The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-08-31
RODERICK 0. MATHEsON. EDITOR
Suaar Control

n the final form OF the Food Control Law en-
acted this week the portion OF paramount M
terest to the sugar industry contained in Section
s. This section, Facts About Sugar points out,
contains what is known as the licensing provision
OF the law. 1t authorizes the President whenever
he shall find it essential" to license the impor-
tation, manufacture, storage, mining or distribu-
ton of any necessaries" 1t also authorizes him to
determine what is lust, reasonable, non-dis-
criminatory, and fair storage charge, commission,
profit or practise" Heavy penalties are provided
as a means of enforcing his decision in respect to
any of these matters.
'Necessaries" are defined in the law as including
floods, feeds, fuel, including fuel oil and natural
gas fertilizer and fertilizer ingredients, tools, uten-
sils implements, machinery and equipment requir-
cd for the actual production of foods, feeds and
fuel" This definition is broad enough to cover
sugar, its by-products and the means of its pro-
duction. ,u. S.. ..,.'
Sugar is not included among the commodities
that the government is authorized to purchase,
these being limited to wheat, -four meal, beans
and potatoes" and it has been assumed for this
reason that the law did not confer authority to fix
sugar prices. An examination OF the licensing pro-
vision, however, shows that it conveys authority
to determine the profit which producer or dis
tributor Of any necessary" may be allowed to re-
Ce1Ne ana 4tnlS oil course amounts W thS
conveyance of price-fxing authority
1t is not likely that the President will proceed
at once to exercise the full measure of authority
conferred by this law. Until some definite state
ment of plans is issued by the Office of the food
administration it will not be possible to know ex-
scty how far it is proposed to go in the regulation
of the sugar industry, 1t is clearly within the
power OF the President, or of such agency as he
may designate, however, to license and thereby
completely to control CD the manufacture OF
sugar and by-products from the raw material, ~
the refining of sugar, and () the selling OF sugar
at wholesale. Ir
1t is possible that the licensing power may not
be applied to sugar at all. The readiness display
cd by the various branches Of the industry to CO.
operate with the food administration in bringing
about the proper conservation and equitable dis
tribution of sugar supplies indicates that voluntary
action may be relied upon to accomplish all that
the situation demands But in order to under
stand the full scope OF the measure, it is we'll for
those in the industry to realize the extent to which
its provisions may be applied at the will of the
governmental authorities.
1t is probably true that no such sweeping and
autocratic power as this law bestows, upon the
President-and authorizes him to delegate--ever
has been conferred upon any individual by the
Legislature of popular government. Its excuse
is found in the necessities of the Its smooth
and efficient operation must depend in part upon
the spirit in which it is administered and in part
also upon the cheerful and ready cooperation of
those whose business may be to some extent dis
turbed by its application So far as the sugar in
dustry is concerned we feel certain that this CO.
operation will be extended in every reasonable re-
quirement.
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