The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1918-02-14
AMERICAN SUGAR
SENT TO FRANCE
American Price Rigidly Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY &c.
Sugar Cost IS Cents q Pound During
Civil War-Refners' Profits
Now Curtalled-

pound to the consumer, even though
there Is world shortage which has
reduced this nations sugar allotment
to TO 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
In 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 grOcer's sugar
should sell this sugar at 815 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 IL cents
pound. During the Civil War sugar
cost the consumer 35 cents a pound.
BY regulation Of the sugar market and
reducing the price to 81 and 8 cents
and keeping it from advancing to 20
cents the food administration has saw
ed the American public at least $780,
100000 in four months, according to
a 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 their present meagre
and depressing ration unless they send
ships to remote markets for 1t. IL 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.
az we send the ships to Java
for 25O, 900 tons Of sugar next year
we will have neeessltated the en-
pIoyment Of eleven extra ships for
one year. These shlps-If used In
transporting troops-would take
10000 to 200, 900 men to France"
Reason or 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
% Nhn
was Germany and neighboring powers,
the West Indies and the East Indies.
German sugar is no longer available,
as 1t is used entirely in Germany,
which also absorbs sugar of surround
ing countries.
England can no longer buy 1,400,O 600
long tons of sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc-
ton has dropped from 100000 to 21O,'
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 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
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 @
year was the pre-war demand. The
allies had drawn from Java 400,OOt
tons before the shipping situation be
came acute.
"In spite Of these shipments" Mr.
Hoover stated the other day, "tht
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 2-1O pounds a year, or a bit ovel
l pound of sugar a month. Even thii
meagre ration could not be filed b!
the French government 1t was found
early In the fall. America was ther
asked for 100000 tons Of sugar ant
| succeeded in sending $1,000 tons b.
] December 1. The French request wa
| granted because the American house
4 hold consumption was then at least 81
I pounds per person, and 1t was consid
cred the duty of maintaining tn
French morale made our course clear.
Today the sugar situation may
be summarized by stating that II
America will reduce its sugar con-
sumption 10 to IS per cent. this
nation will be able to send zoe, 900
| more soldiers to France.
Sugar today sells at seaboard RI
fneries at SIPS a hundred pound,
The wholesale grocer has agreed I
limit his profit to 25 cents hundre
plus freight, and the retail grocer
supposed to take no more than so cent
hundred pounds profit. This regr
lation was made by the food admins
tration, which now asks the housewife
to reduce sugar consumption as niue
as possible, using other sweetener,
and also reminds her that she shout
pay no more than 8 cents a pound 70
sugar.
Control Of Cane Refiners' Profits.
Immediately upon the establish
ment o. the food administration. Nj