The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-02-15
AMERICAN SUGAR
SENT TO FRANCE.
American Price Rigidiy Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY SC.
Sugar Cost IS Cents Pound During
Civil War-Rehners' Profits
New Curtailed.

81 NOW NuFIauSQs
Sugar In selling today throughout
America ut sfron SA to . cents
pound to the consumer, even though
there is world shortage which has
reduced this nations sugar allotment
to 10 per cent. OF normal.
EN- Through the efforts Of the United
States food administration the sugar
market has been regulated rs far as
the producer, refiner and wholesaler
Is concerned. The foed 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 S to S1z cents. He
should sell this sugar at Sh to y
cents, the food administration believes,
and asks the American housewife to
nav no more than this amount.
Last August when the food admin
istration was organized the price OF
sugar rose suddenly to III 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 cents
and keeping 1t from advancing to 10
cents the food administration has saw
ed the American public at least $lSO,-
OOO, 600 I'm 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 1t, enough
sugar for even their present meagre
and depressing ration unless they send
ships to remote markets for II. II we
in our greed and giuttony 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.
",f we send the ships to Java
for 250,Oco tons Of sugar next year
we will have neeessitated the EN-
ployment Of eleven extra ships for
one year. These ships-if used In
transporting troops-would take
$50. 900 to 200, 900 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 1t is used entirely in Germany,
which also absorbs sugar of surround
ing countries.
England can no longer buy 400, 900
long tons Of sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc-'
ton has dropped from 10000 to 21O,-
600 tons The Italian production has
fallen from 10000 tons to $4,000 tons.
Thus three countries were thrown
upon East and West Indian sources
for ], 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
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 300, 600 tons
year was the pre-war demand. The
allies had drawn from Java 100000
tons before the shipping situation be-
came acute.
aIn spite OF these shipments" Mr..
Hoover stated the other day, 1.-THE
English government in August reduced
the household sugar ration to basis
of "a pounds per annum per capita.
And in September the French govern
ment reduced their household ration
to 10 2-1O pounds a year, or bit over
! pound OF sugar month. Even this
meagre ration could not be filled by
the French government 1t was found
early in the fall. America was then
asked for 100000 tons of sugar and
succeeded In sending 5000 tons by
December 1. The French request was
granted because the American house,
hold consumption was then at least IS
pounds per person, and 1t was consid-
cred the duty Of maintaining the
French morale made our course clear"
Today the sugar situation may
be summarized BY stating that II 4
America will reduce it, 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 $7.25 hundred pounds.
The wholesale grocer has agreed to
limit his profit to IS cents hundred
plus freight, and the retail grocer is
supposed to take no more than so cents
a hundred pounds profit. This regu-
Ii ton was made nv Thu. food aflminis-.