Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1918-01-31
AIfEInIiiCAi SUGAR
SENT 70 FRANCE
American Price RigidIy Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY-ec.
Sugar Cost s. Cents a Pound During
Civil War-Refiners' Profits
Now CurtaiIed.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY-ec.

Sugar is selling today throughout
America at from So to 0 cents a
pound to the consumer, even though
there is a world shortage which has
reduced this nations sugar allotment
| to 10 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 grocers sugar
price is around s to So cents. He
/ should sell this sugar at So 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 organized the price of
sugar rose suddenly to II cents a
pound. During the Civil War sugar
cost the consumer 80 cents a pound
| By regulation of the sugar market ard
! reducing the price to So and Q cents
and keeping 1t from advancing to 20
! cents the food administration has saw
ed the American public at least $780,
/ coo 600 in four months. according to
a statement made by Herbert Hoover
! he other day
1T 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 our greed and gluttOny force them
either TO further reduce their ration
or TO send those ships we will have
done damage to our abilities to win
this war.
"If we send the ships TO Java
for 250, eco tons of sugar next year
we will have necessitated the en-
pfoyn1ent of eleven extra ships for
one year. These ships-if used in
transporting troops-wouId take
$50 coo to 100000 men to France"
Reason for World Shortage.
AS NIr. 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 nefghboring powers,
the West Indies and the East Indies.
German sugar is no longer available,
| sS it is used entirely in Germany,
which also abs0rbs sugar Of surround
ing countries.
England can no longer buy 100000
long tons of sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc-
ton has dropped from 10000 to 210,-
600 tons. The italian production has
fallen from 100000 tons to $4,000 tons.
| Thus three countries were thrown
upon East and West Indian sources
for 1,025,O00 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 Il
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-l0 pounds year, or a bit over
| / pound of sugar a month. Even this
meagre ration COuid not be filled 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 50
| pounds per person, and il 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
| America will reduce its 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
! fineries at $725 a hundred pounds.
/! The wholesale grocer has agreed TO
| limit his profit to % cents a hundred
plus freight, and the retail grocer is
| supposed to take no more than 30 cents
a hundred pounds profit. This regu-
lation was made by the food admins
tration. which now asks the housewife
10 reduce sugar consumption as much
as possible, using other sweeteners.
and also reminds her that she should
pay no more than 9 cents a pound for
| sugar.
Contro! Of Cane Refners' Profits.
Immediately upon the establish
! nent Of the food administration" Mr..