The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-10-26
surplus production j"

Consumers save S2oO,OOO a Day
AS the American people buy an
average of nearly 25,O00,O00 pounds
of sugar a day, the direct cash saw
ing of consumers through the reduc-
ton in prices that has taken place
since the new crop Of domestic sugar
came upon the market amounts to
approximately quarter of a million
dollars a day. During the past six
weeks the sum total of this direct
saving realized by the purchasers OF
sugar throughout the country amount
ed TO over $10,OOO,OO0.
While the consumer can see and
Judge most easily the saving to his
pocket that comes from the sharp
decline in the price of foreign grown
sugar which takes place as soon as
the native grown sugar comes upon
the market, this by no means meas
ures the full benefit that he derives
from the existence of the sugar pro-
duction industry of the United States
The fact that approximately 100000
tons of sugar are grown in the Uni
ted States exercises a certain influ-
ence in holding down prices through
out the year, even at seasons when
sugar grown from American soil is
not actually upon the market. Am
erican sugar producers assert that II
the free sugar law is allowed to re-
main on the statute books and they
are driven out of business, the price
of sugar to the consumer will be
higher at all seasons because the
handful of men who dominate the re.
filming Of imported sugar will be in
control Of the sugar market at all
times and will have no effective op-
position from any source.
This view is supported by the best
authorities in the sugar industry.
Testifying as an expert before the
Hardwick Congressional Committee,
w. p. Willett, in response to an in.
quiry as to the effect upon prices Of
increasing domestic production, said
That is the whole point. To get
your prices down, increase your do
nestle industry"
Reduction Occurs Every Year
The decrease in the price OF sugar
to the consumer takes place every
year as soon as sugar grown from
American soil and extracted in Am
erican factories comes upon the mar
ket. In 1914 when imported sugar
had increased to rs cents a pound
wholesale following the outbreak OF
the European war, the price declin-
ed from that point to 3 cents during
the months of September and Octo-
Der. In 1911 a similar decline occur
red and on this point Mr.. Willett,
the Hardwick Committees expert,
testified:
There is no question whatever
| that the coming on to the market in
October of the Michigan sugars and
other domestic sugars dropped price
from 6.57 in October down to ell
in November and December 5.63.
On September "a the price of re-
fined sugar dropped below 8 cents
and the daily quotations from that.
day to October IL have averaged 4.Sl
cents a pound. In making COMPARE
sons II must be borne In mind that
domestic beet sugar at all times UNI
dersells the cane product by from 10
to 90 cents hundred.
From the above II appears that the
price OF sugar during September
that Is, since the new crop OF beet
sugar became an active factor In the
market-has been lower than during
any other month since January and
nearly a cent a pound lower than
during the summer months when i'm
ported sugar handled by the refiners
was the only kind obtainable. 1t
also shows that the profit OF the re-
fners was much less during this pc
Rod, which supports the claim Of the
domestic producers that under free
sugar with no domestic competition
the refiners would be able greatly TO
increase their profits while the con-
sumner would pay more for his sugar.