New-York tribune., 1917-12-20
Grocers Forced
To Buy From
Sugar Pirates
Evidence of Uncurbed
Speculation Revealed at
Meeting Here
Unite to Gust Jobbers
Secret Agents Used in Effort
to Block Hoovcr's
Plans

Further evidences Of uncurbed spec
ulation in sugar and inequitablc dis
trlbutou by the aids Of the Sugar hi
vision came to light yesterday at a
meeting of retail grocers in the Offices
OF the Federal Food Board. 92O West
Fifty-seventh Street.
Charge were made tina; salooukeep-
ers. shoe dealers. cobblcrs. pedlers.
bootblacks and practically everybody
except grocers were able TO obtain su-
gar in various quantities.
appealed 10 Hoover
Nathan NJ. Padgug, counsel for the
East Side and Independent Hebrew
Grocers' Association. and :. Lipkowitz.
president OF this body said they had
gone to Washington several weeks ago
20 appeal to National Food Admins
traitor Hoover They did not see Mr..
Hoover. but were turned over TO MIR.
Whi:marsh. one of the food admins
traitors representatives, they said
I'VE told Mr. Whitmarsh Of the con-
ditious up here" said Mr.. Lipkowitz.
Mr.. Whitmarsh seemed much i'm
pressed. He told US to 20 directly to
Frank {. Lowry. chairman OF the dis
tribution committee Of the American
Refners' Committee, and ask him to
sell our association sugar directly"
Mr.. Lipkowitz said he then told Mr..
Lowry Of Mr.. Whitmarsh's advice.
81 am doing this work for nothing,
and | am not taking orders from Whit
marsh" Ir. Lipkowitz quoted Mr..
Lowry as saying. "If WhitmarSh does
not ike my way Of doing business, he
can demand my resignation. II | were
getting 100000 for this. ii would be
different. No, I'd do it for $25,000.'
Dealt With Profiteers
Mr.. Lipkowitz said hit got no further
satisfaction from Mr.. Lowry. and that
he was forced TO deal with profteers.
Abraham J.. Aronof, manager of the
Federation Of Hebrew Retail Grocers'
Associations. said he had been able 10
get only 10000 pounds OF sugar for his
association. numbering 1000 grocers.
since the shortage became acute. lie
said he knew plenty of saloon men and
shoe merchants who had sugar for sale
at Illegal prices.
Mr. Aronof said that last week . re-
tail grocer, who had just gone into the
restaurant business on the East Side.
had been forced TO pay $3.50 for 100
pounds of sugar Charles II. Iaslop.
president Of the New York Retail
Grocers' Association, said lie had great
difficulty in getting sugar AZ time
when others were getting j..
Floyd W. Fiske, assistant director o.
the Bureau Of transportation and Dis
tribution Of the Federal Food Board,
presided at the meeting Of the retail
grocers. 4 committee was appointed
to arrange in the future for sugar
purchases. Charles r. Thorpe, secre
tary Of the New York State Retail
Grocers' Association. was named chair
man Of the committee.
Sugar profteers wno b. devious
methods have succeeded in eXtortinS
from - to 20 cents a pound from East
side restaurant men who purchased
their product will be driven out Of
business and into the bankruptcy courts
if the New York Restaurant Keepers
Association has its say.
Paid 20 Cents a Pound
The case Of Feinberg Brothers, keep
ers of small restaurant al 2o2 Gin
ton Street, is said by tie restaurant
association officials to be typical Of
the methods Of the sugar pirates. Fein-
berg Brothers, when completely OUT Of
sugar. were compelled 20 pay 20 cents
pound, 'whOlesale.' for the Joe