Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-05-10
lBy w. T. McElroy, Chief of Sugar d.
vision u. S. Food Administrator

vision u. 5. Food ADMINISTRATOR
The supreme duty of the food admin :
is.ralion at this time .s t@'provide an
adequate supply Of sugar to can every
ounce of food stuff available for can
ming.
To give you comprehensive idea OF
what this means l will state that last
year at this time there was an &C.
emulation of $4,000 tons Of raw
sugar at our Atlantic ports. Today
the accumulation has been reduced
to approximately 40 900 tons. The past
week has shown improvement in ar
rivals, there having been received 81
600 tons at or Atlantic ports, and
$4,000 at New Orleans.
Stocks of raw sugar in the hands OK
Cuban planters which have been stored
in Cuba because there were not bot
toms to transport 1t to the United
States approximate one million tons.
1t is obvious therefore that our supply
Of sugar for the canning season de-
Ponds very rally on whether or
not this sugar can be transported to
this country.
There &c, and VII be. available for
the next sixty days a considerable
quantity of western sugar, both beet
and cane, and I believe the necessity
exists for ant cipat'ng requirements in
order that stocks may be built up While
the dull period prevails. Now under
ordinary con6 iticns where the jobber
and retailer have the advantage OF
speculative profits, 1t would not be
difficult situation but with the specula-
tive feature taken away from sugar.
oithnr hole
saler or retailer to accumulate stocks.
1t is absolutely a losing proposition
when interest harges. storage charges
and insurance are considered. The max
imum profit that a 1obber can get now
is % cents per hundredwelsht
and the maximum profit that
the retailer can take Is cent
per pound The 1obbers cost OF do
ing. business is something over per
cent and the retailers considerably
more than that. The gross pront or
the tobber on sugar Is around SR per
cent, so you will readily see that II the
jobber depended on sugar for his profit,
he would not long remain in business.
MY point is that in order to build up
an adequate stock to take care OF our
needs during the canning season, II VIII
he necessary that there be more
thorough distribution Of sugar. Inc
Iowa jobbers are at present carrying
1754S2 bags Of sugar, valued at 81
3sS. 1880 Under present conditions
thisi stock will last about SO days but
lust as soon as berries ana oLileI iT";ss
begin to arrive, this supply would hard
" be ample for more than Is days. NOW
that the retailer is allowed to carry
80 DAYS supply, the jobber Is being re
lieved to some extent, but TO my nina
the all important question is the ques-
ton of having every consumer who an
ticipates canning fruit. purchase for
that purpose now, 25 pounds Of sugar
over and above the amount required
for ordinary family consumption. II
this IS done then the tobbcr and re-
taller will not be suddenly called upon
to furnish a supply Of sugar complete
lv beyond any stock they may have on
hand.
II requirec on an average OF IL Gays
to get sugar from California and Colo
RADIO. It is therefore necessary > Ster
rolling a continual stream OF sugar
during the canr,ng season.
II the food adminfst ratior' sstishea
itself by merely saying to the consumer
that there will be an ample supply FOR
canning fr,.-s all we will succeed In
doing is 10 sa:'sty the consumer that
such Is the cas nd result In gigantic
buying movement as soon as there IS
anything available for canning. Under
present stock conditions the 5obber and
retailer could not possibly cope with
The situation, and I reterate that our
plan Of building UP stocks must be
carried beycad the Jobbe- ard retailer
t. the consumer.
We cannot afford to be without
sugar for canning purposes when per-
!shable fruits are obtainahlc. Doubtless
all OF you are Wv in posses:1l OF the
sugar certificate to be used in pur-
chasing sugar for canning and preserv-
ing purposes and my opinion Is, that
they should be put into use Immediate
" and that retail grocers should be
urged to use care in selling sugar under
tits plan, satisfying themselves that
sugar so Sod. is for canning purposes
even though it Is not us.d for some
little time. II Iowa does not take adj
vantage of this opportunity Of building
up a stock in this way, she will GER
tainly find herself confronted with the
fact that Other states have taken ad-
vantage II it, and that tn. supply has