The Republican journal., 1918-02-07
SUGAR CONTROL
SAVED MILLIONS
American Consumer Profited by
$4,000, 000-French Stu
alton Helped.
HOME PRICE HELD AT 9 CENTS.
This Nations Sugar Supply Reduced
to Seventy Per Cent. OF Normal.
Java Stocks Unavailable.

Sugar control has saved the Amer
lean public $1SO,OOO,OOO, Herbert Hoov-
er, United States food administrator.
declared the other day.
He pointed out that sugar was sell
ing for IL cents pound last August
and that it would have advanced to 20
cents a pound, with the world short
age as a stimulus, had not the food
administration secured the co-opera-
ton of the refiners and wholesalers
and fixed a sugar price that today en-
ables housewives to buy sugar at from
81 to cents pound.
Every / cent raise in sugar from
September / to January l means SlS,-
100000 to the American consumer,
Mr.. Hoover said. Numbers OF gen
tlemen will tell you that 20 cent sugar
would have prevailed and the public
robbed of S1SO,OOO,OO0 this year If we
had not taken these actions Later
Mr.. Hoover called attention to the fact
that uncontrolled sugar advanced to
B5 cents pound during the Civil War.
France Got Our Sugar.
Today the American public has been
allotted 20 per cent. Of its normal sup
DIV. Before the war the average an
nual household consumption here was
So pounds person. In England the
annual consumption during the war Is
"a pounds, and in France each person
Heel q
month.
"In August the French government
found itself unable to maintain even
this ration" Mr.. Hoover declared.
IAN appeal was made to America.
France needed 100000 tons We
agreed to fill this demand and up to
December had shipped S5,426 tons. In
the meantime an appeal was made to
the American public to reduce its sug-
ar consumption, and requests were
made to distributors to supply the
confectionery and sweet drinks trade
with 80 per cent OF normal supply.
This has been generally followed al
though such regulations were volun-
tary, as the food administration had
no authority to impose them"
Domestic Price is 8Ia to 9 Cents.
Retail grocers throughout the coun-
try are supposed to take profit of no
more than 80 cents hundred-half
cent pound-on sugar. By reason of
food administration regulations, bind
ing retiners and wholesalers, the re-
taller is able today to buy sugar at
from 8 to S12 cents a pound This
enables him to sell to the housewife at
81 to 8 cents a pound.
There have been some violations of
the sugar rulings. Mr. Hoover said
recently: "Sales of sugar from 16 to
20 cents per pound have been reported
and followed up vigorously and stop
ped and is evidence itself Of the prices
at which consumers would have been
mulct had we not interviewed. We have
forfeited wholesalers licenses in ag-
gravated cases, and we have issued
warnings to first offenders in great
many instances through our local ad-
mnistrators'
Effect on Military Situation.
American sugar stocks could be fill
ed to normal very soon if ships could
be sent to Java. where 100000 tons Of
sugar is waiting for shipment. But
the shipping situation is so acute that
the nation cannot spare the eleven
ships needed to transport this sugar.
IT would take the boats one year to
haul 100000 tons In the same time
they could be used for transporting
100000 soldiers to France.
The food administration believes
that the American public will diminish
its sugar consumption by 10 or 10 per
cent. when it is made clear that such
sugar saving is patriotic act and
when it is understood that there are
plenty of sweeteners available to take
the place of sugar, such as honey or
corn syrup.
Why Shortage Exists.
The three great sugar producing cen
tiers of the world are Germany, the
West and East Indies German sugar
is. of course, used at home. The East
Indian sugar is unavailable because Of
the ship shortage.
While U boats made big inrOads on
the worlds shipping, France and Italy
ceased to be self sustaining in sugar
manufacture. England in the mean
time was cut off from German sugar
100000 tons year-because of the
war. The result has been that the al
lied nations have been forced to turn
to America and the West Indies for
their sugar.