The Winslow mail., 1918-02-22
AMERICAN SUGAR
Sent TO France
American Price RigidIy Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY &c.
Sugar Cost 35 Cents a Pound During
Civil War-Refiners' Profits
Now CurtaiIed.

Sugar is selling today throughout
America at from 81a to 8 cents a
pound to the consumer, even though
there is a 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, refner 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 grocers sugar
price is around to S1a cents. He
should sell this sugar at e1a to 9
cents, the food administrative 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 pound.
By regulation Of the sugar market and
reducing the price to 81a and 9 cents
and keeping 1t 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 1t, 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
"If we send the ships to Java
for 25o,oOo tons of sugar next year
we will have necesstated the en-
p.eyment 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,
ag 1t is used entirely in Germany
which also absorbs sugar of surround
ing countries.
England can no longer buy 1, 100000
long tons of sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc-
tion has dropped from 100000 to 210,-
600 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 1,925,000 tons annually to maintain
their normal consumption.
Because of the worlds shipping
4 shortage the allied nations started
/ drawing on the West Indies for sugar !;
East Indian sugar took three times
l 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 h
II hya
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, the
| English government in August reduced
the household sugar ration to a 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 bit over
| 1 pound of sugar a month. Even this
| meagre ration could not be filed by
| the French government it was found
| early in the fall America was then
| asked for 100000 tons of sugar and
| succeeded in sending $4,000 tons by
| December 1. The French request was
| granted because the American house
| hold consumption was then at least 30
| pounds per person, and it was consid-
| cred the duty of maintaining the
| French morale made our course clear. "
Today the sugar situation may
be summarized by stating that If
| America will reduce its sugar con-
| sumption 10 to IS per cent. this
| nation will be able to send 100000
| more soldiers to France.
Sugar today sells at seabOard re-
fneries at $7.25 a hundred pounds.
| The wholesale grocer has agreed to
limit his profit to % cents a hundred
plus freight, and the retail grocer is
| supposed to take no more than 80 cents
| a hundred pounds profit. This regu-
| lation was made by the food admins
| tration, which now asks the housewife
l * ,.oJtroo S11oor POUSuToptiOn mich