Omaha daily bee., 1917-04-23
MUCH SUGAR HELD
WHILE PRICE SCARS
Assessor Fitzgerald Discovers
100000 Pounds Of Public
Necessity Stored in Omaha.
ANOTHER BOOST PREDICTED

whereas ordinarily they WoulQ nave
only few pounds. We sold IS per
cent more sugar during the first four
months of this year than we did last
year. If the consumers would sit
steady there would be no trouble,
They are making unusual demands on
the retailers, who, in turn, are max
ing abnormal demands on the whole
salers.
"The re6ners are trying to equalize
their distribution. One might call it
run on sugar. You should bear in
mind that Omaha is a great distribu-
ting point for states north and north
west. We had no quotations today
from the Omaha jobbers, but saw
one of 1925 from Kansas City. The
price to the Omaha retailer today was
$500"
Cuban Crop is Short.
Charles Pickens, general manager
of the Paxton Gallagher Wholesale
Groceries company, reviewed the
labor troubles in the refneries of the
east and said in the Cuban revolution
mills were burned and growing crops
destroyed.
November IT,. he said, "Guma, the
Cuban sugar statistician, estimated
the growing crop at 100000 tons,
which was 100000 tons more than the
crop of 1916. His estimate last week
was reduced to 100000, a decrease
of 100000 tons. And now it is re-
ported the rainy season has started
earlier than usual and is interfering
with the harvest.
During the strike the western
beet rehneries marketed their sugar
in the east and practically sold out.
The eastern refneries are now melt
ing 10000 to $4,000 tons per week,
which is almost up to normal, but
they are all the way from four to
eight weeks over sold, and prices
quoted today are for delivery any
time within sixty days.
Out of Raw Material.
"The western sugar refneries
which obtain their raws from Hawaii
are out of raws and cannot get YES
sells, owing to the submarine scare,
together with the fact that the ship
owners are able to obtain higher rates
for higher class tonnage. I do not
know a single refinery today accept
ing orders for anything like prompt
shipment.
q am of the opinion, however, that
many retailers and consumers in the
last sixty days have bought sugar
in excess of their requirements. The
PROBABILITIES are as soon as the eastern
reineries can take care of the do
nestle trade they will accept bust
ness for export, which they have been
declining since early in the year.
Three months ago we would sell
a retailer carload lots. Two weeks
ago we cut down the maximum to
fifty bags. Last week and this we
are limiting them to maximum Of
ten bags.
1--WE cannot get the sugar here
fro,, tho ra6,ar;ac No dare not seI1
n ro tn snu one ret,;lsr for fesr 81
runn;nn amt and not he;na .hie 70
sunniv Tho tr,den
'Dfe ov;s S;n,an of s;ro, Rro+hers
wholesale groceries, said: when
h,os Now am nra ct;c,,lv out md
the rasosr;as, rsnrasentat;ues cav
thev viii nrob,hiv 1et me- h,vs H.
lie Mond,y A few davs aoo 7 tried to
as. r., 20 sa,1 $500 ,nd thsu
ss'o,,,dn,t a;uo ,rs s;unis haa The,,
VA 7 IA son,s vet Tbeu Lsan :,
oIsrL on ' ~, hms;rsss sor,e u.r p e,d q
ino. ;,st sh o hon, p ,nan, VIZ" h.ns
haus " ~ y" b,rd .S well ,sI do
'"'~ "a - " .,
Ne'aiiels Aie oea'eu'
ut is true that the retailers and
the consumers have both been get
ting scared and have bought more
than thew needed, The retailer who
would in ordinary times buy one bag
began a week Or ten DAYS ago to buy
twenty-five bags at time, The re.
taiier, VINO Wouid ordinarily 9uy
iso hsaa 0ass; ues"n T yuss ~
have some sugar stored in Omaha but
they will not put it on the market
because they say IT they did, the,
woula DC cieaheu out III 'Weh'y-iou'
The nres;dent of another b;g whole
sale grocery house here, who re-
fused to permit his name to be used
said; Wecannot get the supply. ner'
is no speculation so lar as the lac
torres are concerned. lhey went OF
the market week ago; lhey declin'
to sell us. think the speculation