The record., 1918-03-14
AMERICAN SUGAR
Sent TO FRANCE
American Price RigidIy Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY &c.
Sugar Cost 35 Cents Pound During
Civil War-Refiners' Profits
Now Curtailed.

Now curtaled.
Sugar is selling today throughout
America at from Sh to 8 cents a
pound to the consumer, 8even though
there is 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 ani 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 gracer's sugar
price is around 8 to So cents. He
should sell this sugar at S1A 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 wns organized the price of
sugar rose suddenly TO II cents
pound. During the Civil War sugar
cost the consumer 81 cents 81 pound
BY regulation of the sugar market ana
reducing the price To SRs and cents
and keeping it from advancing to ~
cents the food administrator has saw
ed the American public at least $3.50
100000 in four months. according to
statement made by Herbert Hoover
ihe other day.
ut is our stern duty to feed the al
lies, to maintain their fhealth and
strength at any cost to ourselves,
MIR. Hoover declared. There has not
been. nor will be as We s5sse !, enough
sugar for even thrL,vsre9 ient meagre
and denressin" ri s,,.ss.ss 8 p
u
IN our greed and gIfEsyny res 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, 900 tons Of sugar next year
we will have necessitated the en-
pioyment 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
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 it is used entirely in Germany,
which also absorbs sugar OF surround
ing countries.
England can no longer buy 1,400, 600
long tons of sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc-
tion has dropped from 100000 to 21o,-
600 tons. The italian production has
fallen from 10000 tons TO 10000 TONS
Thus three countries were thrown
upon East and West Indian sources
for 1,025,0O0 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
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 q
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 a basis |
of "a pounds per annum per capita. |
And in September the French govern
ment reduced their household ration |
to IS 2-10 pounds year, or bit over |
pound of sugar month. Even this |
meagre ration could not be filed by |
the French government it was found |
early in the fall. 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 81 |
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 by stating that if
p America WILL reduce it's sugar CEN
sumption 10 to is per eent. this
nation will be able to send 100000
more soldiers to France.
Sugar today sells at seaboard re
fineries at $7.25 hundred pounds
The wholesale grocer has agreed to
limit his profit to % cents hundred
plus freight, and the retail grocer is
supposed to take no more than so cents
Il hundred pounds profit. This regu-
lation was made by the food admins
tration, which now asks the housewife
to reduce sugar consumption as much
as possible, using other sweeteners,
and also reminds her that she should
pay no more than cents 2 poppd for
sugar.
Control of Cane Refiners' Rrefits.
Immediately upon the establish,
uent Of the food adpinistra tiozs ME,