Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-06
SOME DETAIL OF THE SUGAR
SHORTAGE AND ITS EFFECTS
Conservation and Substitutes Will Tide Us in Comfort
Until Time Of Plenty Comes.
o he FOO nistratfon

OUGAR now takes a leading part
- in the conservation program. II
~ is necessary to place severe re-
strictions on manufactures of sugar
and the distributing trade, and fur
ther developments may make addi-
tional restrictions imperative. Meas
ures have been taken for equitable
apportionment of sugar supplies in
all markets of the country.
The household allowance through
the month of July has continued as
heretofore and sugar for canning
may be had on the certificate plan
outside of that allowance. At the
same time households are urged to
keep as far within the allowance as
possible and to apply the rule in
preserving of maximum canning
with minimum of sugar" 1t is point
ed out that fruits may be put up
without sugar and that fruit juices
and pulps may be preserved without
it, to be sweetened or made into jel-
lies when the pressure for sugar sup
plies is easier than it will be for the
next few months.
Sugar in countries where control
of price and supply is not fully ef-
fective has cost around 20 cents a
pound retail this year. In the United
States the retail price by primary
agreements and by rigid control of
distribution has been held to 10
cents a pound.
Every cent to the pound amounts
in the United States to $50, 100000 a
year on the national sugar bill. The
difference between control and unre-
stricted marketing in the United
States is therefore equivalent to
in hn CT nf
sugar to the people.
The attitude of the food admipis-
tration toward prices is eXpounded in
letter by MIR. Hoover to United
States Senator Simmons, chairman
of the finance committee, under date
of July 8, in response to an invitation
to submit his views.
Prices must be held high enough
to maintain production. The cost of
production and therefore the neces-
sary price is not the same in every
district, nor in every plant in the
same district, nor in the same plant
at different seasons. To cut the price
to the point which will give no more
than a fair return to those in the
most favorable situation will cut off
a great many whose production is
needed. To offer prices that will give
pTOlll III every case Will pSIlllL III
ordinate profits for some.
In settling upon fair prices a level
is to be sought which will keep sub
stantially the whole industry going.
There is usually fringe of produc-
ton that we must get along without.
1t would not do to raise the price to
everybody, say, 25 per cent. to make
it worth while for a few growers on
the edge of production to increase
the total by a small fraction.
On the other hand, as in the pack
ing industry, price level that would
be sufficient for the large packers
would put many of the small packers
out of business-and the country
needs their production.
The remedy suggested to equalize
conditions is to establish prices as
nearly as may be sufficient to main
tain the industry as a whole and to
levy a heavy tax on excess profits.
The profiteer is abhorrent and his
practices cannot be condoned, but
prices must be allowed at a level that