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British Sugar Industry
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(Assistance) Bill. had ever been mentioned in your Lord- ships' House. I spoke at some length, called attention to what could be done and asked the Liberal Government of the day to give some assistance. It was withheld because it infringed the strict rules of Free Trade. However, we went u, and I am glad to say that the Con- servative Government, I think in 1923, remitted the Excise Duties and gave a great impetus to the industry for the moment. It was not possible, however,// to attract any further capital, because that protection was immediately seized upon as a political question and the situa- tion was felt to be too uncertain.
[ LORDS ] for one year. The subsidy is only one third of the original subsidy. It is steadily declining, and three years hence, in 1934, it will run out completely. It is satisfactory to be able to tell your Lordships' House that as a result of this emergency measure there has been only a decrease of 18 per cent. in acreage under sugar beet cultivation-that is, of the growers who supply the twelve factories which accepted our offer. There are, un- fortunately, six factories which did not accept our offer. They are not to receive the increased subsidy and there has been a reduction in their acreage of 44 per cent. I think it is most satisfactory to realise that in spite of this enormous reduction in price to the growers there has only been this very small reduction in acreage.
It shows how our growers, in the last few years, have been putting their backs into it and improving the efficiency by which they produce their
crops.
THE MARQUESS OF LONDONDERRY: I am sorry to interrupt the noble Earl, but does he mean there has been no decrease in the acreage?
EARL DE LA WARR: There has been an 18 per cent. drop.
THE MARQUESS OF LONDONDERRY: That is not the whole drop.
EARL DE LA WARR: That applies to the twelve factories, compared with a 44 per cent. drop for those growers who supply the six factories.
THE MARQUESS OF LONDONDERRY: I misunderstood the noble Earl.
EARL DE LA WARR: I think I have given the main outline of the scheme. If any questions arise I will do my best to answer them. I beg to move.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 2o.- (Earl De La Warr.)
THE EARL OF DENBIGH: My Lords, I do not wish to take up the time of the House, especially as I have no criticism to offer with regard to the Bill, but I am very much interested in this question, and I should like to take the opportunity ef saying a few words, if the House will bear with me for a short time. It is just about twenty-five years since I first intro- duced this question in the House, and I am not at all certain that it was not the first time that the sugar beet industry
Earl De La Warr.
Accordingly I have nothing but con- gratulations to offer to His Majesty's Gov- ernment, both now and then, for having done in regard to this important industry the vision to realise what really could be
in this country, and I may be pardoned for feeling particularly satisfied to realise that everything that I brought forward as an argument in favour of adopting the industry as a national one has been overwhelmingly proved during all the years of this great experiment. All I want to say now is in regard to what I consider the narrow-minded, carping criticisms that have been uttered against any further money being expended on the industry. We have seen it represented that some £30,000,000 has been practically thrown away, that nothing has been gained and that the further money now provided is simply throwing good money after bad. There never was a greater mistake than to assume that. The whole thing must be regarded as a great educa- tional experiment which has been wonder- fully successful. It has been abundantly proved that the cultivation of sugar beet enormously improves the fertility of the land and increases the subsequent crop, and I think that is one of the most important points in its favour. The
issued interesting report
only the
other day quoted the report of the manager of the Kelham Estate, in which he points out that for the first three years, when he took over the estate, wheat and barley averaged three quarters per acre. After the first beet crop there was a marked improvement, and for the last four years wheat for the whole farm has never been less than five quarters per acre, and has averaged five quarters and a half. The same result has been noted
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and is well known in regard to other crops, in which there has been a large increase.
British Sugar Industry
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[ 22 JULY 1931 ]
(Assistance) Bill. been suddenly sprung upon us through this abnormal fall in the price of sugar and the impossibility of the factories running at a profit if they have to pay adequate prices to the farmers, the Government have shown great wisdom in combating what I call the short-sighted objections that have been raised, and introducing this Bill for the purpose of continuing some financial help.
I am not going to enlarge upon all the details, because I think they are becom- ing pretty well known now, but it is important to realise that the whole future of the industry depends on the question of costs. It is all-important to reduce costs so far as possible, and we can only educe costs by improving efficiency, not ly in practical management but also on the farm, in cultivation, in transport and in every possible way in which ex- pense comes in in handling these roots. That efficiency is certainly improving, and costs have been reduced very largely. There is one manner in which costs can be still further reduced, and that is by increasing the average production per acre, which at present is not satisfactory. The general average is not yet up to the Continental standard, which is round about ten eleven tons per acre, although about 40 per cent. of the crops have been equal to that, and in many cases a great deal larger. One reason is that in this country our horse hoes have not made possible the Continental practice of standing the rows close enough to- gether, because the plants get trodden on by the horses and destroyed. The result is that what is called plant population, the number of roots per acre, and the sugar produced have not been equal to the Con- tinental standard, taking it all round.
or
was
But all that is being improved and is capable of being improved. reading only last week an account of a motor hoe which can be used for the pur- pose of weeding, saving a good deal of labour. If that can be developed-and great ingenuity has been brought to bear upon the implements that have been evolved for the purposes of this industry -it may have a very considerable effect in increasing the production of sugar per acre. It is all a question of efficiency and reduction of costs, and I contend that, having regard to the difficulty which has
We earnestly hope that it may be possible to put the industry on a footing where it will not be necessary to ask for financial help. But, even if that cannot be arrived at, if it be necessary to ask for some small protective duty which will not hurt anybody for the purpose of keep- ing this industry going in some way-for
every
Continental country that has adopted sugar beet would do anything rather than see their industry go down- if it is necessary to do that, I contend very strongly that the money will be extremely well spent. Therefore cordially welcome this Bill, and con- gratulate His Majesty's Government on their action in the matter.
I
THE MARQUESS OF LONDONDERRY: My Lords, naturally I have no desire to offer any objection to this Bill. In fact, it is only following on the help which has already been accorded. There is only one question that I would venture to ask the noble Earl, and that is in regard to Clause 2 (2). I presume that repayments are a first charge on the property and come before any other charge.
EARL DE LA WARR Repayments may be made by deduction from the subsidy.
THE MARQUESS OF LONDONDERRY: They are a first charge on the property?
EARL DE LA WARR: Yes.
On Question, Bill read 2, and com- mitted to a Committee of the Whole House.
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House adjourned at o'clock until to-morrow at three o'clock,
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