16 



BEET-SUGAR INDUSTRY ON THE CONTINENT. [June 1896. 



The following table shows the estimated production and con- 

 sumption of refined sugar and syrup in Belgium, together with 

 the imports and exports of refined sugar, in the 10 years 

 1884-93 :— 



Year. 



Refined Sugar 

 and Syrup 

 produced. 



Quantities of 

 Refined Sugar 



imported for 



Home 

 Consumption. 



Quantities of 

 Refined Sugar 

 exported 

 (Domestic 

 Produce). 



0 11 0 U LLl U 1 1 L> JUL 

 fir rtATinArl 



OUHal cttlU. 



feyrup. 





Cwts. 



Cwts. 



Cwts. 



Cwts. 



1884 - 



358,000 



126,600 



182,400 



302,200 



1885 - 



432,600 



54,000 



172,100 



314,500 



1886 - 



266,900 



20,400 



204,100 



83,200 



1887 - 



458,300 



12,800 



328,700 



142,400 



1888 - 



727,700 



8,000 



386,800 



348,900 



1889 - 



751,300 



7,900 



443,100 



316,100 



1890 - 



784,900 



7,700 



430,000 



362,600 



1891 - 



809,800 



8,100 



484,700 



333,200 



1892 - 



925,600 



21,000 



588,300 



358,300 



1893 - 



969,300 



16,300 



749.800 



235,800 



It appears that in proportion to the population of the country, 

 the Belgian production of beet-root sugar exceeds that of any 

 other State in Europe. 



The excise imposed by the Belgian Government on the sugar 

 of home production amounts to 18s. 3d. per cwt. of second class 

 raw sugar (Nos. 10 to 15), the ordinary grade. It is levied 

 on the assumption that 3| lbs. of raw sugar are produced from 

 1 hectolitre (22 gallons) of beetroot juice at 1° density. This 

 method of assessment, which closely resembles that of the Nether- 

 lands, permits the manufacturer to produce a certain amount of 

 sugar duty free. It has been estimated that the surplus upon 

 which no duty is paid amounts to as much as 20 per cent, of the 

 total production. 



The drawback which is allowed on sugar exported is of the 

 same amount as the excise, viz., 18s. 3d. per cwt. 



In Denmark, there are only six beet-sugar factories, and the 

 production of sugar is not sufficient to meet the home require- 

 ments. In the four years 1884-88, the average annual outturn 

 of raw sugar from the Danish factories was 33,188,000 lbs., and 

 the net imports of sugar in the same period amounted on the 

 average to 26,700,000 lbs. annually, while in 1889-92 the 

 estimated annual production of raw sugar was 42,884,000 lbs., 

 and the imports amounted annually to 41,500,000 lbs. In 1893, 

 the home production of sugar was 54,000,000 lbs., and in 1S94 

 it had increased to 75,000,000 lbs. 



The development which has taken place in recent years in the 

 Danish beet-sugar industry has been limited in extent. Prior to 

 1891 the home production was practically unprotected, inasmuch 

 as the Customs duty on the imported sugar and the excise on 

 native grown beet-sugar were equal in amount. In 1891, 

 however, these taxes were readjusted, the Customs duty being 



