Note 14 — Chapter XVII
Reading edition
A different view is taken by Chilean authorities. An article in the Boletin de la Sociedad de Fomento Fabril (Bulletin of the Manufacturers’ Association) stated:
“The soil and climate of Chile indicate that the sugar industry would prosper in the Republic, if properly exploited, not only to the extent of supplying the domestic needs of the nation with that important product of prime necessity, but also in such quantities as would leave a considerable surplus for export to foreign markets. The sugar beet is one of the tubers that flourish most luxuriantly in the lands of the central zones of the Republic. In addition to the natural adaptability of the soil and climate of Chile for the growth of this tuberous root, the country also possesses deposits of nitrate and guano which are recognized to be the best and most appropriate fertilizers in the cultivation of this highly saccharine-producing tubercule.”
The duty on the raw sugar is 6.50 pesos, or Chilean dollars, per 100 kilograms, equal to nearly one cent per pound in gold. The duty on refined sugar is about two cents per pound. The output of the refinery at Viña del Mar is 53,000,000 to 54,000,000 pounds, much of which is exported. This refinery, with a capital of $1,500,000 gold, through a period of ten years, paid annual dividends of 10½ per cent.