The sun., 1917-10-27
Tonnage for Europe Held
Tn for Lack of Ships While
Officials Wrangle.
OWNERS WOULD SELL
Spreckels Says Commission
Is Standing by Arbitrary
Maximum Price.
OTHER RELIEF FAR OFF
Louisiana and Cuban Crops
Cannot Reach New York
for Several Weeks.

While the public 10 going short there
10 a vast amount Of sugar In storage in
and around New York. No less an au-
yfority than Claus spreckels. president
Of the Federal Sugar Refining Company.
ays thsre is s5.0oo.ooo pounds Of re-
fined sugar in warehouses serving the
port Of New York for shipment to neu-
tral countries. It is known that in Yon-
kers alone 100000 pounds Is tied
up In the Federars storehouse, and
about 100000 pounds IL held under
similar circumstances at the plant Of
the National Sugar Refining Company.
According to Mr.. Spreckels the neu-
trsl Governments owning this sugar
have agreed to release It for distribution
In this country and to sell It at cost.
They have been trying for several weeks
to get the Federal Food Commissions
permission to dispose Of 1t, he says. but
the food commission will not allow them
to do 10. on the ground that to sell at
cost would mean q Wholesale price Of a
quarter Of a cent a pound above the ar
btrary quotation Of S.35 cents a pound
fixed by the commission. 9.
This sugar was contracted for early in
The summer.
Trying - QistPihato~0agaa. =
James H. Post. chairman Of the Amer
lean rehneyv Committee Of the Federal
Food Administration. said last night
that for three weeks the committee has
been trying to get hold OF this sugar
" Lit
specifically in reference to the sugar in
the Yonkers storehouses.
THE sugar in the Federafs plant Is
going to Russia, and some Of It is con-
signed to Norway" Mr.. Post said. 1T
Is owned by these foreign countries. We
have been trying to arrange to get them
TO let us have this sugar for immediate
use and take in exchange sugar that we
will let them have when the new crops
come in. There is no way in which the
sugar can be shipped now because Of the
difficulty in getting ships. 1t is not
their fault and 1t Is not ours. There
are some legal difficulties in tho way
and We are trying hard to straighten
them out SO we can get that sugar. We
heed it badly. We are very hopeful that
everything will work out for the best"
The men now at work on the task
are arguing that as no guarantee car
b. given when ships which can take the
sugar will sail the European owners
can get supplies no earlier by hanging
OIL to their present consignments and
they can do Americans q big favor by
permitting them to have the sugar nov
awaiting shipment.
Spreckels Blames Comnission.
Mr., Spreckels, however. has . different
view as to the reason Why the sugal
isn't released
Apparently" he said, ''the commits
sion is trying to force these neutrals
who bought the sugar months ago II
good faith to take a loss on their con
tracts, Notwithstanding that there arr
buyers willing and anxious to meet thu
heutrals' figure Of Sx cents q pound
AS a matter of fact. the effect o.
releasing this amount of sugar on thu
market would be to lower tho retail
price rather than to increase II, as ths
few retailers who have sugar on hand
ere exacting very full profits.
With tho situation as serious ~ u
i, 10 haggle over a quarter of a CEN
pound when It means the release o
20 600 pounds OF sugar badly needed
by the public seems to me entirely un
Warranted.
The 10000, 900 pounds In the Fedora
Sugar Refining Company's Yonker
plant was purchased two months ag'
from the Federal by w. r. Grace & Co
a. $50 per 100 pounds. With the dec
lsratlon of the embargo on September
Grace & Co. found It impossible to shil
The sugar abroad.
During the present sugar shortage tn
refinery has been beseged by Jobber
"lo wanted that sugar, Tho owner
offered TO sell it at 1870 per hundred
weight, and an appeal was made to tn
Hoover Commission, but in vain.
II was said at the Federal Company
refinery last night that 1t would be
simple matter for the Governments ex
ports to check up details, and 1t woul
be proved that the price charged for tn
sugar was an equitable one under tn
conditions and that Grace 4 Co. pal
$N.'o per 100 pounds In cash.