The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-02-08
American Price RigidIy Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY 60.
Sugar Cost IS Cents Pound During
Civil War-RefIners Profits
Now curtaiIed.


pound to the consumer, even though
there is world shortage which has
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 $4,000 tons Of sugar have
been shipped to France In the last
four months the retail grocer's sugar
price is around s to 81 cents He
should sell this sugar at S1s 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
pound. During the Civil War sugar
cost the consumer 35 cents pound.
BY regulation of the sugar market and
reducing the price to 81s and 0 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
a statement made by Herbert Hoover
the other day.
st 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 It, enough
sugar for even their present meagre
and depressing ration unless they send |
ships to remote markets for 1t. 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 250,0co tons Of sugar next year
we will have necessitated the en-
ployment of eleven extra ships for
one year. These ships-if used In
transporting troops--wouid take
10000 to 10000 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.
tc
as 1t is used entirely in Germany,
which also absorbs sugar Of surround
ing countries. v
England can no longer buy 100000
long tons of sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc-
ton has dropped from 100000 TO 210,-
900 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 1,925,U0o 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
NiiC vi Sliil'sB SliNI lit ulS- |
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
year was the pre-war demand. The I
allies had drawn from Java 100000
tons before the shipping situation be- {
came acute. I
tn, cr,ttn ne CHI rNy,, &c.
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 10 2-10 pounds year. or bit over '
! pound of sugar n month. Even this
meagre ration could not be filed by {
the French government It was found f
early in the fall. America was then c
asked for 100000 tons of sugar and O
succeeded in sending $1,000 tons by t
December l. The French request was S
granted because the American house {
hold consumption was then at least IS t
pounds per person, and 1t was consid- .
cred the duty Of maintaining the II
French morale made our course clear" D
Today the sugar situation may c
be summarized by stating that II
America will reduce its sugar con. S
sumption 10 to is per cent. this r
nation will be able to send 100000 g
more soldiers to France. n
Sugar today sells at seaboard re-
finerles at $7.25 hundred pounds. u
The wholesale grocer has agreed to h
simlt his profit to IS cents hundred t
plus freight, and the retail grocer is e.
supposed to take no more than 80 cents W
a hundred pounds profit. This regu- II
lation was made by the food admins Il
tration, which now asks the housewife Il
to reduce sugar consumption as much al
as possible, using other sweeteners, Il
and also reminds her that she should cl
pay no more than cents pound for Fl
sugar. p,