Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1918-02-09

should be limited to $l.30 per hundred
pounds. The pre-war dfferentiai mac
averaged about So cents and increased
costs we're found to have been iinpos-
ed nv the war In increased cost OF re-
finina. losses, cost Of bags labor, insur-
ance, interest and other things, rather
more than cover the difference. Alter
prolonged negotiations the fehnei'
were placed under agreement estao.
fishing these limits on October l. anu
ANYTHING over this amount to De agreeu
extortlonate under the law.
"In the course of these investiga-
tons 1t was found by canvass OF the
Cuban producers that their sugar nau'
during the first nine months OF the
past year, sold for an average OF ABOUT
S424 per hundred I. o. b. Cuoa' 10
which duty and freight added TO tne
ref1ners' cost amount to ABOUT So.oo
per hundred. The average sale price
OF graduated by various reflneries' ac
cording to our investigation, was aDou.
$3.50 per hundred, or a differentiai VI
1884.
"In reducing the difrerential to $l'5o
there was a saving TO the pubic OF ~
cents per hundred Had such IN
snrential been in use from the ISL OF
January. 1917. the public wouiu nav
saved in the first nine months OF the
wear about s24.S0o 900"
Next Year.
with view to more efficient organ
izaiion of the trade In imported sugars
NEXT wear two committees have been
formed by the food administration:
l A committee comprising repre-
sentotives of all of the elements OF
American cane refining groups Inc
principal duty of this committee IL 10
divide the sugar imports pro rata 10
their various capacities and see that
absolute Justice Is done to every re-
finer.
2. A committee comprising three rep
resentatives. of the English, French
and Italian governments; two repre-
sentatives of the American reiinefs,
with member of the food admlnistra-
ton. Only two Of the committee nave
arrived from Europe, but they repre-
sent the allied governments. Inc du-
ties of this committee are to determine
the most economical sources from
transport point Of view OF all the al
lies to arrange transport at uniform
rates, to distribute the foreign sugar
between. the United States and allies,
subject to the approval OF the Amerl-
can, English, French and Italian gov
ernments.
This committee, while holding strong
views as to the price to be paid for
Cuban sugar, has not had the maj
voice. This voice has rested in the
governments concerned together with
the Cuban government, and | wish to
state emphatically that all of the gen
tlemen concerned as good commercial
men have endeavored with the utmost
patience and skill to secure lower
price, and their persistence has re-
duced Cuban demands by Is cents per
hundred The price agreed upon Is
about 81. so per hundred pounds, f. o. b.
Cuba, or equal to about SO duty paid
New York.
"This price should eventuate,"
Mr.. Hoover said, "to about $3.50
per hundred for refined sugar from
the refiners at seaboard points or
should place sugar in the hands OF
the consumer at from 8Ea to 9
cents per pound, depending upon
locality and conditions of trade, or
at from to cents below the
prices of August last and from one
half to cent per pound cheaper
than today.
"There Is now an elimination of
speculation, extortionate profits, and
in the refining alone the American
people will save over $25,000,000 of
the refining charges last year. A part
of these savings goes to the Cuban,
Hawaiian, Porto Rican and Lousianian
pIOuuSSl anu PhiI W tiC SohoulnCi'
Appeals to prejudice against the
food administration have been made
because the Cuban price is "a cents
above that of 1917. 1t is said In effect
that the Cubans are at our mercy;
that we could get sugar a cent lower.
We made exhaustive study of the cost
Of producing sugar In Cuba last year
through our own agents In Cuba, and
we find it averages $3.50, while many
producers are at higher level. We
found that an average profit Of at
least cent per pound was necessary
in order to maintain and stimulate
production or that minimum price of
S437 was necessary, and even this
would stlfie some producers.
"The price ultimately agreed was %
cents above these figures, or about one
fifth Of a cent per pound to the Ameri-
can consumer, and more than this
amount has been saved by our reduc-
ton in refiners profits III we wish to
stife production in Cuba we could
take that course just at the time of all
times in our history when we want
production for ourselves and the al
lies. Further than that, the state de-
partment will assure you that such
course would produce disturbances In
Cuba and destroy even our present
supplies, but beyond all these material
reasons is one of human justice. This