The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-15

would you say ~ to a world shortage
Of sugar supplies"
There Is no shortage" declared
Spreckels emphatieally.
Spreckels then described the fornlH~
ton Of the sugar division OF the food
administration. Three committees were
appointed TO work with Mr.. Rolph, he
said. An International committee with
Earl Raest. head OF the American SUGAR
Refining company rs chairman and
Two other Americans and two English
men as members, was formed TO ailot
supplies To the various countries. a
national committee was formed to dis~
, tribute American supplies, with Mr..
Rolph as chairman. to apportlon raw
sugar 20 the ref1ners. 4 reAners COM
mirtee also was orga nl2ed Of which
+ fpreckels " a. "a member. ON each one
81 these three committees was placed
& representative Of the AmTiGan Sugar
Refining company, MIR. Sprs KEEL s
charged,
AS the final step in the preliminary
process, Mr.. SpreckeIs produced g copy
of the agreement between all the re-
fnsrs. on ere side. and tho food admin
istratlon, on the other Senator Reed
read H. emphasizing that section which
stipalates no member shall buy or i'm
port raw sugar without the sanction of
the International committee
1 ms NOiitE3ltItEes Sltl ECk~
cls said. was also 10 set prices.
Have you or any other rehners had
anything TO do with Axing prices :"
asked Senator Reed.
No" SprecAelr replied.
with the groundwork laid. Senator
Beed turned attention to two sugar
sources Cuba ana Louisiana, Cuban
sugar. held higher prices Mt the planta-
tions. was not used to relieve the sup-
In
eis said. a price OF $3.50 per hundred
had been tjxed for imported sugar he
added
Canadians. not bound BY our price
agreement paid more for this Cuban
auKsr than we could pay he testified.
Several rehnsries shut down. includ-
ing the federal plant. Mr. Spreckels
said. because the international com
mittes refused to let them compete
Is TIN the Canadian on prices
We offered to buy at tn ehigher
price and sell at the figures fixed by
tho food administration" Spreekeis de-
ctared
IF you could pay higher price now
cou'A YOU open your -ehnery| asked
Seu5tor Reed
Not at once" he answered Much
Of the supply has gone abroad aud 1t
would take time TO get the raw product
here" There are etlll about 100000
tons OF old raw sugar unused. sprecklas
continued,
Senator Reed asked whether spreck-
elssnsa dh5sctsd tovaTioas steps taken
By tho food administration He also
Inquired wHether he had opposed the
selection of Mr.. Roiph as head OF the
sugar division.
Il objected when Mr.. Roiph became
head OF the division and q member OF
two or three committees" said Sprech-
els
''Rec2use he was n riysl7'
Yes"
Habst IsMues Denial.
Earl H. Babst, who attended the ses~
sion today. issued a statement tonight
in defense OF the purchase of Louisiana
sugar.
The purchase of Louisiana sugar,
he satd likewise Philippine and
Hawaiian sugars. Is specifically except
ed from the Hoover contracts with
the refnerB These sugars. therefore,
are not under the control OF the inter-
national committee. with this made
clear the offer 10 purchase Louisi-
ana sugar will he seen TO have
been entirely in order"
Much of the amount refned to date
hae been used in New England, he
added Mr.. Babst will take the stand
in 8 few days