The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1918-08-22
EXPLANATION OF THE SUGAR SITUATION
Administrator Charles ebberd Gives Reason for Various
Regulations Governing Distribution in Washngton--
Appeals to Patriotic Spirit of People.

There has been SO much uniformed
and unthinking criticism of the food
administration sugar regulations, and
especially the restrictions necessarily
placed upon canning of fruits, that /
deem it necessary to make a full state
ment of the things that have made
these regulations necessary and the
reason for the various regulations. We
have a right to be proud of the pa
triotic responses made by the American
people to Mr.. Hoover's request last
winter and spring for conservation OF
wheat and flour. This made possible
the shipment to our allies of 100000
900 bushels of wheat, where there was
available for shipment only 10000
900 bushels.
/ know that when our people ap-
preciate the necessity of the present
sugar regulations and the reasonable
ness of these rules they will just as
periodically forego some of their table
sugar and gladly limit themselves to
the $50 quarts of fruit which can be
canned with: the Is pounds of sugar
allotted each family.
Probably Last Winter Of Saving.
Mr.. Hoover made the statement in
London last week that the food supply
for two years is assured and that in
less than two years victory will have
come to America and the allies. II,
happily, this be true, this winter will
probably be the last that it will be
necessary to limit our winters supply
of canned fruits. When our boys come
home will any one recall with regret
the canned fruit or jellies, jams and
preserves foregone this winter to in
sure a supply of sugar and jams for
our soldiers and a limited ration Of
sugar for the allies?
An unexpected short crop OF Ameri-
can beet and Louisiana and Porto Rico
cane sugar, the loss of beet sugar fields
and sugar factories in the occupied
parts Of France and Belgium and the
loss of 30,000,000 pounds through sub
marine sinkings have created serious
shortage in the supply Of sugar. The
transfer of all available ships to trans
port service to carry hundreds Of thou
sands of American boys to France has
made absolutely inaccessible the large
stock of sugar accumulated in Java and
the lesser stock of the Philippines.
Many Unusual Sugar Demands.
The lack of tonnage has also inter
fered with the free flow of Cuban and
Hawaiian sugar to America and the
allies. The better rationing made pos
sible in Industrial sections of the coun-
try by increasing prosperity and the
necessity Of such larger ration on &C
count of more intensive labor has
created an unusual domestic demand
for sugar. Coincidentally there has
developed an unforeseen large demand
for sugar and sugar products for the
army and navy, due to the natural
craving for sugar by soldier and
marine In active service.
These increased demands upon a de-
pleted supply have resulted In an
alarming shortage of sugar for purely
civilian demands. Tbs shortage can be
relieved only by reducing the generous
amounts heretofore consumed by our
civilian population.
/ Normally we consume in this coun-
try pounds per capita per year, and
notwithstanding some measure of con-
servaticn that consumption was not
reduced last year. BY contrast the ra-
.tion of the English people for a long
time past has been "a pounds per capita
per year and the ration of the French
and Italian peoples IL pounds per
Icapita.
Give State 5000, 900 Pounds.
| According to refiners' records there
was shipped into this state during
April, May and June 100000 pounds
of sugar, an average Of Is and one-third
million pounds per month. For July,
the food administration allotted to this
state as its fair proportion of the &c.,
600 tons available for the entire coun-
try for July 5,592, 900 pounds. For Au-
gust, the states allotment has been
further reduced to 100000 pounds.
The problem of the food administra-
ton of this state is to make 100000
pounds of sugar do the work done in
former months by 13 and one-third
million pounds. To accomplish this
there must be strict conservation and
there must be some disarrangement
tof long standing customs. There must
be even some sacrifice If the limitation
iof home canning to $50 quarts can be
termed sacrifice. Pes
] Must Protect Workers.
! Manufacturers of candy and other
less essential products have been re-