COMPETITION 121 



sugar, enjoying the extra profit derived from a vicious 

 system of levying the duty, would be invading British 

 markets on terms with which no cane sugar producer 

 could compete. This turned out to be only too true. 

 Not only raw but also refined sugar from Germany and 

 Austria began to pour in, the quantity increasing 

 rapidly from year to year. 



The two industries of British refining and Colonial 

 sugar production demanded that a Select Committee 

 of the House of Commons should be appointed to examine 

 the whole question. Mr. Ritchie, then member for the 

 Tower Hamlets, obtained the Committee and presided 

 over it with great ability for two years, 1879 and 1880. 

 The inquiry was carried out thoroughly and was in every 

 way except practical effect a great success. 



The foreign delegates at the various conferences had 

 pointed out, in view of what was going on in Germany 

 and Austria, that it would be quite impossible for their 

 Governments to agree to any Convention for the aboli- 

 tion of these artificial aids to foreign manufacturers 

 unless the British Government would give them security, 

 by a clause in the Convention, that they should no 

 longer have to compete in British markets with sugar 

 receiving similar advantages from other foreign Govern- 

 ments. This was such a reasonable and necessary 

 demand that it could not be disputed or disregarded. 

 If a foreign producer receives from his Government 

 some gift out of the revenue which enables him to sell 

 his produce below cost price and yet make a good 

 profit, it is not only reasonable and consistent with 

 common sense but also absolutely necessary, if British 

 industry is to survive, that such a direct attack on our 

 industries should be warded off by some defensive 

 action. The amount of the artificial profit thus obtained 

 could, in the case of sugar, be very accurately defined, 



