Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-01-18
AMERICAN SUGAR
SENT TO FRANCE
American Price RigidIy Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY &c.
Sugar Cost 2J Cents a Pound During
Civil War-Refiners' Profits
Now Curtailed.

Sugar Is selling today throughout
America at from 81A to 9 cents a
pound to the consumer, even though
there is world shortage which has
reduced this nations sugar allotment
to 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 grocer's sugar
price is around 8 to S15 cents. He
should sell this sugar at 81a to 9
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 Ii cents
pound. During the Civil War sugar
cost the consumer 35 cents a pound.
By regulation of the sugar market and
reducing the price to 81 and 9 cents
and keeping it from advancing to 20
cents the 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 it. 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.
"If we send the ships to Java
for 250, 900 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 100000 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 neighboring powers
the West Indies and the East Indies.
German sugar is no longer available
as 1t is used entirely in Germany
which also absorbs sugar Of surround
ing countries.
England can no longer buy 1,400,0O(
long tons of sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc
ton has dropped from 100000 to 21O,
600 tons. The italian production hal
fallen from 10000 tons to $4,000 tons
Thus three countries were thrown
upon Fast and West Indian sources
for 1,925,0 IONS 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 time
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 1,420,000 tons o
sugar to Europe when 100000 tons 1
year was the pre-war demand. Th
allies had drawn from Java 10000
tons before the shipping situation be
came acute.
"In spite of these shipments" MI
Hoover stated the other day, "th
English government in August reduces
the household sugar ration to basi
of "a pounds per annum per capita
And in September the French govern
ment reduced their household ratiol
to 13 2-10 pounds year, or bit owe
1 pound of sugar month. Even thi
meagre ration could not be filled b.
the French government it was foun
early in the fall America was the
, asked for 100000 tons of sugar an
SuCCccUSu III SChuIhS Co,oOo bOhO ~
, December 1. The French request wa
granted because the American house
hold consumption was then at least
pounds per person, and it was consid
. cred the duty of maintaining tn
French morale made our course clear.
Today the sugar situation may
be summarized by stating that II
sumption 10 to is per cent. this
nation will be able to send 20o, 900
. more soldiers to France.
: Sugar today sells at seaboard n
!, f1neries at $725 a hundred poundI
: The wholesale grocer has agreed t
I limit his profit to % cents a hundre
9 plus freight, and the retail grocer
3 supposed to take no more than so cent
< hundred pounds profit. This regu
D lation was made by the food admins
8 tration, which now asks the housewif
t to reduce sugar consumption as muc
8 as possible using other sweetener
e and also reminds her that she shoul
: pay no more than cents a pound fo
sugar
r Control Of Cane Reflners' Profits.
Immediately upon the establish
ment of the food administration" M