The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-03-21

anything over this amount TO be agreed
extortionate under the law.
''In the course Of these Investiga-
tons 1t was found by canvass Of the
Cuban producers that their sugar had,
during the first nine months Of the
past year, sold for an average Of about
$4-24 per hundred (. o. b. Cuba. to
which duty and freight added TO the
refiners' cost amount to about 1886
per hundred The average sale price
Of granulated by various ref1neries, &C
cording to our Investigation, was about
$3.50 per hundred. or a differential Of
S1S4
TN reducing the differentiaI to s1-5o
there was a saving to the public Of 81
cents per hundred Had such a dit
ferentiaI been in use from the 1st OF
January. 1917. the public would have
saved in the first nine months OF the
year about S24.SOO.OOO-"
Next Year.
With a view to more efficient organ
ization of the trade in imported sugars
next year two committees have been
formed by the food administration:
1. a committee comprising repre-
sentatives Of all OF the elements OF
American cane refining groups The
principal duty Of this committee is TO
divide the sugar imports pro rata TO
their various capacities and see that
absolute justice is done TO every re-
finer.
2 A committee comprising three rep
I resentatives OF the English, French
and Italian governments; two repre-
] 81 ho
with a member Of the food administra-
/ ton Only two Of the committee have
arrived from Europe, but they repre-
sent the allied governments The du-
/ ties OF this committee are to determine
the most economical sources from q
! transport 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 approval 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
tIemen concerned as good commercial
men have endeayored with the utmost
patience and skill TO secure q lower
price, and their persistence has re-
duced Cuban demands by 10 cents per
hundred. The price agreed upon is
about S46O per hundred pounds, L o. b.
Cuba, or equal to about So duty paid
New York
HThIs price should eVentuate."
Mr.. Hoover said, ito 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 sK to 9
cents per pound, depending upon
locality and conditions Of trade, or
at from TO 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 viii save over S25,O00.O00 OF
the refining charges last year part
of these savings goes TO the Cuban,
Hawaiian, Porto Rican and Iousienian
producer and part to the consumer
Appeals to prejudice against the
food administration have been made
because the Cuban price IS "a cents
above that Of 1917. It 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 It averages $3.50. while many
producers are at a higher level We
found that an average profit OF Al
least a cent per pound was necessary
in order to maintain and stimulate
production or that minimum price OF
S45T was necessary. and even this
would stffe some producers
The price ultimately agreed was 3
cents above these figures. or about one
fifth OF q cent per pound TO the Amen-
can consumer, and more than this
amount has been saved By our reduc-
ton in re5ners' profits II we wish "a
stife production In Cuba We could
take that course just at the tir OF al
times in our history when We want
production for ourselves and the al
lies Further than that. the state de