SUGAR BOUNTY.

No. 4 of 1903.

An Act to provide for a Bounty to Growers of Sugar-Cane and Beet.

[Assented to 30th July, 1903]

BE it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title.

1. This Act may be cited as the Sugar Bounty Act 1903.

Bounty on white grown sugar-cane or beet.

2. There shall be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is hereby appropriated accordingly, to every grower of sugar-cane or beet within the Commonwealth in the production of which sugar-cane or beet white labour only has been employed after the twenty-eighth day of February One thousand nine hundred and three, or for a period of twelve months immediately preceding the delivery thereof for manufacture, a bounty, at the rates provided by this Act, on all such sugarcane or beet delivered for manufacture after the commencement of this Act and before the first day of January One thousand nine hundred and seven.

Provided that no bounty shall be paid in respect of the production of sugar on land which has been cultivated by other than white labour after a bounty has been paid in respect of the production of sugar thereon.

Provided that nothing in this section shall authorize the payment of any bounty for any sugar-cane or beet in respect of which any planting has been done by other than white labour after the twenty-eighth day of February One thousand nine hundred and three.

Calculation of bounty on sugar-cane.

3. The bounty in the case of sugar-cane shall be at the rate of four shillings per ton calculated on cane giving ten per cent. of sugar, and shall be increased or reduced proportionately according to any variation from this standard.

Calculation of bounty on beet.

4. The bounty in the case of beet shall be at the rate of forty shillings per ton on the sugar-giving contents of the beet.

Ascertainment of sugar-giving contents.

5. It may be prescribed by Regulation that the average sugar-giving contents of the sugar-cane or beet in any particular district shall for the purposes of this Act be taken to be the sugar-giving contents of each lot of sugar-cane or beet in that district.

Allowance of bounties.

6. All bounties shall be allowed at the time of the delivery of the sugar-cane or beet for manufacture upon the ascertainment in manner prescribed of the sugar-giving contents.

Rebates to be deemed to be bounties.

7. All rebates of excise duty on sugar paid before the commencement of this Act shall be taken to have been paid as bounties under this Act.

Regulations.

8.—(1.) The Governor-General may make Regulations not inconsistent with this Act prescribing all matters which by this Act are required or permitted to be prescribed or are necessary or convenient to be prescribed for giving effect to this Act.

(2.) All Regulations so made shall—

(a) be notified in the Gazette;

(b) take effect from the date of notification, or from a later date to be specified in the Regulations; and

(c) be laid before both Houses of the Parliament within seven days after notification if the Parliament is then sitting, and if not then within seven days after the next meeting of the Parliament.

(3.) If either House of the Parliament, within fifteen sitting days after such Regulations have been laid before it, passes a resolution disallowing any Regulation, that Regulation shall thereupon cease to have effect.

Application of Regulations in respect of rebates.

9. Subject to any such Regulations, the Regulations with respect to rebate of excise duty on sugar-cane, made in exercise of the powers conferred by the Excise Act 1901 and the Excise Tariff 1902, shall for the purposes of this Act be taken to have been made under this Act, and shall have effect accordingly; but so that wherever the words “rebate” or “rebate of excise duty” occur therein, the word “bounty” shall be taken to be substituted therefor.