The Washington herald., 1917-10-21
NATION FACES
RATION SUGAR
,Washingtonians Adopt Sub
terfuges to Defeat Deal
ers' Two-Pound Rule.

Housewives Of Washington yester-
day besiesed dealers all over the city
In an effort to obtain q sufncient
quantity OF sugar to last through the
general shortage Of the commodity.
Buyers who usually purchased small
smounts placed orders for fifty and
100 pounds, and retailers and whole
salers adopted rationing plan for their
customers.
One large grocery company limited
its sales to two pounds per family.
and smaller dealers adopted similar
measures, refusing to sell to any out
, regular customers.
Various methods to get . larger
amount than the limit set were taken
by consumers. Small confectonefs
) and soda fountain owners who usual
ly depend upon the retailer for their
supply Of sugar dispatched meseu-
gers all over the city to purchase as
large a quantity As permitted IN
dozens Of stores.
EiGht Boys His ssbterfuge.
One man, sent eight boys to one
store, each obtaining the allotted two
pounds. Mothers of large families
sent their children to the stores
OF the neighborhood, one at Q time,
each one buying as much as al
lowed.
wholesalers and Jobbers admitted
their inability to obtain large
stock of sugar from refiners, but
declared that sufficient was arriv-
ing to prevent an absolute sugar
famine.
Orders placed weeks ago, they
said, were not yet filled. and the
shortage was added to by the de-
lay in the arrival of shipments aft
er they were started.
Large rehners Of the country, It
10 understood, are working in con-
junction with the Food Admins
tration and are endeavoring to dis
! tribute such sugar as they have to
the localities most in need OF II. The
shortage in the supply is nation
wide and the country Is virtually
on q ration system.
Hawaiian On Way.
The arrival on the Pacific coast Of
the Hawaiian corp will relieve the
shortage in the West, and will come
East very slowly, and many officials
thought IL would be consumed before
1t had reached the middle West
Even with that crcp and the beet
sugar crop Of the West and the cane
crop OF the South, officials said, the
supply OF sugar will not meet the
present consumption rate. The short
age will continue. they said, until the
arrival of the $500, 100 tons crop from
Cuba which Is not expected for sew
eral weeks. Negotiations are con-
tinuing for the fixing of a price upon
this crop between officials OF the
Food Administration and large Cub
N producers
Exports Are Blamed.
The enormous increase in the export
alton of the commodity during the
past year Is responsible for the low
supply. The expected reduction in the
consumption did not occur and 1t will
be neceS sary for the consumer 20
sharply cut the amount consumed If
the supply Is to last.
Lunch rooms. which heretofore had
held out against the replacing Of lump
sugar with the loose, gave in and
very few at present have a supply OF
the former. and the bowls which for
I1erly were noticed only to refill them,
now are watched closely and some
have removed them. placing sugar IN
the various dishes ordered themselves.
Both wholesalers and Federal offt-
Gals again reiterated their declara-
ton that there should be no increase
price because of the shortage, declar-
ing any increase was the result Of
advantage taken OF the situation by
unscrupulous dealers.
Flour also is hard to obtain, whole
saIers declared yesterday, and no
large amount Of that commodity can
be gotten. Delay in shipments due
to the abnormal traffic handled ry
the railroads was said to partly az
count for this. but the failure to nil
orders sent in weeks ago could not be
explained.
As soon as a shipment Is received.
dealers said, it is Immediately dis
tributed to fill demands from retail
ers, and despite strenuous efforts. no
large amount can be obtained.