Copy.
TAIKOO SUGAR REFINING CO. LTD.
37
During the past three months Japanese refined sugar
has been selling in China at below the cost of Raws in Java,
which makes it impossible for us to sell Refineds at a
paying level.
Means of communication are also much disturbed but we
have gone on refining until with our native agencies fairly
well supplied and our godowns in Hong Kong as full of
refined sugar as we care to stock here, our Chinese
employees were gradually reduced from the number we usually
employ, i.e.2000/2500 men, to 1600.
On 26th February we had to close down entirely, but
have kept on 147 Chinese trained factory hands and 350
mechanics, watchmen, &c. We are keeping these on in anti-
cipation of being able to start up again in the near future.
A few weeks should be sufficient in getting together the
full number when the country is more settled.
3rd March, 1927.