Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-04-12
American SUGAR
SENT TO FRANCE
American Price RigidIy Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY 90.
Sugar Cost IS Cents q Pound OurIna
Civil War-Refiners' Profits
Now Curtaiisd

pound to the consumer, even though
there 10 world shortage which has
reduced this nations sugar allotment
10 40 per cent. Of normal.
Through the efforts Of the United
States food admin istration the sugar
market has been regulated as far as
J 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 $1,000 tons Of sugar have
! been shipped to France In the last
| four months the retail grocer's sugar
| price is around TO Sh cents. He
should sell this sugar at Sh to 8
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 a pound.
BY regulation OF the sugar market and
reducing the price to S1s and 8 cents
and keeping II from advancing to 20
cents the food administration has saw
ed the American public at least $780,
oo.000 In four months, according to
Il statement made by Herbert Hoover
he other day
1T 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 II, enough
sugar for even their present meagre
and depressing ration unless they send
ships To remote markets for IT. 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.
",f we send the ships to Java
for 250,000 tons Of sugar next year
we will have neceeeltated the en-,
! sptoyINeNt of el6V0x 61le31d ~ ~
one year. These shIps-K used In
transporting troops-would 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 II is used entirely In Germany,
which also absorbs sugar Of surround |
ing countries.
England can no longer buy 1,40O, 900
long tons of sugar each year from |
Germany. The French sugar produc- |
ton has dropped from 10000 to 21O.- |
900 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,OOO 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 a
year was the pre-war demand. The
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, "ths
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
to 13 2-1O pounds year. or a bit over
meagre ration could not be filed by
the French government II was found
early in the fall. America was then
asked for 100000 tons Of sugar and
succeeded in sending $1,000 tons BY
December I. The French request was
Granted because the American house
hold consumption was then at least IS
pounds per person. and 1t was consid-
cred the duty Of maintaining the
French morale made our course clear"
Today the sugar situation may
be summarized. b.. stating that n
America will reduce ia sugar con-
sumption 10 to IS per cent. this
nation will be able to send 200, 900
more soldiers to France.
Sugar today sells at seaboard re-
iineries at S7.25 a hundred pounds.
The wholesale grocer has agreed to
limit his profit to 25 cents q hundred
plus freight, and the retail grocer IN
to take no more than 50 cents
Il hundred pounds profit. This regu-
lation was made by the food admins.
ration, which now asks the housewife
10 reduce sugar consumption as much
us possible, using other sweeteners.
and also reminds her that she should
pay no more than 9 cents q pound for
sugar.
Control Of Cane Refners' Profits.
Immediately upon the establish.
ment Of the food administration," NJ.
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