296 



BEET-SUGAR INDUSTRY ON THE CONTINENT. [Dec. 1895. 



per cent, for waste. The excise was remitted as drawback on 

 all sugar exported. 



The effect of the measure of 1884 was thus stated by the 

 Chairman of the French Budget Commission, in November 

 1886 :— 



He said that for the past year about 72,000,000 fr. had been lost 

 to the Exchequer by means of the bounties. The duty being 50 fr. 

 per sack of 100 kilog., while only two sacks was the legal or presumed 

 yield of a certain quantity of beet, in reality three sacl^s were produced, 

 and the third sack thus paid no duty at all. If this third sack was 

 exported the duty of 50 fr., which it ought to have paid, but had not, 

 was returned as drawback, and thus on the three sacks there was a 

 bounty of 50 fr., or 16*65 fr. on eack sack of 100 kilog. (about 6s. 6d. 

 per cwt.)." 



The bounty on exported sugar was, however, reduced in 1887 

 by a modification of the system of assessment, whereby the 

 excise was charged on the presumption that 100 lbs. of beet 

 produced 7 lbs. of refined sugar, and this presumed yield of 

 sugar was to be increased annually by a quarter of a pound for 

 the next three years. At the same time a surcharge of 4s. per 

 cwt. was levied on all sugar produced, including the presumed 

 yield. The whole duty now became 24s. per cwt., instead of 

 20s., which it had been previously, and this became also the 

 drawback. 



A further change was made in 1888, when the assumed yield 

 was taxed at the rate of 24s. per cwt., while any excess produc- 

 tion beyond the officially assumed yield was subjected to an excise 

 duty of 8s. per cwt. Thus, supposing a manufacturer had produced 

 100 lbs. of sugar from 1,000 lbs. of beet, he would have paid tax 

 at the rate of 24s. per cwt. on the assumed yield of 70 lbs. of 

 sugar, and. at the rate of 8s. per cwt. on the excess yield of 30 

 lbs. of sugar, so that the total amount of tax duty j^aid on the 

 100 lbs. of sugar would have amounted to l7s. 2d, The draw- 

 back was, however, still maintained at the rate of 24s. per cwt., 

 hence for 100 lbs. of sugar exported the manufacturer received 

 21s. 5d. as drawback, this being equivalent to a bounty of, 

 roughly, 4s. lOc^. per cwt. 



Since 1888, the aim of tlie Legislature has been to increase the 

 excise on the excess yield, and this has had the effect of reducing 

 the bounty. At the present time, the officially assumed yield of 

 sugar from iOO lbs. of beet is 7 J lbs. and this continues to pay 

 tax at the rate of 24s. per cwt. When the amount of sugar 

 extracted from this quantity of beet does not exceed lO^ lbs. of 

 sugar, the excess of 2| lbs. is taxed at the rate of 12s. per cwt., 

 but when the quantity of sugar extracted exceeds 10 J per cent. 

 (i.e., lOJ lbs.), half the excess over lOJ lbs. is charged at the rate 

 of 12s. per cwt., and half at the rate of 24s. per cwt. The 

 drawback on all sugar exported continues, however, to be paid 

 at th(i full rate of 24s. per cwt. The molasses regulations, the 

 allowance for waste, and the drawback granted to French colonial 

 sugar make it difficult to state accurately the present rate of 



