The Bolivar County Democrat. (Rosedale, Miss.) 1887-1969, 1918-02-09
AMERICAN SUGAR
SENT TO FRANCE
American Price Rigidly Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY &c.
Sugar Cost 35 Cents a Pound During
Civil War-Refiners' Profits
Now Curtaiied.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY &c.

Sugar is selling today throughout
America at from 81k to 8 cents u
pound to the consumer, even though
there is a world shortage which has
reduced this nations sugar allotment
10 70 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 grocerS sugar
price is around S to S1s cents. He
should sell this sugar at S1s to
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 a
pound. During the Civil War sugar
cost the consumer 35 cents pound.
BY regulation Of the sugar market and
reducing the price to S1a and 0 cents
and keeping it from advancing to 70
cents the food administration has saw
ed the American public at least $780,
600. 900 in four months, according to
statement made by Herbert Hoover
the other day.
at 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. If 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.
az we send the ships to Java
for $50 eco tons Of sugar next year
we will have necessitated the en-
pioyment of eleven extra ships for
one year. These ships-if used In
transporting troops-wouId take
10000 to 200, 1000 men to France"
Reason for World Shortage.
AS Mr. Hoover pointed out, the
United States Canada and England
we're sugar importing countries before
he war. while France and Italy were
Gerry nearly self supporting. The main
sources of the worlds sugar supply
was Germany and neighboring powers,
the West Indies and the East lhdles.
German sugar is no longer aVaiiapie'
as 1t is used entirely IN GERMANY
which also absorbs sugar OF surround
fng countries
England can. no longer buy l,4oo'ooO
Jone tons OF SUGAR each year from
Germany The French sugar produc-
zion has dropped from 10000 to'2lo,-
u00 tons The Italian production has
fallen from 30 GOO tons to Io,Ooo tons
thus three countries were thrown
upon IIaS' and West Indian sources
for 925 600 tons annually to maintain
tucii 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 l,42ooo tons OF
sugar TO Europe when 100000 tons a
year was the pre-wnr demand. The
ahes had drawn from Java 4oo,ooo
tons before the shipping situation be-
came acute.
"In spite of these shipments" MIR.
Hoover stated the other day, the
English government in August reduced
the household sugar ration to basis
of "a pounds per annum per capita.
And in September the French govern
ment reduced their household ration
70 13 90 hounds year, or bit over
pound of sugar month. Even this
mengre ration could not be flled by
the French government IT was found
early in the fall. America was then
asked for looooo 'o'ls oi s"S"' anu
succeeded IN sending $4,000 tons ny
December l. The frenrh requesf was
A tnN.N hnH