The Donaldsonville chief., 1918-04-20
AMERICAN SUGAR
SENT TO FRANCE
American Price Rigid|y Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY &c.
Sugar Cost 35 Cents a Pound During
Civil War-Refiners' Profits
Now curtailed.

america dI IfOM Sz2 10 cents n
pound to the consumer, even though
there is a world shortage which has
reduced this nations sugar allotment
to 10 per cent of normal.
Through the efforts OF the United
States food administration the sugar
market has been regulated as far as
the producer, refiner and wholesaler
Is concerned, The food administration
has no power to regulate retail prices
except by public opinion. Even though
more than $4,000 tons Of sugar have
been shipped to France in the last
four months the retail grocer's sugar
price is around 8 to 81a cents. He
should sell this sugar at 87a to y
cents, the food administration believes,
and asks the American housewife to
pay no more than this amount.
Last August when the food admin
istration was organized the price OF
sugar rose suddenly to IL cents
pound. During the Civil War sugar
cost the consumer IS cents pound.
BY regulation Of the sugar market and
reducing the price to 81a and 8 cents
and keeping it from advancing to 20
cents che food administration has saw
ed the American public at least $780,
100000 In four months, according to
a statement made by Herbert Hoover
the other day.
"It is our stern duty to feed the al
lies, to maintain their health and
strength at any cost to ourselves"
Mr.. Hoover declared. ''There has not
been, nor will be as we see it, enough
sugar for even their present meagre
and depressing ration unless they send
ships to remote markets for 1t. II we
in our greed and gluttony force them
either to further reduce their ration
or to send these ships we will have
done damage to our abilities to WIN
this war.
"if we send the ships to Java
for 25O,OO0 tons OF sugar next year
we will have necessitated the en-
pioyment Of eleven extra ships TOR
one year. These ships-if used In
Transporting troops-Wouid take
10000 to 10000 men to France"
Reason for World Shortage.
AS Mr.. Hoover pointed out, the
United States, Canada and England
were sugar importing countries before
the war, while France and Italy were
very nearly self supporting. The main
sources Of the worlds sugar supply
was Germany and neighbpring powers,
the West Indies and the East Indies.
German sugar is no longer available,
as It is used entirely in Germany,
which also absorbs sugar OF surround
ing countries.
England can no longer buy 1,400, 900
long tons Of sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc-
ton has dropped from 100000 to 21O,-
600 tons. The Italian production has
fallen from 10000 tons to $4,000 tons.
Thus three countries were thrown
upon East and West Indian sources
for 1,925,000 tons annually to maintain
their normal consumption.
Because of the worlds shipping
shortage the allied nations started
| drawing on the West Indies for sugar
East Indian sugar took three times
the number of ships, since the dis
| tance was three times as great. Sud
| denly the west was called on. to fur
nish and did furnish 100000 tons OF
sugar to Europe when 100000 tons q
+h1 1npoor1 fNhn
allies had drawn from Java 100000
tons before the shipping situation be
came acute.
"In spite Of these shipments" Mr.
Hoover stated the other day, 1.-THE
English government in August reduced
the household sugar ration to a basis
Of "a, pounds per annum per capita
| And IL September the French govern
ment reduced their household ration
to 13 2-10 pounds year, or bit ovel
1 pound Of sugar month. Even this
meagre ration could not be filled by
the French government it was found
early in the fall America was Their
asked for 100000 tons of sugar and
| succeeded in sending $4,000 tons by
| December I. The French request was
granted because the American house
hold consumption was then at least 81
pounds per person, and 1t was consid
cred the duty of maintaining tht
| French morale made our course clear.
Today the sugar situation may
be summarized by stating that It
America will reduce its sugar CON
sumption 10 70 IS per cent. this
nation will be able to send 100000
more soldiers to France.
Sugar today sells at, seaboard re
f1neries at $7.25 hundred pounds
The wholesale grocer has agree ed Il
limit his profit to Is cents hundred
plus freight, and the retail grocer Il
supposed to take no more than so cent,
hundred pounds profit. This regu
lation was made by the food admins
tration, which now asks the housewife
to reduce sugar consumption as mucl
as possible, using otherp sweeteners
and also reminds her that she shoult
pay no more than 9 cents pound fol
sugar.
Control OF Cane Refiners' Profits.
Immediately upon the establish
rnent of the food Administrations Ar
E