10 Jii.v, rJil».| I'eet Siiijar liiduslrii. ■J-O-'j 



higli-grado seed could be <iro\vii locally every year for the State's requirements, 

 and thus rich crops insured generally. 



Lahonr. — Tlie estimates of kibour are liased partly on work at the Maflfra 

 factory and partly on Mr. Pearson's experimental operations on press extrac- 

 tion. Wages at 10s. for an eiglit-hour day have been allowed. 



Managing Engineer. — It would be necessary to engage the manager for the 

 whole year. During the non-manufacturing period he would have to supervize 

 and also himself undertake repairs; he could also, in part of his time, undertake 

 propaganda and educational work in his district. His work on repairs avouUI bo 

 charged to repairs. 



Freight. — The f]-eiglit on dried juice has been reckoned at the special rate for 

 beet-root in the Mallra district. The dried juice being a raw product, and the 

 encouragement of the beet industry being the object in both cases, it has been 

 assumed that the same railway rate would apply, viz., Is. per ton flat rate, plus 

 id. per mile. The freight has been calculated at this rate for 100 miles, taken 

 as the average distance from Mafl'ra to districts M'here juiceries might be estab- 

 lished. A suggestion that the farmers should pay half the freight has not been 

 adoi)ted in the ^estimates. 



Receptacles. — It has been assumed that the dried juice would be put into bags, 

 similar to cornsacks, but of somewhat closer texture. These would be used three 

 times, and, including freights, would cost 10s. per dozen. 



Fvel for Evaporation and Power. — As regards fuel for evaporation, the 

 Committee found it impossible to come to agreement. Mr. Pearson did not, at 

 the time of his experiments of 1894-5, determine the amount of fuel used in 

 evaporation; but he states that at Pert Fairy a 6-h.p. travelling engine was used 

 for generating steam in evaporation. This, with ordinary stoking, produced 

 enough steam in nine hours to evaporate 9 or 9^ tons of beet juice down to a 

 dryness of 7 per cent, of moisture, and, in addition, to operate one of the machines: 

 and as this engine with such stoking could not have burnt more than 2 tons of 

 wood in the time, he infers that 1 ton of wood must have evaporated not less 

 than 3^ tons of water from the juice, and — taking 1 ton of coal as equal to 2 tons 

 of Avood^ — an evaporation of 7 tons by 1 ton of coal. With perfect efficiency, 

 1 ton of coal should evaporate 9 tons of water. Mr. Pearson, therefore, claims 

 for his evaporator an efficiency of about 75 per cent. 



On the other hand, other members of the Committee made extensive inquiries 

 regarding this question, but found it difficult to obtain reliable data regarding 

 the type of evaporator proposed by Mr. Pearson. The outcome of these inquiries 

 points to an evaporation of about 4 tons of water from the juice by 1 ton of coal 

 l)urnt. This would give an efficiency of about 45 per cent. The discrepancy 

 between these two estimates is of vital importance to the whole question. The 

 matter can be brought to a decision only by an actual trial ; and Mr. Pearson 

 suggests that a trial should be made Avith an evaporator, constructed to his 

 design, to be used during the coming Maffra campaign. He considers that it is 

 in a high degree ])robable that the result of such a trial would confirm this 

 estimate. The cost of an evaporator the same size as that used at Port Fairy, 

 with some addition, would be about £170, and the expense about £00, making a 

 total cost of £230, or, say, £250. 



As the Committee has been unable to reach unanimity on this point, two sets 

 of figures are given in the following estimates, one for an efficiency of 75 per cent, 

 and another for an efficiency of only 40 per cent., or 3.6 tons evaporated by 1 ton 

 of coal. 



It is obvious that exhaust steam from the engine can be used as an auxiliary 

 for evaporating, and 80 per cent, of the exhaust steam has been allowed. The 

 fuel for driving has been based on the estimate of that used at Maffra up to the 

 infusion stage. 



In nearly all the districts in (xipplsand where juiceries might be established 

 wood fuel would be abundant. The cost of firewood in country districts varies 

 widely, from 7s. to Us. per ton by weight; lis. has been taken for the estimates. 

 In districts where wood is not available coal would have to be used; this has 

 been taken at 30s. per ton. In the following estimates separate figures are given 

 for the use of wood fuel and for coal fuel. 



The items of capital, depreciation, repairs, pulp, and contingencies will be 

 commented on separately under the headings of the three types of juiceries. 



