30 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



THE SUGAR INDUSTRY 



tion of Ontario there are and for some time 

 past have been only two beet-sugar factories, 

 viz., the Dominion Sugar Co. at Wallaceburg, 

 with a daily capacity of 900 tons of beets, and 

 its Berhn branch factory, with a daily capacity 

 of 700 tons. 



Much raw sugar has heretofore been im- 

 ported from Germany and refined at the Wal- 

 laceburg plant, but this necessarily ceased 

 with the advent of the European war. The 

 cutting off of the product from that source 

 and the additional duty which the Govern- 

 ment placed upon sugar has had an exhil- 

 arating effect upon this industry. In Juh', 



1914, just at the outbreak of the war, sugar 

 in Sarnia was selling to the dealer at $4.56 per 

 100 pounds. Since then it has risen from time 

 to time until it reached $6.76 in September, 



1915, and at present stands at .$6.16. 



I have received an unofficial report that the 

 two factories above named during the last 

 year have made a net income of 21%. Here- 

 tofore the fiat rate paid the farmers for beets 

 was $4.50 per ton; this year it has been raised 

 to $5. Notwithstanding this additional 50 

 cents per ton paid the farmer, I am informed 

 that the rise in sugar has increased the re- 

 ceipts of the two factories above named by 

 something like $240,000 during the past year. 

 New Factories About to be Built. 



In consequence of the conditions thus 

 stated, a sugar factory is about to be built 

 at Chatham, some 60 miles to the south of 

 here. Its estimated capacity is to be 1,000 

 tons of beets per day, while negotiations are 

 rapidly assuming shape for another factory 

 at Petrolea, 18 miles to the southeast, with a 

 capacity of 800 tons per day. I am informed 

 that the machinery for this plant will be ob- 

 tained from a defunct plant across the line 

 in Michigan. 



Climatic and soil conditions are excellent for 

 sugar-beet production in this portion of 

 Ontario, and doubtless beet-sugar factories 

 will multioly and expand with the increase of 

 population and consequent sugar consump- 

 tion of the country. The most serious draw- 

 back is to induce the farmer to raise the 

 sufficient quantity of beets. He is perfectly 

 in accord with the idea as it pays him well, 

 and, if anything, proves helpful to his land. 

 But the farmer is handicapped in not being 

 always able to obtain the necessary help. 



The work of beet culture is more or less dis- 

 tasteful to the average native laborer. Hence 

 he is obliged largely to depend on foreign 

 labor or plant only such area as he and his 

 family can tend incident to other farm duties. 

 Belgians and Russians have proved the most 

 satisfactory help in this connection, and I am 

 satisfied the factory managers anticipate be- 

 ing able to secure a greater sufficiency of this 

 class of labor at the cessation of the present 

 world war. — Consul Fred. C. Slater, Sarnia,. 

 Ontario. 



WAR RESTRICTIONS IN THE SUGAR 

 MACHINERY TRADE 



One is very reluctant to suggest anything 

 which even indirectly detracts from the over- 

 whelming urgency of munitions production 

 as compared with the fulfilment of commercial 

 orders; but imless the war is to be financed 

 entirely on the savings of the coimtry- — ^that is, 

 on its capital, and not on its income too. it is 

 very desirable that the Government even in 

 the stress of ]3rosecutmg the war to a vic- 

 torious termination, should not overlook possi- 

 bilities for trade, and should keep an open eye 

 on cases where owing to official restrictions the 

 completion of a contract is prevented through 

 a difficulty affecting a very small part of the 

 order. In particular, the export trade should 

 come in for their special assistance, as it is 

 only by exports that we are able to meet the 

 cost of the immense bulk of imports without 

 sending gold abroad. We are importing at 

 pretty stiff prices practically all the sugar we 

 consume, and in normal times this would be 

 partly counterbalanced by exports of sugar 

 machinery. Just now, as we said above, such 

 exports are not working normally; but it lies 

 with the Government to determine carefully 

 how far short of the normal these shall be, and 

 a little judicious adjustment might facilitate 

 matters considerably. At present sugar 

 machinery makers have to contend much with 

 red tape which hampers them in obtaining 

 needful supplies of copper and brass tubes, 

 especially copper. To export these permits 

 are required, and the delay in getting these is 

 frequently excessive. The proportion of 

 co])per tubes is comparatively small in a sugar 

 factory, yet we understand many thousands- 

 of pounds worth of plant have been held up in 

 various works for want of the necessary supply 



