Taxes — Monopolies — Poverty 



neither the soil nor the climate of Madeira is 

 really fitted for the permanent growing of sugar 

 on a large scale. It is an exhausting crop, and 

 can perhaps be only grown economically in 

 countries which enjoy cheap black labour. 

 Here it certainly pays to grow — at the expense 

 of the consumer, and under cover of the three 

 hundred per cent, duty, but that is all. And 

 as it is of easy cultivation, and under the con- 

 tract I have mentioned the grower is sure of a 

 sale at a fixed price, it is effectually discouraging 

 the raising of other crops. However beneficial 

 this curious system may be to the cultivator 

 and his landlord, from the point of view of the 

 community certain obvious disadvantages attach 

 to it. Of course at this price no sugar can be 

 exported to foreign countries ; all export of 

 preserves, jams, candied fruits, and such articles 

 depending on the use of sugar is equally out of 

 the question, though it is conceivable that a 

 great industry might be established in these, 

 and bring much profit to the island ; and one 

 cannot but think that in the languishing state 

 of the wine trade, the provision of untaxed 

 alcohol, at the lowest possible price, from what- 

 ever source obtained, would commend itself to 



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