Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1918-02-09
American Price Rigldly Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY &c.
Sugar Cost IS Cents a Pound During
Civil War-Refiners' Profits
Now Curtalled.


reduced 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 as far as
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 s to 8ia cents. He
should sell this sugar at 81 to
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
pound During the Civil War sugar
cost the consumer 30 cents a pound.
Fly regulation Of the sugar market and
reducing the price to 8h and cents
and keeping II from advancing to 20
CENTS the food administration has saw
ed the American public at least $780,
100000 In four months. according to
statement made by Herbert Hoover
the 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 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.
az we send the ships to Java
for 900 tons Of sugar next year
we will have necessItated the en-
ployment Of eleven extra shps for
one year. These shIps-if used In
transporting troops-would take
10000 to 200, 600 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 neighborlng 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 10000 TO 210,-
600 tons. The Italian production has
fallen from 210,0O0 tons to 10000 tons.
Thus three countries were thrown
upon East and West Indian sources
for 1,925,0O0 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 ives, was called on to fur
nish and did furnish 100000 tons Of
sugar 10 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.
"ln spite Of these shipments" Mr..
Hoover stated the other day, "the
English government In August reduced
the household sugar ration to Il basis
Of - pounds per aunum per capita.
And I'm September the French govern
ment reduced their household ration
10 l3 2-lo pounds a year, or Il bit over
pound OF sugar mouth. Even this
meagre ration could not be filled by
the French government It was found
early I'm the fail America was then
asked for 100000 tons Of sugar and
succeeded in sending $4,000 tons by
December : The French request was
granted because the American house
hold consumption was then at least IS
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 10y stating that II
America viii 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-
hneries at $J25 hundred pounds
The wholesale grocer has agreed IN
hmtt his profit 20 y cents a hundred
plus freight and The retail grocer IL
supposed To take no more than 80 cent,
hundred pounds profit THIS regu-
latiop was made by the food admins.
tratton. which now asks the housewIrs
80 reduce SINGER consumption as much
as po~s, ftc. using other s,veetensrs
and also ec'.i''> hce That She should
pay no ieorc .hau cents a pound for
sugar
Cvntrot CT Cane ReSrers' Profits
immediately u.un I've establish
nent ef the fooa administration, Mr.