Oxford eagle., 1918-02-14
American Price Rigidly Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY Sc.
Sugar Cost IS Cents q Pound During
Civil War-Renners' Profits
Now curtailed.

4
| Through the efforts of the United
States food administration the sugar
market has been regulated as far an
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 5000 tons Of sugar have
been shipped to France In the last
four months the retail grocer's sugar
price Is around to 81 cents He
should sell this sugar at siz TO o
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 q
pound. During the Civil War sugar
cost the consumer IS cents a pound.
BY regulation of the sugar market and
reducing the price TO sii and Q cents
and keeping II from advancing TO 20
cents the tood administration has saw
ed the American public at least $780,.
10000 in four months. according to
q statement made by Herbert Hoover
the other day.
''It is our stern duty to feed the al
lies, to maintain their health and
strength at any cost 10 ourselves"
Mr. Hoover declared. There has not
been. nor will he as we see II. enough
sugar for even their present meagre
and depressing ration unless they send
ships TO remote markets for It. II we
In our greed and gfuttony force them
either 70 further reduce their ration
or 10 send these ships we viii have
done damage to our abilities to win
this war
~if we send the ships to Jaws
for 25o. 600 tons Of sugar next year
we will have neeessitated the err
ploynent Of eleven extra ships for
one year. These shIps-if used In
Transporting troops-wouId take
5000 to 2oo. 600 men TO France
Reason for 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
sources Of the worlds sugar supply
was Germany and neighboring powers.
the West Indies and the East Indies
German sugar is no longer available.
as II is used entirely In Germany,
which also absorbs sugar OF surround
Ing countries
England can no longer buy ], 400 600
long tons of sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc-
ton has dropped from 10000 TO 2l0.-
900 tons. The Italian production has
fallen from 10000 tons 10 1900 tons.
Thus three countries were thrown
upon East and West Indian sources
for I. .925 900 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 10000 tons Of
sugar 10 Europe when 10000 tons q
year was the pre-war demand The
allies had drawn from Java 400, 900
tons before the shipping situation be-
came acute.
-ln spite OF these shipments.- Mr..
Hoover stated the other day. -the
the household sugar ration 10 q basis
Of "a pounds per annum per capita
And In September the French govern
ment reduced their household ration
20 Is 2-i0 pounds q year. or . bit over
pound Of sugar q month Even this
meagre ration could not be filled by
the French government II was found
early In the fall. America was then
asked for 10000 tons Of sugar and
December I. The French request was
granted because the American house
hold consumption was then at least 50
pounds per person. and n was consid-
cred the duty Of maintaining the
French morale made our course clear.
Today the sugar situation may
be sunmarixed by stating that n
AmcFsG8 VIII Fc4A~C ~ e48Af CoN-
sumption 10 70 - per cent this
nation Will be able 60 send 100000
more soldiers TO France
Sugar today sells at seaboard 70
nneries at E-25 a hundred pounds
The wholesale grocer has agreed to
limit his profit TO Is cents q hundred
plus freight. and the retail grocer ID
supposed to take no more than 50 cents
a hundred pounds profit This regu
lation was made by the food admins
tration. which row asks the housewife
70 re5rce sugar consumption as much
as possible. using other sweeteners
and also reminds her that she should
pay no more than cents q pound fol
sugar.
Control Of Cane Refiners' Profits.
Immediately upon the establish
! @ent Of the food administration Ax