Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-12-14
F Food Administration at
Fault in Bringing on Pres
ent Situation, Declares
Claus Spreckles.
Hands of Refiners Tied by
Agreement Which Pre-
vents Independent Opera
tors From Getting Sugar
-Refineries Kept Idle.

Washington, Dec. IA. - Herbert
Hoovers food administration was
blamed by Claus Spreckels today for
the sugar famine in the United States.
Testifying before the senate sugar
coal invest ting committee,
Spreckles, leading independent, stated
that the food administration had tied
the hands of American refiners by an
agreement which prevents their getting
sugar to refine.
NO WORLD SHORTAGE.
Chairman Reed, early in today's open
hearing. brought out the following
facts:
There Is no world sugar short
age; this years crop is larger than
last years; the food administration
made American refiners agree not
to import any sugar, other coun-
tries have decreased their sugar
consumption, England and France
80 per cent; sugar has been divert
| ed to other countries right through
the, United States; the American
| Sugar Refining company, known
| as the sugar trust, controls nine
tenths OF the output in this coun-
try.
REFINERY IDLE.
could you get sugar today to run
your factory asked Senator Ken
yon, Iowa.
mo, the sugar has been diverted"
replied Spreckles. I'VE were anxious
to pay the price but the food admins-
tration wouldn't let US. My refinery
is not running now; 1t has no sugar
to refine. We had an opportunity to
buy sugar in October and September
but the agreement wit hthe food ad-
ministration forbade our buying it.
Then some of the sugar went to Can
ada. 1t went right through New York"
HOOVER REPRESENTED.
Hoover was represented at today's
session by Curtis H. Lindley, chief
counsel for the food administration.
Chairman Reed explained at the out
set that the committee would decide
later whether Hoover would be per-
mited to cross examine witnesses.
Seeking to learn why the food ad-
ministration restricted importation Of
sugar, Reed read a statement made
last May by Hoover that serious
sugar shortage was imminent unless
the supply was conserved. This state
ment made last May, estimated the
sugar crop for 1851 would be
! 1,250,O 900 tons below that Of the pre-
/ ceding year.
BIG CROP THIS YEAR.
"As a matter Of fact. the crop was
in excess of the year before" said
| Spreckels.
Spreckles said-refiners at first re-
fused to sign the importation
| agreement, which included fixing Of
the price to the public.
| I'VE had Is meetings with the food
administration before the refiners
finally signed the agreement" said
! Spreckels.
CONTRACTED WHOLE OUTPUT.
Spreckels stated that George Nj.
Rilph. the San Francisco sugar refiner
who is one of three American mem
bers of the international sugar COM
mittee named by Hoover. had con-
tracted for the entire output of Ha-
wall plantations.
"His price of % cents less a hun
dred pounds than the New York price
for imported sugar gave Rolph an ad-
vantage of s1,soo.ooo year over his
rivals. said Spreckels.
| The other members Of the interna-
tional committee. Englishmen. had no
part in fixing price for Porto Rican
sugar, according to Spreckels. Sugar
growers In Cuba and Peru forced the
! committee to pay $500 hundred
pounds. the producers own figures.
WILLING TO Paw MORE.
6preckels was willing to pay more
! in order to obtain sugar and still not
<rvortfrua., IN T,a 80 T.,o \ .