The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-01-29


ffAhBp0Ft point Of view OF all the al-
lies to arrange transport at uniform
rates, to distribute the foreign sugar
between the United States and allies,
subject to the appro al Of the Ameri-
can, English, French and Italian gov
ernments.
This committee, while holding strong
views as to the price to be paid for
Cuban sugar, has not had the final
voice. This voice has rested in the
governments concerned, together with
the Cuban government, and ] wish to
state emphatically that all of the gen
tlemen concerned as good commercial
men have endeavored with the utmost
patience and skill to secure a lower
price, and their persistence has re-
duced Cuban demands by Is cents per
hundred. The price agreed upon is
about $460 per hundred pounds, t. o. b.
Cuba, or equal to about So duty paid
New York.
"Thls price should eVentuate,"
Mr.. Hoover said, "to about $3.50
per hundred for refined sugar from
the refIners at seaboard points or
should place sugar in the hands Of
the consumer at from sI2 to
cents per pound, depending upon
locality and conditions Of trade, or
at from to 2 cents below the
prices of August last and from one
half to cent per pound cheaper
than today.
"There is now an elimination of
speculation, extortiOnate profits, and
in the refining alone the American
people will save over $25,O00O00 of
the refining charges last year. A part
OF these savings goes to the Cuban,
Hawaiian, Porto Rican and Lousianian
producer and part to the consumer
appeals to prejudice against the
food administration have been made
because the Cuban price is 81 cents
above that Of 1917. 1t is said in effect
that the Cubans are at our mercy;
that we could get sugar a cent lower
We made exhaustive study of the cost
of producing sugar in Cuba last year
through our own agents in Cuba, and |
we find 1t averages $3.50, while many [
producers are at a higher level. We |
found that an average profit of at |
least a cent per pound was necessary /
in order TO maintain and stimulate !
production or that minimum price Of |
$4.37 was necessary, and even this
would stihe some producers.
1.-The price ultimately agreed was 23
cents above these figures, or about one
fifth Of cent per pound to the Ameri
can consumer, and more than this
amount has been saved by our rcduc-
ti0n in refiners' profits. If we wish to
stihe production in Cuba we could
take that Course just at the time of all
times in our history when we want
for ourselves and the al
lies. Further than that, the state de-
partment will assure you that such
course would produce disturbances in
Cuba and destroy even our present /
supplies, but beyond all these material
reasons is one Of human justice. This
great country has no right by the
might of it's position TO strangle Cuba.
Therefore there is no imposition
upon the American public. Charges
have been made before this commit
tee that Mr. Rolph endeavored to ben
eft the California refinery of which he
was manager by this "a cent increase
in Cuban price. Mr.. Rolph did not fix
the price 1t does raise the price to
the Hawaiian farmer about that
amount 1t does moi raise the profit OF |
the California refinery, because their
charge for refining is, like all other re-
fners. limited TO $50 per hundred
pounds. plus the freight differential on !
the established custom Of the trade
"NIr. Hoiph has not one penny of in
terest in that refinery"