Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-09-05
peror and the establishment OF the
third republic.
WHY SUGAR HAS. JUMPED.

WHY SUGAR HAS JUMPEO.
Doubtless by this time every man in
the land has learned what the women
have been aware OF for a week or two
past-that the price of sugar has elm
bed from ten to fifty per cent. Plen-
ty OF explanations have been forth
coming the two principal ones being
the European war and the allegation
that conspiracy among beet sugar
dealers to hold back their products for
higher prices had been formed. The
latter explanation received rather free
circulation in semi-official government
circles, possibly due to the strenuous
fight the beet sugar growers made
against the administrators new tariff
law. Truman G. Palmer, secretary Of
the United States Beet Sugar indus
try, gives the following lucid facts ON
what has brought about the price in
crease:
The newspaper reports given out by
the department of justice attributins
the present rise in the price OF sugar
to a conspiracy of the beet sugar man.
ufacturers to hold back the domestic
bee sugar crop, is absurd.
Except in California, no beets are
ready to harvest, nor will they be
ready to harvest, until after the rirst
of October and up to the first of Jan
uary. Only the Almighty can be blams
ed for not hurrying forward the cam,
paign and helping out on present
prices.
Becaus of it's gathering moisture AMI
becoming iumpy. it is not practical to
store refined granulated sugar for any
great length of time. Last years beet
sugar crop long since has been con.
sumed, and with this years crop large
ly in the ground for another two to
four months, the American beet sugar
manufacturers could have no more to
do with the present rise in the price
of sugar than has the department OF
justice.
Unfortunately the Almighty, also ne
elected to advance the European sugar
beet crop several months, SO that 1t
could be gathered before hostilities
opened, and the world is threatened
with an unprecedented sugar shortage
and consequent high prices.
The world produces 1S,OOO,O0O tons
of sugar annually, of which As per cent.
Is derived from European grown beets.
and 80 per cent. of this beet sugar
is produced in the countries which now
are at war. This European crop is IN
the ground hundreds of thousands OF
workers have been called from the
fields to the colors, and it is estimated
that 100000 men soon will be In the
ranks of the various armies trampling
over the fields which are almost ready
for the harvest. With practically no
stock on hand and the prospect of one
half of the worlds sugar crop being
ruined, it is not to be wondered at that
the price is going up by leaps and
bounds.
Already Great Britain, which usually
draws the bulk of it's sugar from the
beet sugar factories Of Europe. Is buy
ing thousands of tons of sugar in the
New York market, and due to this ex-
ira demand the price of raw sugar has
more than doubled since hostilities be.
gan, in Europe, and if hostilities con-
tinue there Is no telling where the
price will go. Neither a conspiracy OF
American beet sugar manufacturers
nor the Almighty, but the old law OF
If supply and demand is responsible
Tor the rise.
Our beet sugar manufacturers exer.
Else the inalienable right which all
and merchants possess
md sell their product when they like.
o whom they like, and at whatever
price the market warrants. their sale
price always bring 10 to 80 cents or
more per hundred lower than the sale
Price of imported sugar. During the
sugar famine Of 1911, they sold their
product so much below the market
,rice OF imported sugar that within six
weeks from the time the domestic pro-
luct came onto the market, the price
Il imported sugar had fallen 21s cents i
Ter pound. thus saving the people
many millions of dollars.
Ever since the present war broke
tut in Europe and it seemed that
europe might not want all Of our sur
illus cotton, Washington has been ad-
Using the cotton planters of the south
O combine to hold their crop and
prices, even proposing gov
aid to accomplish the desir-
ID object. Now that Europe has made
Extra demands for some Of our north
I'm states food products and the price
las risen in consequence, the cry is
aised that conspiracy Is on to boost
PRICES. In one case the government
avors conspiracy whereby natural
market conditions may be upset and
he people be made to pay more for
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