Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-15
SUGAR IMPORT PRICE
BLAMED FOR SHORTAGE
President Of Federal Sugar refining
Company Tells Investigators There
Is No World Famine.
CANADA GETTING BIG SUPPLY
Higher Prices There Cause Large
amounts To BE Shipped From New
York Food administration Is
EIancd for Conditions in East.

WASHINGTON. December l,.-Elame
for tho sugar shortage in th6 East
was charged TO tho food adn,iui.tra.
tons fixed import price by Claus
SprcrkeIS president o; the Federal
sugar Refining Company. ;cstifyins TO-
day before tho Senate inv"stiga ting
committee. he asserted tha. raw sugar
from Cuba WAS passing thrauSh New
York for Canada. where reiincrs are
permitted 10 pay higher prices.
Mr.. Sprecilc!s who said his refinery
was closed because OF lack OF supplies.
also charged that Earl y. ijabs,. pres
idcnt "f III. American Sugar I;cGning
COMPANY. and George VI. Ro!ph. gen
cral manager OF the Cal!:orria-Iia-
waiian Sugar Refining Company. in
their positions as agents of the food
administration. mad bean unduly ac-
tive III getting raw supplies for the
American company.
Mr.. Eabst is chairman OF TIE inter
national sugar oom:aittec. created by
the administration. which ,ixcd tho
price TO be paid Tor raw sugar COM
ing from outside tho United states or
its tcrritor:c. al $500 a hundred Mr..
Eolph is head Of the food administra-
tons sugar division and a mcmb :
OF the international committee"
When his supply Was getting low.
in October. Mr.. Spreclcls testified. he
asked Food Administrator !iooycr that
he be allowed TO pay n.o-. than $500
for Cuban sugar. lie pat in evidenc G
letter in which A;r. Ioove,. declined.
saJinS Spectators were holding the
sugar in Cuba for h:.-her prices and
that the American staudarI price would
be maintained
tIiOiT HALF THIS SUGAR
SHIPPED TO FOREIGN NATIONS
Under questioning by Senator Jones.
OF New Mexico, the witness said he un-
dcrS;ood that about half Of the "a
600 tons available in Cuba when i,
wrote the letter had been shinped ,o
other countries ana that the balance
either had arrived ia Tho Unite. s;,a,cs
or was On route.
Mr. Sprccke!S told Of protesting IA
Mr.. Hoover against the contract whore
by the American Sugar CoI,Dany N,, :
TO obtain 100000 tons OF the Lo,,is;on,
crop. He said his COMPANY b,d not
considered getting aay 81 thar cron
because the food administration u, -
iNcd no price and that he vas .stound-
ed to learn of the American conn,n,.
making the contract after a price o.
$3.50 for the Louisiana produc, had
been agreed upon at conferences nar-
fic,paied in by Mr. Rolpi, and Mr..
BabSt
"hch the shortage came in the
East. the witness asserted. more than
i""'ooo tons Of raw sugar was hc,,, in
nc West of which the Ca,iforria.
hawaiian Co. held 10000 tons. lie said
he appealed To AIR. RoIph 20 a,low
some OF this TO come East to keen
Eastern refineries going. but was in
formed 1t was necessary 10 keep the
supply in tho West.
HEClTES CHAIN-sToRE
INCIDENT AS PROOF
In support OF his charge that
Mcssrs. Roiph and Babst favored the
American company, Mr.. Sprcckels re-
lated an incident that brought out how
TWO companies operating chain retail
stores recently had sugar when none
was to be procured at many stores He
said a. II. Lamborn g. Co.. of New
York, sugar brokers. contracted for
Continued on Fourth ,Pago) :.