The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-30
SUGAR AND POTATOES IN WAR
By HOLLAND


 New York, October 29.-(Special) |co-operation between the national food administration and the sugar producers of Louisiana, together with the presi- dent of the American Sugar Refining company, will result in the release within a few days of 200,000,000 pounds of sugar, which will be immediately utilized by the refners. Washington an- nounces that this food administration action with the cooperation of the sugar producers and refiners will put an end to the somewhat alarming shortage of sugar in the United States, and the very high price that has been of late charged for sugar.
 But perhaps the most interesting feature and to the consumer the most important of this cooperation is to be found in the fact that 1t makes possi- ble such restraint upon greedy or prof iteering retailers as will enable the consumer to buy sugar for from 10 to Il cents 8 pound.
 The problem of reaching the retailer has been one of the most difficult for the food administrators, national and state, to solve. Nevertheless within a few days it has been, with respect to one important food commodity, solved in New York state. This has been ac- complished by private or individual ac- tion which involved the assuming of a large financial responsibility aggre- gating $25o.Ooo.
 In the spring when New York state farmers were seriously concerned lest they should be unable to secure suf- ficient amount of seed potatoes George w. Perkins, upon his own responsibili- ty and presumably relying upon his finaciaI resources, bought many car loads of seed potatoes in Maine. These were shipped to New York and almost all of them to that agricultural section of the state which in the past has been conspicuous for it's success 4n raising potatoes
 Mr. Perkins caused contracts to be drafted whereby he pledged himself to buy all of the potatoes raised from this seed and to pay the farmers $1 bushel for them. There was an alternative contract which provided that MT. Per- kins would pay 90 cents a bushel for the potatoes and in addition would pay to the farmers 50 per cent of the i'm crease in the market price of potatoes over 90 cents.
 Without exception the New York state farmers who availed themselves of this shipment of Maine seed pota- toes. accepted the contract by which MT. Perkins pledged himself to pay $1 a bushel for the potatoes. There re- mained the cultivation and then the marketing of the potatoes. It was the wish of MT. Perkins that the whole transaction should be so carried out as to make the farmers content with the money they received for their potatoes and on the other hand to give the con sumers qualification at the reasonable price at which they were marketed. So. also. the reasonable interest of the retailers was considered.
 The farmers harvested very fine crop of potatoes. When a large crop was assured several men who in the past have been making a speciality of buying from the farmers their potato crops and in hoarding the potatoes or in storing them and 50 manipulating the markets that very high price would be obtained for them, thought it worth while to come to New York and make propositions to MT. Perkins that they would take the contract off his hands. These men represented the kind of speculation in food products which in considerable measure explains high prices. MT. Perkins told these men that as he and those associated with him had handled the proposition thus far satisfactorily 1t was not necessary to call in any outside aid.
 Now carloads of potatoes from the great potato section in New York state are reaching New York city and other large markets in the state. The farmers are receiving. or have received. spot cash for their potatoes and many of them have spoken of their satisfaction with the way the contract has worked out. They were able to make q reason able profit upon the sale of their po- tatoes at $1 bushel.
 Thsse potatoes when they reached New York and other markets repre- scented cost. including transportation charges. of from s1.26 to e1.so bushel. Mir. Perkins set in motion his plans whereby the retailers could receive . reasonable pront and at the aams time the consumsrs be content with the price charged for tho potatoes they bought.