I5 2 SUGAR 



in the State and had married. About the same time the 

 Federal Excise Act came into operation, which provided 

 for a protective duty of 6 per ton on all foreign sugar. 

 An Excise duty was collected on sugar manufactured in 

 Australia, and a rebate was given to that in which white 

 labour was used. The final Act provided for an Excise 

 of 4 on manufactured sugar, and a rebate or bounty 

 of 3 per ton to the white grower. Growers employing 

 black labour were thus penalised to this extent. This 

 state of affairs continued practically till last year, 1913, 

 when the percentage of aliens employed in the industry 

 was almost negligible. The Commonwealth, therefore, 

 rescinded the Excis>e and Bounty Acts, and maintained 

 the protective tariff of 6 per ton on condition that the 

 payment of the old bounty of 3 plus i hitherto retained 

 by the Commonwealth for revenue purposes was ensured 

 to the growers by the State Parliament. This has since 

 been done, w r hile steps have also been taken to secure 

 the maintenance of the white labour ideal. The sugar 

 industry of Queensland, as in most other countries, seems 

 to be the favourite ground for politicians; from 1872 to 

 1913 no less than twenty-six Acts have been passed in 

 relation thereto. 



Sugar is grown in Queensland from 28 to 16 of 

 latitude, the bulk being produced within the tropics. No 

 difficulty is now experienced in securing white men to 

 undertake the work in field and mills. During harvest 

 time, June to December, hundreds of men from the 

 southern States come to Queensland for the cane cutting. 

 This work is usually done at contract rates, anything from 

 35. 6d. to 6s. per ton being paid, and good cutters can 

 average 5 per week. Adult labour employed in other 

 field operations now receives 2 8s. per week without 

 keep. Although conditions are somewhat trying in the 

 north during the last two months of the year, yet the 

 men are healthy, the death-rate is low, and sunstroke 

 rare. The general standard of the health of school 

 children is considered good, and epidemics are stated by 

 medical men to be attended by a lower mortality than in 

 the southern portion of Australia, and that with proper 

 care the probability of children born in the north living 



