Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1918-01-25
AMERICAN SUGAR
SENT TO FRANCE
American Price RigidIy Regulated
by United States Food
Administration. 4,
CONSUMERS HERE PAY 90.
sugar Cost IS cents q Pound During
Civil War-Refiners' Profits
Now curtailed.


America at from sh 10 o cents a
pound To the consumer, even though
there Is world shortage which has
reduced this nations sugar allotment
10 70 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
IL concerned The food administration
has no power TO regulate retail prices
except by public opinion. Even though
more than $4,000 tons Of sugar have
been shipped 10 France In the last
four months The retail grocer's sugar
price is around TO Slf cents. He
should sell this sugar at 81 to D
cents, the food administration believes.
and asks the American housewife 10
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 35 cents pound.
reducing the price TO S1s and cents
and keeping II from advancing TO ~
cents the food administration has saw
ed the American public at least $780,
100000 In four months. according TO
u statement made by Herbert Hoover
the other day.
1T Is our stern duty to feed the al
IN In oIn hot
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. II We
In our greed and gluttony force them
either to further reduce their ration
or 10 send these ships we will have
done damage to our abilities to win
this war.
"If we send the ships to Java
for 100000 tons Of sugar next year
we will have necessItated the en-
ployment Of eleven extra ships for
one year. These ships-If used In
transporting troops--wouId take
10000 to 100000 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 100000
long tons OF sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc-
ton has dropped from 10000 to 30.
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 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 I 10000 tons Of
sugar TO Europe when 100000 tons a
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 q basis
Of, "a pounds per annum per capita.
And In September the French govern
ment reduced their household ration
to Is 2.10 pounds year, or bit over
pound of sugar a month. Even this
meagre ration could not be filed BY
the French government II was found
early Ia the fall. America was then
asked for 100000 tons Of sugar and
December l. The French request was
granted because the American house
hold consumption was then at least 55
pounds per person, and II was consid-
cred the duty of maintaining the
French morale made our course clear"
To-day the sugar situation may
be summarized by stating that "
America viii reduce lie sugar con-
sumption 10 20 IS per cent this
nation Will be able to send 100000
more soldiers to France.
Sugar today sells at seaboard re-
. fneFies at, s725 a hundred pounds.
The wholesale grocer has agreed to
limit hts profit to Is cents hundred
; plus freight, and the retail grocer 10
! supposed to take no more than so cents
hundred pounds profit. This regu.
fation was made by the food admins
trstiop, which now asks the housewife
to reduce sugar consumption as much
as possible, using other sweeteners,
aud also reminds her that she should
pay no more than 9 cents a pound for
sugar
Control Of Cane Refinsrs' Profits.
.HImmedidtely upon the establish