The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-02-04
American Price ngidIy Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY Sc.
Sugar Cost 35 Cents q Pound During
Civil War-Rehners' Profits
Now CurtalIed.

to ~ per cent. OF normal
Through the efforts Of the United
States food administration the sugar
market has been regulated as far al
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 las1
four months the retail grocer's sugar
price Is around 8 to 81 cents. BE
should sell this sugar at 8h 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 q
pound. During the Civil War sugar
cost the consumer 35 cents pound
| BY regulation Of the sugar market and
reducing the price to 81z and 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
statement made by Herbert Hoover
| the other day.
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 it, enough
sugar for even theiY present meagre
and depressing ration unless they send
ships to remote markets for 1t. 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.
Tf we send the ships to Java
for 25O, OC0 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-would take
10000 to 100000 men to France"
Reason for World Shortage.
AS Mr.. Hoover pointed out, the
United States, Canada and England
we're 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 it is used entirely in Germany,
which also absorbs sugar Of surround
ing countries.
England can no longer buy 140O, 900
long tons of sugar each year from
Germany The French sugar produc-
ton has dropped from 100000 to 21O,-
900 tons. The Julian production has
fallen from 10000 tons to $4,000 tons.
Thus three countries were thrown
upon East and West Indian sources
for 1,925,OOO 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 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.
I'm spite OF these shipments" Mr..
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
nent reduced their household ration |
to 10 2-1O pounds year, or bit over
pound of sugar a month. Even this
neagre ration could not be filed by |
he French government 1t was found
,arly in the fall America was then
,sked for 100000 tons of sugar and
succeeded in sending $4,000 tons by
December /. The French request was
,ranted because the American house
,old consumption was then at least IS
pounds per person, and it was consid-
red the duty of maintaining the
french morale made our course clear.
Today the sugar situation may
be summarized by stating that II
America will reduce it's sugar con-
sumption ~ 10 10 per cent. tHI9
nation will be able to send 100000
more soldiers to France.
Sugar today sells at seabOard re-
neries at $7.25 O hundred pounds.
he wholesale grocer has agreed to
init his profit to 25 cents hundred
lus freight, and the retail grocer is
opposed to take no more than so cents
hundred pounds profit. This regu-
ltion was made by the food admins
alton, which now asks the housewife
, reduce sugar consumption as much ,
$ possible, using other sweeteners,
nd also reminds her that she should I
az no more than 8 cents pound for
lgar. IL
Control Of Cane RefIners' Profits.
Immediately upon the establish
ent of the food administration" Mr.. 4