Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-20
SUGAR PRICES SOARING LET-UP IN FIGHT
Fures Exceed the Record Of Canadian Campaign to Be
Past Thrty-FNe Years. Waged to Last Moment.
HEAVY ADVANCE AT RETAIL DISTRIBUTING THE CASH
Declares Famine Elections Tomorrow in 214
Prevails in the Country. uence
WEATHER DESTROYS CROPS TRYING TO DEFEAT LEADERS
Finance Fielding
But Mostly in the Meeting
Opposition.
Fiuures Exceed the. Record of
Past Thirty-Five Years.
HEAVY ADVANCE AT RETAIL
Wholesale Dealer Declares Famine
Prevails in the Country.
WEATHER DESTROYS CROPS
Coffee Also Takes "A Jump Upward,
But Mostly In the Cheaper
Grades.

sugar famine. The hIshestsprices Tor
sugar that have prevailed in thfrty-f've
years!
These comprise the situation today and
the prospect for several months
I'VE are in one of the worst sugar
famines this country has ever had.
wires the management OF thee. d. Kenny
Company 10 NJ. E. Swing, manager OF
the branch store in Washington Thee. ID.
Kenny Company is one OF the big deal
ers in sugars and coffees, with branch
retail stores in all cities OF the United
States.
Sugar is selling retail today for IA
cents a pound There was an.advance in
the wholesale price Of refined sugar yes
terday when the Arbuckles, who alone
seem to have a supply of any conse-
auence, jumped their quotation to w
cents. the existing retail price Sugar
will without doubt soon be retailing for 8
cents pound. 1t was declared.
End Not in Sight.
That will not be the end of high prices,
In the opinion of Manager Swing. His
views are confirmed by Wholesale and re-
tail dealers. Mr.. Swing expects steady
advances In prices until late in January
or early February.
Hold your prices firm. Do not sell
large quantities of sugar, as 1t Is getting
more difficult to get sugars. While other
refineries than ArbuckleS are unchanged,
they cannot make deliveries: consequent
ly their prices cannot be considered.
This Is the text of a message sent to
Manager Swing by the directing office
of his house.
Sugars are scarce" according to a
subsequent telegram. Although re-
f1neries are quoting granurated at III
cents. only a limited quantity can be
bought at that price"
Thirty-fiv years ago, when Mr.. Swing
first engaged in the sugar business, sugar
was selling at retail for and 10 cents
Since then the price has always been
lower, falling TO cents, the minimum
struck in the market Never since has
sugar reached the Same maximum, but
Mr.. Swing regards the prospects as prom
Using for an equal high mark before prices
recede.
Season Unfavorable to Crops.
Continued rain and then dry weather
killed the crops" is the-explanation given
by Mr.. Swing.
Other dealers say that the American
and Cuban sugar supply is not yet on the
market. being delayed beyond the usual
expectation is that the supply will be
comparatively meager.
Every year, beginning at preserving
time-a period that opens about the
middle of July and extends well into
late fall. or while any fruits are ripen-
ing-the price of sugar stiffens. advanc
ing in small fractions. This year
higher prices for sugar began at about
the usual time. In mid-July. but have
been advancing by jumps at frequent
Few dealers In Washington appear
to have large supplies of sugar on
hand.
Advance in Price Of Coffee.
Higher prices for coffee are now being
paid by the consumer, but the situation is
not so disturbing nor aggravated. The
advances are more marked In the cheaper
grades. and the higher grades are quoted
at better prices than usual only in sym
patty with this upward movement.
The retail price for coffee has been ad-
vancing for the past year. For coffee
that the consumer bought at IL cents a
year ago he must pay 20 cents now. Many
explanations are given.
There is apparently a smaller supply
OF cheap-grade coffees this year than in
the past. The demand also seems tc
have increased remarkably.
The beginning of the advance seems to
food laws were applied to coffee. Many
substitutes were driven out Of the mar
ket increasing the demand for cheaper
grades of coffee.
Substitutes Grow Scarce.
With the competition OF substitutes in
the past the prices for cheap coffees have
been growing less each year. in the opin-
ion of Manager Swing who believes that
this has resulted in compelling growers
of cheap coffee to abandon the raising OF
such crops. with the result that the sup
ply has fallen Off.
The Brazilian government. which rex1I-
lates the coffee market of that nation
from which comes the greater supply has
been curtafling the output in order to
maintain the market Press news from
Europe states that several large houses
are monopoiizing the supplies OF South
America and further marking strin-
gency which has worked for higher
prices.