Williams news., 1918-01-24
American Price Rigidly Regulated by United States Food
 Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY ec.
Sugar Cost 35 Gents a Pound purino Civil War-Refiners' Profits
 Now Curtaled.

there is a 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 l more than g., 5000 tons of sugar have been shipped to France in the last four months the retail grocer's sugar price is around to S11 cents. He should sell this sugar at 81a to g 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 II cents a pound. During the Civil War sugar cost the consumer 35 cents a pound. By regulation of the sugar market and reducing the price to S1k and cents and keeping it from advancing to 20 cents the food administration has sav- ed the American public at least $780,, 100000 in four months, according to
  the other day.
 "It 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 it. If we in crood Ulr fnr.co fhnrl either to further reduce their ration or to send these ships we will have done damage to our abilities to win this war.
 of we send the ships to Java for 250,0o0 tons of sugar next year
 we will have necessitated the em-
 ployment of eleven extra ships for
 one year. These ships-if used in
 transporting troops-wou,d take
 15o,o0o to 100000 men to France"
 Reason for World Shortage.
 As MT. 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 neighborfng powers, the West Indies and the East Indies.
 German sugar is no longer available, as it is used entirely :n Germany, which also absorbs sugar of surround ing countries.
 England can no longer buy 1,40O,O ,OO0 long tons of sugar each year from Germany. The French sugar produc- tion has dropped from 75O,OO0 to 21O.- 900 tons The Italian production has fallen from 21OOOO tons to 75,OOO 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 1 1,42O,OOO tons of | sugar to Europe when 3OO,O00 tons a | 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" MT. | Hoover. stated the other day, "the English government in August reduced 1 the household sugar ration to a basis of 24 pounds per annum per capita. l And in September the French govern ment reduced their household ration to 13 PHO pounds year, or bit over l pound of sugar a month. Even this meagre ration could not be filled by | the French government 1t was found early in the fall. America was then 1@ nd succeeded in sending S5,0OO tons by December l. The French request was granted because the American house. hold consumption was then at least B 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 f
 America will reduce it's sugar con-
 sumption 10 to IS per cent. this
 nation will be able to send 100000
 more soldiers to France.
 Sugar today sells at Seaboard re- fneries at SIPS hundred pounds. The wholesale grocer has agreed to limit his profit to 25 cents a hundred plus freight, and the retail grocer is supposed to take no more than 50 cents hundred pounds profit. This regu- lation was made by the food adminis- 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 3 cents a pound for sugar.
 Control of Cane Refiners' Profits.
 Immediately upon the establish ment of the food administration" Mr.