Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1918-01-31
SUGAR CONTROL
SAVED MILLIONS
American Consumer Profited by
s1s0,0O0,O O0-French Stu
alton Helped.
HOME PRICE HELD At 9 CENTS.
This Nations Sugar Supply Reduced
to Seventy Per Cent. OF Normal.
Java Stocks Unavailable.

Sugar control has saved the Amer
lean public SlsO,OO0,0OO, Herbert HooV'
err United States food administrator
declared the other day.
He pointed out that sugar was sell
ing for IL cents a pound last August
and that II would have advanced TO ~
cents a pound, with the world snort.
age as a stimulus, had not the 1000
administration secured the co-opera'
ton of the refiners and wholesalers
and fixed a sugar price that today en-
ebles housewives to buy sugar at from
81 to 9 cents a pound.
Every / cent raise In sugar from
September / to January l means 30,
600 600 to the American consumer
Mr. Hoover said. Numbers OF gen.
tlemen will tell you that 70 cent sugar
would have prevailed and the pubic
robbed of S1SO,OO0,G00 this year II we
had not taken these actions. Later
Mr.. Hoover called attention to the fact
that uncontrolled sugar advanced 10
95 cents pound during the Civil war;
France Got Our Sugar.
Today the American public has been
allotted 70 per cent. OF Its normal sup
DIV. Before the war the average an
nual household consumption here was
SIS mounds a person. In England the
annual consumption during the war Is
"a pounds, and in France each person
Is allotted a little over one pound
month.
"In August the French government
found itself unable TO maintain even
this ration" Mr.. Hoover declared.
can appeal was made to America.
France needed 100000 tons. we
agreed to fill this demand and up to
December had shipped S5,426 tons. In
the meantime an appeal was made to
the American public to reduce Its sug-
ar consumption, and requests were
made to distributors to supply the
confectionery and sweet drinks trade
with so per cent. Of normal supply.
This has been generally followed, al
though such regulations were volun-
tary, as the food administration had
no authority to impose them"
Domestic Price Is sIa to Cents.
Retail grocers throughout the coun-
try are supposed to take profit OF no.
more than so cents hundred-half a
cent pound-on sugar. By reason or
food administration regulations, binds
ing refners and wholesalers, the re-;
taller Is able today to buy sugar at
from s TO Sh cents q pound. Ihls
enables him to sell to the housewife at.
Sh to 8 cents pound.
There have been some violations OF
the sugar rulings. Mr.. Hoover said
recently: "Sales Of sugar from Ii to-
90 cents per pound have been reported,
and followed up vigorously and stop.
ned and Is evidence itself Of the prices
at which consumers would have BEEN
mulct had we not intery ened. We have
forfeited wholesalers licenses In ag-
gravated cases, and we have issued
warnings to first offenders in great
many instances through our local adj
ministrators."
Effect on Military Situation. e
American sugar stocks could be 6ll-
ed to normal very soon If ships could
be sent to Java, where 100000 tons OF
sugar is waiting for shipment. But
the shipping situation Is SO acute that
the nation cannot spare the eleven
ships needed to transport this sugar.
II would take the boats one year to
haul 100000 tons. In the same time
they could be used for transporting
100000 soldiers to France.
The food administration believes
that the American public will diminish
its sugar consumption by 10 or IS per
cent when 1t Is made clear that such
sugar saving Is a patriotic act and
when II Is understood that there are
plenty Of sweeteners available to take
the place of sugar, such as honey or
corn syrup.
Why Shortage Exists.
The three great sugar producing CEN
tiers of the world are Germany, the
West and East Indies. German sugar
is. of course, used at home. The East
Indian sugar is unavailable because OF
the ship shortage. q,
While U boats made big inroads on
the worlds shipping, France and Italy
ceased to be self sustaining in sugar
manufacture. England In the mean
time was cut off from German sugar
100000 tons a year-because Of the
war. The result has been that the al
lied nations have been forced to turn
to America and the West Indies for
their sugar.