The Benson signal., 1918-03-30
American Price RigidIy Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY &c.
Sugar Cost 35 Cents a Pound During
Civil War-Refiners' Profits
Now Curtailed.

there is world shortage which has
reduced this nations sugar allotment
to 70 per cent. of normal.
Through the efforts of the United
market has been regulated as far as
the producer, refner and wholesaler
is 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 to France in the last
four months the retail grocer's sugar
price is around to S1a cents. He
should sell this sugar at 87a 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 a
pound. During the Civil War sugar
cost the consumer 35 cents a. pound.
reducing the price to 81 and 9 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.
''It 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 it. If 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.
"if we send the ships to Java
for 25O,OO0 tons of sugar next year
we will have necessitated the en-
pIoyment 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 it 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-
tion has dropped from 10000 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 1,925,OOO 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 1,420,OOO tons Of
sugar to Europe when 100000 tons
year was the pre-war demand. The
allies had drawn from Java 100000
tons before the shipping situation be-
came acute.
SIN spite of these shipments" Mr..
Hoover stated the other day, "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 13 2-10 pounds year, or bit over
1 pound of sugar a month. Even this
meagre ration could not be filled by
the French government it was found
early in the fall. America was then
asked for 100000 tons of sugar and
succeeded in sending $4,000 tons by
December 1. The French request was
granted because the American house
hold consumption was then at least 50
cred the duty of maintaining the
French morale made our course clear"
Today the sugar situation may
be summarized by stating that If
America will reduce it's 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-
fperies at $725 hundred pounds.
The wholesale grocer has agreed to
limit his profit to 25 cents a hundred
plus freight, and the retail grocer is
supposed to take no more than so cents
a hundred pounds profit. This regu-
lation was made by the food admins
tratiOn, which now asks the housewife
to reduce sugar consumption as much
as possible, using other sweeteners,
and also reminds her that she should
pay no more than 9 cents pound for