THE CUBA RE V I En- 



Australian Sugar Campaign 



The cane crushing season is in full swing 

 in the Queensland factories, August and the 

 early part of September having seen the 

 starting up of the majority of the mills 

 that were not already in operation. Judg- 

 ing by reports from the various districts, 

 the campaign is in general proceeding 

 satisfactorily under favorable weather con- 

 ditions, although at South Johnstone the 

 refusal of mill hands to work overtime has 

 caused the factory to run about 200 tons 

 a week below its ordinary capacity. 



The estimate of 258,000 tons for the 

 total Australian crop, including 18,000 tons 

 in New South Wales and Victoria, remains 

 officially unaltered, but at the meeting of 

 the Sugar Producers' Association at Ayr, 

 Queensland, recently, it was stated that the 

 estimates were not being realized, and the 

 opinion was expressed that the anticipated 

 surplus from the 1923 production would be 

 much smaller than has been generally an- 

 ticipated, and would not be more than 

 22,000 tons, allowing for the usual con- 

 sumption. Under normal conditions 

 17,000 to 20,000 tons is the ordinary carry- 

 over allowed for to supply requirements at 

 the beginning of the sugar year, until new 

 crop supplies become available in quantity. 

 The carry-over to 1923 was 55,000 tons, an 

 unusually large amount, and calculating 

 consumption at 280,000 tons it appears 

 that the producers do not anticipate that 

 the outturn for the present season will go 

 over 247,000, all told, notwithstanding the 

 reported favorable progress of the cam- 

 paign. As an example of these reports it 

 may be noted that during the week ending 

 July 28 the Goondi mill made what is said 

 to be a new Australian crushing record by 

 putting through 5,824 tons of cane. 



It is to be anticipated that crushing per- 

 formances exceeding this will be accom- 

 plished when the new mill at Tully River, 

 north Queensland, gets into operation. 

 This is the mill to be constructed by the 

 state. It has just been announced that the 

 Queensland government has accepted the 

 tender of Walkers, Ltd., of Maryborough, 

 for the construction of the factory, the 

 price being £389,480. The mill, erection of 

 which is expected to require two years, is 

 to have a crushing capacity of 150,000 tons 

 of cane in a season of 25 weeks, and will 



be the largest in Australia, exceeding in size 

 the present South Johnstone and Babinda 

 plants. 



It is reported on good authority that the 

 Victorian government has adopted the 

 recommendations in regard to the re- 

 modeling and enlargement of the Maffra 

 beet sugar factory submitted by Walton C. 

 Graham, the American engineer who has 

 been in Australia for the past several 

 months studying the situation of this small 

 and somewhat antiquated plant. No an- 

 nouncement has been made as to the 

 specific recommendations submitted by Mr. 

 Graham, but it is understood that they in- 

 volve a doubling of the present capacity of 

 the factory and the introduction of im- 

 portant economies in the handling of the 

 beets. Following the completion of his 

 study of conditions in Victoria. 'Sh. 

 Graham made a tour of the cane growing 

 districts of Queensland on his homeward 

 voyage. He will continue to act for the 

 Victorian government in negotiating for the 

 necessary work that is to be done in re- 

 modeling Maffra. 



Meanwhile it has been announced that 

 the price to be paid to the sugar beet 

 growers for the coming crop has been ft.xed 

 at 37s. 6d. per ton of beets, with a promise 

 of an additional Is. a ton for every in- 

 crease of £1 in the price of sugar above 

 £37 10s., realized on the last crop. The 

 new price is smaller than that paid last 

 year, which was 42s. 6d. per ton. but the 

 price of sugar is also lower by £7 a ton. 

 and is expected to be reduced still further 

 on October 1, to £35. 



As a consequence of the reduction in the 

 world market's parity, the Comptroller 

 General of Customs has announced, the 

 rebate on e.xport sugar has been increased 

 from £9 to £13 per ton. the increase apply- 

 ing to all prescribed goods e.xported since 

 August 1. 



California Beet Sugar Production 



Although the acreage planted is still be- 

 low normal. Federal statist isians say that 

 (his year's California sugar beet crop will 

 be harvested from 732.000 acres, and that 

 the production will show an increase of 

 about 100,000 tons over last year. 



