SUGAR REFINERIES
In the old map of East Point published yesterday is a place marked "sugar refinery", near Jardine's godowns. This was taken over by Jardine, Matheson and Co. in 1878 and formed into the China Sugar Refining Co., with a capital of $800,000. It had previously seen bad times, but under the new management prospered exceedingly, until the sugar slump of a few years ago led to its closing down, the premises being sold to Imperial Chemical Industries. Reference to the earlier enterprise, which was known as the Indo-Chinese Sugar Company is made in old records, which mention that it failed in the year 1873. The prosperous period that followed Jardine's management is referred to thus in the Hongkong Telegraph of March 31, 1888:
"It is only a few years since at East Point sprang into existence and although its original proprietors failed to reap the benefit of their spirited undertaking, it has been gradually developed by judicious management and the command of unlimited capital into one of the most remunerative undertakings in the commercial history of the Colony”.
The success met with by Jardines appears to have inspired emulation by others, and we find that the original proprietor of the East Point refinery had commenced another one, but with similar lack of success, the same issue of the Telegraph stating:
"The career of the second sugar refinery erected in Hongkong and known as the Oriental Sugar Refinery has been almost identical to that of the parent institution at East Point. Established by the energy of the same gentleman who founded the East Point Refinery, the Oriental dragged out a short and weary existence until want of sufficient capital ultimately necessitated the closing of the business".
There is also a reference to another refinery, stated to be in course of construction at this date, at Bowrington, under Chinese auspices. Its fate is not clear and we may assume that it also failed to make headway.
Early in the Eighties what is now known as the Taikoo Sugar Refinery (controlled by Messrs. Butterfield and Swire) was commenced. The same issue of the Telegraph in 1882 comments:
"The still more extensive establishment at Quarry Bay with a powerful firm like Messrs. Butterfield & Swire at the helm cannot fail to prove a potent factor in the future sugar refining prospects of this district.
It would appear that the Taikoo sugar refinery was being built about this time, for another news paragraph refers to coolies being injured in a contractor's matshed that had caught fire, and which was erected in connexion with the building of the sugar factory.
This refinery is still operating, and "Taikoo sugar" is an essential item on local tea-tables.
It might be recalled that a Java Chinese millionaire had a project some eight years ago for erecting a refinery at North Point, but it never materialised.