Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-09-18
:: Business And Financial News =:
M Sugar SHORTAGE BUT LACK OF
SHIPPING IS TROUBLE, SAYS HOOVER

been an increased domestic demand
which would seemingly indicate the
storing OF domestic supplies BY house
holders, possibly through fear OF
scarcity at this season. In 1915 the
amount taken for consumption IN the
! United States from January / 10 June
80 was 2.394,26l tons, while in the
! same period Of 1911 the amount so
absorbed was 2,s50,521 tons. an in
crease OF 256,266 tons, or l0.I per
/ cent over 1916. II this increase Is
due to advanced buying it will afford
a degree of relief 10 present demands.
! The Cuban crop OF l9lG-lI has Just
closed 1t was up to normal 1t IS
estimated that CUBA can yet furnish
from this crop 687.S40 tons.
Hawaiian Crop Held UP
The Hawaiian crop. which closed
in July, gave 633,U0O tons OF sugar.
This has been unusually slow in
. in reaching the United States because
OF scarcity OF shipping. About 200,-
600 tons still remain on the island.
The Philippines have on hand about
10000 tons and Java more than $780,
900 tons. This supply also becomes
a problem of shipping.
These four sources of supply, with
the domestic stocks On hand, consti-
tute the present sugar resources of
the United States.
The harvest of sugar beets in Cali
fornia is now on and the first sugar
from there should begin arriving in
the market Immediately. Most of the
domestic crop comes later, largely in
October. The crop planted for beet
sugar this year is much the largest in
our history and is reported in good
condition. The total production fore
cast at 1,000,0 900 tons as against q
5-year pre-war average production Of
724,346 tons.
The domestic cane sugar crop be-
gins to come in October. Estimates
are for about the same crop as last
year, or around 100000 tons as against
a pre-war 5-year average OF 241,S37
tons.
Beet Sugar Agreement
The beet sugar producers of the
country have entered into an agree
ment with the food administration
that they will sell beet sugar on a
cane basis of $7,25 per hundred lbs.
at seaboard points. Under this agree
meet after October l the price to the
Wholesale trade at interior points will
be raised to $7.25 per hundred ID.
sack, plus freight charges from New
York, New Orleans, San Francisco or
other seaboard points.
The wholesale grocers who pur.
chased sugar in large quantities with
the expectation of receiving materially
increased prices are thus given to Oc-
tober to dispose of their holdings.
The lack of adequate shipping ia
cilities to reach the source of sugar
supply, and the imperative demand to
supply the needs of our Allies, consti.
tute the sugar problem of the United
States, and creates the necessity for
sugar conservation recommended by
the food administration. ..~
The conservation asked of the
American people does not necessarily
demand great sacrifices. 1t only needs
the elimination of waste and the care.
full use of sugar to enable America
to make up the difference required
by the needs OF the Allies. The per
capita sugar consumption in the Unit.
ed States is S9.14 pounds per year,
while in Francs 1t is but As IS pounds,
and in Italy bit 11.6S pounds. Eng
land, which alone surpassed the Unit.
ed States in per capita consCmptio,
OF sugar, is now upon conservation
basis. whereby their per capita ecu
sumption is to be reduced from 93.37
to 26 pounds per year. No such de-
NAL is required OF the American peo-
i r1io