469
+
SIR,
38
Enclosure in No. 10.
Colonial Sugar Refining Company, Limited,
Sydney, 17th January, 1917. In view of the indication in the circular despatch of the Colonial Office (25th September, 1916) relating to the industrial policy to be pursued in the Empire after the War, that the opinions of representative firms on this subject are desired by the Department, I have the honour to submit the following remarks.
in
These represent the considered decision of the Directors of this company on the question whether it be in the interest of the Empire, or of the producers of sugar Fiji, that any restriction should be imposed in regard to the disposal of such sugar, or that any advantage be offered to those concerned in the trade in consideration of the loss incurred through the above restriction.
First, I may say that it does not appear to us probable that there can be, in the early future, any considerable increase in the output of sugar from Fiji, which may now be stated at nearly 120,000 tons, more than five-sixths being the produce of our mills. The absence of large areas of arable land, and the difficulties in the way of tramway extension, forbid any hope of extensive development of the production of cane, and the present position in Australia and New Zealand does not justify the expectation that an increase of population or trade in these States will bring about a large demand for sugar from Fiji.
It was to supply the markets just named that the industry was started in Fiji, The balance this and New Zealand now takes a little more than half the crop. year comes to Australia, with the exception of a few thousand tons to go to Vancouver, being the produce of a mill owned in that colony.
If the Commonwealth did not require the sugar from Fiji-which has some- times been the case this would be sold to Hong Kong or Vancouver, in competition with that available from Java or Formosa, and, so far, it has not been neces- sary to look beyond these two British colonies for buyers. Should this hereafter be unavoidable, we would expect to meet Java sugar on equal terms in Europe by using the Panama Canal.
For this competition we are prepared, so long as we are able to obtain Indian labour at a reasonable cost. In New Zealand we are able to hold the trade against any imports from other countries without any Customs or other advantage (there is no duty on sugar in the Dominion), and so long as we are not exposed to unfair or unreasonable taxation in Fiji we seek no aid in retaining for the Empire the trade we carry on there.
Hitherto this has been wholly within the Empire; the capital invested by us (about £3,000,000) is Australian, the plant has come from England or Sydney, and practically all the sugar made has gone to British possessions.
39
2. I have laid the despatches before the Executive Council and consulted the members on the subject. The Council consider that, as the bulk of the trade of the Colony is with the United Kingdom, the interests of the Colony will be amply protected in any action taken in the Imperial cause, and that the circumstances of the Colony do not call for any special attention in connexion therewith.
I have, &c.,
DOUGLAS YOUNG,
13549
SIR,
No. 12.
SOUTH AFRICA (SOUTHERN RHODESIA).
Governor.
THE HIGH COMMISSIONER to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 13th March, 1917.)
(No. 105.)
[Answered by No. 18.]
High Commissioner's Office,
Cape Town, 14th February, 1917. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Circular despatches of 25th September and 24th October, 1918,* requesting an expression of my views on the question of commercial and industrial policy to be adopted after the War, in connexion with the recommendations of the Paris Economic Conference.
2. I communicated your circular despatches to the Administrator of Southern Rhodesia, and invited him to submit a considered statement of his views, so far as the circumstances of Southern Rhodesia appeared to him to call for special attention. I now enclose a copy of a despatch which I have received from him on the subject.
3. The Administrator, in the last paragraph of his despatch, observes that
it would be a source of great gratification to the people of Rhodesia if, in the event of any overseas representatives, in addition to those of the Dominions and India. being invited to attend the proposed conference, Rhodesia itself could be allowed to send her own representative. I should be glad if this suggestion could be favourably considered.
I have, &c.,
BUXTON,
Enclosure in No. 12.
High Commissioner.
The Honourable
The Colonial Secretary,
Suva, Fiji.
12016
No. 11.
I have, &c.
EDW. W. KNOX,
General Manager.
FALKLAND ISLANDS.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 9th March, 1917.)
(No. 18.) SIR
Government House, Stanley, 1st February, 1917.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. Secretary Bonar Law's Circular despatches of the 25th September and 24th October, 1910,* with reference to the recommendations of the Economic Conference of the Allies and the commercial and industrial policy to be adopted after the War.
*No. 1, and 45879: not printed.
THE ADMINISTRATOR to THE HIGH COMMISSIONER. (High Commissioner. No. 10.) MY LORD,
Administrator's Office, Salisbury, 18th January, 1917. I HAVE the honour to refer to Your Lordship's despatches No. 2411, of 27th October, and 2650, of 1st December, 1916, on the subject of the recommendations of the Economic Conference of the Allies held at Paris last June, and of the questions submitted to the Committee appointed by His Majesty's Government to consider the commercial and industrial policy of the United Kingdom after the
War.
2. As already reported to Your Lordship, the following resolutions were passed on 4th August, 1915, at public meetings held at Bulawayo, Gwelo, Gatooma, Que Que, Selukwe, Umvuma, and Plumtree :-
(1) That, in view of the methods pursued by our enemies in the present War, and with the object of preventing Germany from regaining political influence by her system of trading, it is in the future interests of the British Empire that the Government of South Africa be requested to so amend the Customs tariff, by placing additional duties upon goods of every description imported from Germany and other enemy countries, so as to render it impossible for them to compete successfully with the products or manufactures of the British Isles, colonies, and Allied and neutral States in the future;
* No. 1, and 45879: not printed.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
TIT.
Reference :-
C.O.885/25
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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