The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-02-08
AMERICAN SUGAR
SENT TO FRANCE
American Price Rigidly Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY &c.
Sugar Cost S5 Cents a Pound During
Civil War-Refiners' Profits
Now Curtailed.

Sugar ID selling today throughout
America at from 81 to cents a
pound to the consumer, even though
there Is q 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, 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 81 cents. He
should sell this sugar at 81 to 9
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 organ nized the price OF
sugar rose suddenly to II cents
pound. During the Civil War sugar
cost the consumer 35 cents a pound.
BY regulation of the sugar market and
reducing the price to 81 and 8 cents
and keeping 1t from advancing to ~
cents the food administration has saw
ed the American public at least $751;
100000 In four months, according to
a statement made by Herbert Hoover
the other day. s.. ...
ut 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, 1000 tons Of sugar next year
we will have necessitated the EN-.
pioyment Of eleven extra ships Tor
one year. These shIps-if used In
Transporting troops-would take
10000 to 100000 men to France"
Reason for World Shortage. i,
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 II Is used entirely in Germany,
which also absorbs sugar Of surround
ing countries.
England can no longer buy l,40O,OOo
long tons OF sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc-
>tion has dropped from 100000 to 2lO.-
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 1925, 900 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 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. Ine
allies had drawn from Java 4Oo,Ooo
tons before the shipping situation De-
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 12 2-10 pounds year. or DIT over
I mound of sugar month. Even this
meagre ration could not be nlleo py
the French government 1t was found
early in the fall. America was then
asked for 100000 tons Of sugar and
succeeded in sending $4,000 tons ny
December 1. The French request was
Granted because the American house
hold consumption was then at least 50
pounds per person, and 1t was conslh-
cred the duty Of maintaining the
French morale made our course clear.
Today the sugar situation may
be summarized by stating that It
America will reduce Its sugar con-
sumption 10 to IS per cent. TINS
nation will be able to send 2oo,ooo
more soldiers TO France.
Sugar today sells at seaboard re-
fineries at $725 hundred pounds.
The wholesale grocer has agreed to
limit his profit to 25 cents hundred
plus freight, and the retail grocer 10
,o,od to toka M more than so cents