The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1918-01-24
AMERICAN SUGAR
sent TO FRANCE
American Price RigidIy Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY &c.
Sugar Cost IS Cents a Pound During
Civil War-Refiners' Profits
Now Curtailed.


America at from S1a to 8 cents a
pound to the consumer, even though
there is world shortage which has
reduced this nations sugar allotment
to 20 per cent. of normal.
Through the efforts Of the United
States food admin isiration the sugar
market has been regulated as far as
the producer retner and wholesaler
is concerned. The food administration
has no power to regulate retail prices
except by public opinion. Even though
been shipped 10 France In the last
four months the retail grocers sugar
price is around TO SlA cents. He
should sell this sugar at S12 to 3
cents, the food administration believes,
and asks the American housewife to
pay no more than this amount.
| Last August Wien the food admin
! istration was organized the price or
sugar rose suddenly to II cents
I pound. During III" Civil War sugar
! cost the consumer % cents pound.
BY regulation of tie sugar market and
reducing the price 10 S1a and 8 cents
/ and keeping it from advancing to ~
cents the food administration has saw
ed the American public at least $780,
COO 900 in four months. according to
a statement made by Herbert Hoover
the other day.
1T 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 will be as we see 1t, enough
sugar for even their present meagre
| and depressing ration unless they send
! ships to remote markets for It. 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.
~ we send the ships to Java
for 250, 900 tons Of sugar next year
we will have neeessitated the en-
pIoyment Of eleven extra ships for i.
one year. These ships-if used In
Transporting troops-wouId take
10000 to eo0,O 900 men to France"
Reason for World Shortage.
Az 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 1t is used entirely in Germany.
which also absorbs sugar of surround
ing countries.
England can no longer buy 100000
long tons Of sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc-
ton has dropped from 10000 to 21O,-
GOO tons. The italian production has
fallen from 100000 tons to $4,000 tons.
Thus three countries were thrown
upon East and West Indian sources
for 1,025,OOO 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 times
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 13 2-1O pounds a year, or bit over
1 pound Of sugar a month. Even this
meagre ration could not be filed by
the French government 1t was found
early In the fall. America was then
asked for 100000 tons Of sugar and
succeeded in sending $1,000 tons BY
O8GVWUSx L. AuC + C0SA AOYuCCt VIZ
granted because the American house
hold consumption was then at least d
pounds per person. and It was consid-
cred the duty OF maintaining the
French morale made our course clear"
To-day the sugar situation may
Be summarized by seating that u
America will reduce its svoar con-
sumption 70 70 10 per cent. this
nation will b able 70 send 100000
more soldiers 70 France.
Sugar today sells at seaboard -
hneries at $7.25 a hundred pounds.
The wholesale grocer has agreed b
limit his profit to Is cents a hundred
plus freight, and the retail grocer q
supposed to take no more than 50 cent?
a hundred pounds profit. This regu-
lation was made by the food admins
tration, which now asks the housewife
to reduce sugar consumption as much
as possible, using other sweetenen.
and also reminds her that she should
pay no more than cents Z pound for
sugar.