Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-08
Strike Places City in
Grip of Sugar Famine


Sugar Workers came to this city and be-
gan to organize the men. The men work
twelve hours daily and seven days a week.
They demanded an Increase OF from twenty
i've to thirty cents an hour double pay for
overtime and Sunday of. The demands
wore refused and the men went on strike.
completely tying up all three big retineres.
Said a representative of the interests of
George II, Earle Jr. I'VE could not have
increased the wages of these men without
raising the price Of sugar a half cent We
did not feel that II would be fair TO the pub
lie to make such an increase, There is a
famine In refined sugar here because the
reineries are all closed down. We expect
that the back of the strike will be broken
In a short time. Already many OF our men
are showing a disposition to come back"
The legal representative of the Amer
lean Refining Company, which controls the
Franklin Refinery here, said: I'VE employ
about 1000 men at our Philadelphia plant.
They are mostly Polish laborers-unskilled
workers. Our plant in Brooklyn is some
what crippled by the strike, but as yet we
have had no trouble at our plants in Bos-
ton. Jersey City and New orleans.
ONE RAISE" ALREADY
I'VE feel that we have done well by our
employees AMI are certain that their de.
mands are eXtravagant. Last year at the
Franklin Refinery in P' iladelphis we raised
cents an hour, and announced that in 1917
We would give them a further increase of
frvm oight to ten per cent"
There are about 500 men. on strike at
the McCuhan refinery and an equal number
At the refinery Of the Pennsylvania Com
pany.
In speakinv of the famine, a representa-
tive of Alfred Lowry Brothers, wholesale
grocers. said:
There is little package sugar left in the
city, and II is virtually impossible to get
any refined sugar anywhere. At the present
time we are several hundred barrels be-
hind In our orders: grocers all over the
City are clamoring for sugar. The freight
embargoes make II virtually impossible to
get any sugar from the outside. There Is
famine all right. a-d f. is going to be
worse unless this labor trouble is settled
right away"
Another prominent wholesale grocer said:
I'VE haven't single pound of sugar in our
place and cannot get any. We could easily
dispose of 10000 barrels right now if we
had them. Retail grocers and restaurants
all over the city are beginning to feel the
pinch. and they are begging us to help
them out, but we can't do 1t. Tie strike
has stopped the manufacture Of refined
sugar. and the little that wholesalers had
on hand has been eaten up"
An official of the Franklin Baker Com
pany, in referring to the shortage said
I'VE thought we would have to stop our
plant today. but were fortunate enough to
get hold Of enough sugar to keep us going
We have no store ahead, and the situation
is likely to become serious IL we don't get
relief soon"
An official of +. Stephen Whitman &
Son, one of the largest confectionery manu-.
facturers In this city, said: I'VE are able
70 keep moving, but the supply of refined
sugar Is getting very low"
An official of Clawson & Co., manufac-
turers Of extracts, 2i0 Chestnut street.
said: "Our actual daily needs in refined
sugar are being supplied by the refneries
There is no doubt but that the supply is
running very low"