271 



Canadian refiners should not pay the -whole of the prefe-ential rebate, 

 as an extra return on the purchased price to the West Indiun grower. 

 Otherwise the Canadian refiners will get their supplies of British West 

 Indian sugar at nearly £1 per ton cheaper than anybody else, thereby 

 increasing their own protection to that extent at the expense of the 

 West Indies. 



Now, proceeded Sir Daniel, that the bounties had been abolished, 

 and as all sugars were on an equality in the Uuited States, he brought 

 the question forward because it should -be carefully considered in all 

 the British West Indian Colonies. In the face of the preference 

 offered by Canad i, the tendency appeared to be for refiners in Canada 

 to buy their sugar in such a way as to deprive the West Indian planter 

 of preference, which represented altogether about £i a ton, which went 

 to them instead of the sugar planter. It might be possible to take up 

 the subject and obtain the full benefit of the preference offered for 

 their sugar in the Canadian market. 



He had endeavoured to givc3 a brief review of the circumstances 

 connected with the sugar industry He submitted these for their con- 

 sideration and hoped it might be possible for those engaged in the in- 

 dustry to discuss them and thereby place the facts before tlie general 

 public in order 'o see if anything could be done to improve the sugar 

 industry sn Jamaica. 



Discussion. 



His Excellency said he was sure they all felt grateful to Sir Daniel 

 Morris for his adiress, and would now call upon Mr. Fawcett to ad- 

 dress the conference. 



Mr Fawcett said, in connection with the various methods for the 

 improvement of cane mentioned by Sir D. Morris, one mode was by 

 the adoption of new varieties and this they were doing. Whenever 

 they heard of any new cane, they had sent for it and the result was 

 that with one of these canes (D. 95) a sugar planter had lold him that 

 he had made twice as much sugar in the same area as be did before. 

 Part of this was due to the increase in agricultural yidd in the cane. 

 That same cane had been tried in other places and was not succes<ful. 

 They recognised that it was important for sugar planters to try these 

 new canes in their own districts, for a cane which suited • ne district 

 was not always likely to suit other districts, and it was well f r sugar 

 planters to try different canes and to study the results. Tha had been 

 going on for some years, and he hoped now to make it more universal. 

 Under Mr. Cousins' management he ft It sure that more sugar plan- 

 ters would take up the question of trying these new sugar canes. 

 I'here was another point. In ordering these canes from Barbados or 

 British Guiana, they had o order them about a year beforehand. 

 Planters wishing any of these new canes should write to him, and let 

 him know what they wanted and liow many they wanted, and he 

 would undertake to get them. 



Mr Cousins said he spoke with some hesitation, because as they 

 all knew he had been here for only a short time and he was only 

 just begitming to study the industry. lie could not give them 

 the benefit of any practical experience, but he could give them 



