The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-01-24
AMERICAN SUGAR |
Sent TO FRANCE
American Price Rigidly Regulates
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY Sc
Sugar Cost IS Cents a Pound During
Civil War-Refiness' Profits
Now Curtailed.

Sugar is selling today throughout
America at from S1a to cents o
pound to the consumer, even though
there is world shortage which has
1aduced this nations sugar allotment
to 20 per cent of normal.
Through the efforts of the United
States food administration the sugar
market has been regulated a. far %
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 8 to S11 cents. He
should sell this sugar at 81 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 II 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 Sh and 9 cents
and keeping it from advancing to 20
cents the food administration has saw
ed the American public at least $780,
0O0,O0O in four months, according to
a statement made by Herbert Hoover
the other day.
lies, to maintain their health and
strength at any cost to ourselves"
| Mr.. Hoover declared "Tliere has not
been, nor win be as we see 1t, 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 1000 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-would take
| 10000 to zoe, 900 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 1,4OO, 900
long tons Of sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc-
ton has dropped from 10000 to 21O,-
600 TONS The Italian production has
fallen from 100000 tons to $4,000 tons.
Thus three countries were thrown
upon East and West Indian sources
for 1885,, 1000 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.
lance 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 q
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, "thl
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 10 2-1O pounds year, or bit over
pound Of sugar month. Even this
meagre ration could not be filed by
the French government 1t was found
early in the fall. America was ther
uSheu lUT IOU,UUO toIlS VI sugar tHt
succeeded In sending $1,000 tons BY
December /. The French request wa.
granted because the American house
hold consumption was then at least s!
pounds per person, and 1t was consid
cred the duty of maintaining thu
French morale made our course clear.
Today the sugar situation may
be summarized by stating that u
America will reduce it's sugar con-
: sumption 10 TO IS per cent this
nation will be able to send 200, 200
more soldiers to France.
! Sugar today sells at seaboard re
fineries ut $7.25 hundred pounds
The wholesale grocer has agreed t,
limit his profit to % cents hundre,
plus freight, and the retail grocer i
supposed to take no more than 80 cent
a hundred pounds profit This regu
lation was made, by the food admins
tratiOn, which now asks the housewife
to reduce sugar consumption as mucl
as possible, using other sweeteners
t and also reminds her that size shoul,
pay no more than cents pound 70
sugar.
, Control Of Cane Refiners' Profits.
Immediately upon the establish
ment of the food administration" MI