Ripley County democrat., 1918-02-01
AMERICAN SUGAR
Sent TO FRANCE
American Price Rigldly Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY Sc.
Sugar Cost 35 Cents Pound During
Civil War--Refiners' Profits
Now Curtailed.

Sugar is selling today throughout
America at from 8h to o cents a
pound to the consumer, even though
there Is a world shortage which has
reduced this nations sugar allotment
to TO per cent. of normal. y.
Through the efforts Of the United
States food administration the sugar
market has been regulated as far as
the producer, renner 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 8h cents. He
should sell this sugar at Sh to o
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 IS cents a pound.
BY regulation Of the sugar market and
| reducing the price to 81s and 8 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.
ut is our stern duty to feed the al
ues, 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. II we
in our greed and gluttony force them
either to further reduce their ration
or to semi these ships we will have
done damage to our abilities to win
this war.
"If we send the ships to Java
for 25o,oc0 tons Of sugar next year
we will have necessltated the en-
ployment OF eleven extra ships for
one year. These shlps--lf used In
transporting troops-would take
10000 to 200, 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 100000
long tons Of sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc-
tion has dropped from 100000 to 210,-
900 tons. The italian production has
fallen from 100000 tons to 10000 tons.
Thus three countries were thrown
upon East and West Indian sources
for 1,92b,000 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 MS 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, ''the
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 2-10 pounds year, or bit over
] pound OF sugar month. Even tnis
meagre ration could not De nlied by
the French government u was round
early IN the tah. america was tnen
asked Tor looooV tons OF sugar ana
succeeded In sending sson tons py
December !. The rrench request was
granted because the American house
hold consumption was tnen az least %