The Home news., 1918-01-25

rates, to distribute the foreign sugai between the United States and allies subject to the approval of the Ameri can. English, French and Italian gov ernments.
 This committee, while holding strOn; views as to the price to be paid fo Cuban sugar, has not had the fiRa voice. This voice has rested in tht governments concerned, together witt the Cuban government, and l wisA tt state emphatically that all of the gen tlemen concerned as good commercial men have endeavored with the utmOs patience and skill to secure lower price, and their persistence has re duced Cuban demands by 15 cents pe1 hundred. The price agreed upon il about $4.6O per hundred pounds, f. 0. b Cuba, or equal to about $6 duty pai{ New York
 "This price should evcntuate,"
 MT. Hoover said, ito about $7.3O
 per hundred for refined sugar from
 the refiners at seaboard points or
 should place sugar In the hands of
 the consumer at from 9H to
 cents per pound, depending upon
 locality and conditions of trade, or
 at from 1 to 2 cents below the
 prices of August last and from one
 half to a cent per pound cheaper
 than today.
 "There Is now an elimination O speculation, extortfonate profits, ant in the refining alone the American people will save CTer $25,OOO,0O0 O. the refining charges last year. A par of these savings goes to the Cuban Hawaiian, Porto Rican and Lousiania1 producer and part to the consumer.
 Appeals to prejudice against thu food administration have been made because the Cuban price is 34 cent' above that of 1917. It is said in effec that the Cubans are at our mercy that we could get sugar cent lower We made exhaustive study of the cos of producing sugar in Cuba last yea through our own agents in Cuba, an( we find it averages $3. .39, while man! producers are at a higher level. w. found that aa average profit of a least cent per pound was necessar! in order to maintain and stimulate production or that minimum price O $4.37 was necessary, and even thi. would stif1e some producers
 "The price ultimately agreed was 2; cents above these figures, or about one fifth of a cent per pound to the Ameri can consumer, and more than thi. amount has been saved by our reduc tion in refners' profits. If we wish tt stif1e production in Cuba we cQult take that course just at the time of al times in our history when we wan production for ourselves and the al lies. Further than that, the state de partment will assure you that such i; course would produce disturbances il Cuba and destroy even our preSen supplies, but beyond all these matera reasons is one Of human justice. Thi great country has no right by thu might of it's position to strangle Cuba.
 Therefore there is no imposition upon the American public. Charge have been made before this commit tee that MT Rolph endeavored to ben eft the California refinery of which h, was manager by this 34 cent increaA, in Cuban price. MT. Rolph did not if the price It does raise the price tt the Hawaiian farmer about tha amount It does not raise the profit O the California refinery. because thei charge for refining is. like all other re liners. limited to $1.30 per hundred pounds, plus the freight differential ol thp established custom of tha trade