2 BULLETIN 473, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



Convention the beet-sugar industry of Europe had been aided by 

 direct and indirect bounties from the different Governments, which 

 served as a great incentive to the industry. The output of sugar was 

 in excess of domestic requirements and a large quantity had to be 

 marketed abroad. In many instances the sugar was sold in foreign 

 countries at a price less than the domestic price in the country of 

 production. The production of beet sugar had risen to an equal with 

 and in some years had exceeded the production of cane sugar. 



Efforts to abolish sugar bounties began as early as 1878, but en- 

 countered strong opposition. In December, 1901, the delegates ap- 

 pointed by the different sugar-producing countries of Europe met at 

 Brussels, Belgium, to draft articles of agreement to abolish both 

 direct and indirect sugar bounties. These agreements were adopted 

 and signed on the 5th of March, 1902, and became effective on Sep- 

 tember 1, 1903. The adhering countries were the United Kingdom, 

 Germany, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, the 

 Netherlands, and Sweden. Subsequently, Russia, Switzerland, and 

 Peru became members of the convention. The terms of the conven- 

 tion provided for a repeal of all bounty legislation in the countries 

 adhering to the convention and the levying of a countervailing duty 

 on sugar imported from countries that paid a bounty to the industry. 

 The effects'of these agreements brought about a reduction in the area 

 planted to beets in 1904 and a consequent decrease in production of 

 beets and sugar. However, these conditions did not continue, for in 

 1905 and subsequently a general increase in area and production of 

 beets and sugar is shown. 



The total world production of both beet and cane sugar has nearly 

 doubled during the last 20 years, increasing from 11,000,000 tons 

 in 1893-94 to 20,000,000 tons in 1912-13. The annual world output 

 of sugar during the decade 1903-4 to 1912-13 averaged 16,419,000 

 tons, as against 11,498,000 tons for the preceding decade 1893-94 to 

 1902-3, an increase of 37 per cent. The production of beet sugar 

 for these two periods shows an increase from 5,839,000 tons to 

 7,853,000, an increase of 34 per cent, as compared with the increase in 

 cane-sugar production from 6,110,000 tons to 8,566,000, an increase of 

 40 per cent. The increase in the output of cane sugar was largely due 

 to better industrial conditions in Cuba, which resulted in the annual 

 output of sugar being increased from 669,000 tons during the decade 

 1893-94 to 1902-3 to 1,687,000 tons during the following decade 

 1903-4 to 1912-13, an increase of 152 per cent. The increase in the 

 output of sugar in Java was also a large factor. The annual produc- 

 tion of sugar in that island was 722,000 tons and 1,333,000 tons, re- 

 spectively, for the two decades just mentioned, or an increase of 85 

 per cent. The increase in the annual output of beet sugar was con- 

 fined chiefly to four countries. These countries and their increases 



