost of manufacturing the sugar is given in detail 

 for each year. From this information the following summary 

 is extracted. The total expenditure in the factory has been 

 £130,000 or £2 11*. 6rf. per ton of sugar: that on the 

 railway in hauling canes, sugar; and supplies has been 

 £25,425, or 10s. Q$d. per ton of sugar: while administrative 

 charges amount, to £9,057, or 3s, Id. per ton of sugar. The 

 total cost of manufacturing a ton of sugar, inclusive of 

 haulage of canes, sugar ami supplies, was ».'•'! 5s. \\d. per ton. 



Useful details are given with respect to the work of the 

 mills and the manufacture of the sugar. These ire of such 

 general interest as to warrant the repi idn tion of the 

 following table: — 



Year. 



L905 



I '.mm; 



1907 



191 IS 



1909 

 1910 

 1911 

 1912 

 L913 

 1914 



B 



(j E | 



89-2 



s.3-0 

 87-3 



85-8 

 86-8 

 SI -2 

 839 

 33-0 

 SI -7 



— c 



72 



CI 

 — 



O 



= 6 



^ CJ 



-J 



s - 



•f. 



151 15-3 



L5-2 I I- 1 



151 111 



15-2 I I-:; 



lot; 1 1-2 





15-9 

 15 S 

 175 

 1 7 7 

 166 



I 17 

 I 11 

 1 1-2 

 I 2 9 

 13-5 



125 

 11-3 



12- 1 



12:: 

 1 1 ••-. 



12-.. 

 121 

 12-1 

 lis 

 122 



■ oo o 

 : o 



c: 



be ~ 





- 



= 

 f. 



81-7 



82-7 

 si- 1 

 85-8 

 84-6 

 85-5 

 85 7 

 84-9 

 911 

 90-6 



•- o 



1 — 



D2-2 

 1032 



si I I 



71-6 

 717 

 711 

 70.3 

 59-1 

 :•,<;■<; 



12-s 



Attention may be called to some ol thcsalienl features. It 

 IS seen that the amount of fibre contained in the canes is very 

 high, and th.it in the thr ' rs it rose 1 unexpected 



