The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-01-25
AMERICAN SUGAR
SENT TO FRANCE
American Price Rigidly Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY &c.
Sugar Cos. IS Cents Pound During
Civil War-Refiners' Profits
Now curtaiIed.

Sugar is selling today throughout
America at from Sh to cents
pound to the consumer, even though
there Is a world shortage which has
reduced this nations sugar allotment
to 20 per cent of normal
Through the efforts of the United
States food administration the sugar
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 $1,000 tons OF sugar have
been shipped to France In the last
four months the retail grocer's sugar
price is around 8 to Sh cents. He
should sell this sugar at Sh to .
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 pound.
BY regulation of the sugar market and
reducing the price to S1z and cents
and keeping IT from advancing to 20
cents the food administration has saw
cd the American public at least $780,
100000 I'm 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 viii be as we see 1t. enough
sugar for even their present meagre
and depressing ration unless they send
ships to remote markets for IL. II 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 ESQ., 600 tons OF sugar next year
we will have necessitated the en-
pIoyment Of eleven extra ships for
one year. These shlps-if used In
Transporting troops-would take
10000 TO zoo, 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 1.400, 900
long tons of sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc-
ton has dropped from 100000 10 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 1,925,00o 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 Tires
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 100000 tons a
year was the pre-war demand. The
allies had drawn from Java 100000
tons before the shipping situation be-
came acute.
I'm 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 Is 2-1o pounds a year. or bit over
1 pound OF sugar a month. Even this
meaEre ration could not be filled by
the French government II was found
early In the fail. America was then
asked for 100000 tons OF sugar and
succee,' I'd in sending $1,000 tons by
December 1. The French request was
granted because the American house
hold consumption was then at least s.
hounds per person. and II was consid-
cred the duty of maintaining the
French morale made our course clear"
oday the sugar situation may
be unmarried by stating that IL
America will reduce lie sugar con-
sumption 10 20 IS per cent. this
nation will be able 20 send 2oo.o
more soldiers TO France.
Sugar today sells at seaboard re-
fineries ut SIPS hundred pounds.
The wholesale grocer has agreed TO
limit his profit to % cents a hundred
plus freight, and the retail grocer Is
supposed 20 take no more than so cents
a hundred pounds profit This regu.
Iation was made by the food admins
tration, which now asks the housewife
10 reduce sugar consumption as much
az possible. using other sweeteners
and also reminds her that she should
nav 40 more than Q cents q pound for
sugar.
@..a.H "a NarA R@Rrerss proy7ts