Arizona republican., 1918-02-06
SUGAR CONTROL
SAVED MILLIONS
American Consumer Profited by
$4,000, oOO-Freneh Stu
alton Helped.
HOME PRICE HELD AT 8 CENTS,
This Nations Sugar Supply Reduced
to Seventy Per Cent. ct Normal
Java Stocks Unavailable.

Sugar control has saved the Amer
lean public SlS0, COX, 900, Herbert Hoov
err. United States food administrator,
declared the other day.
He pointed out that sugar was sell
ing for II cents a pound last August
and that 1t would have advanced to 20
cents q pound, with the world short
age as stimulus, had not the food
administration secured the co-epera-
ton of the renners and wholesalers
and fixed a sugar price that today en-
ables housewives 10 buy sugar at from
S1a to 9 cents pound.
Every l cent raise in sugar from
September ! to January l means $751;
100000 to the American consumer"
Mr.. Hoover said. Numbers Of gen
tlemen will tell you that 20 cent sugar
would have prevailed and the public
robbed of $190000,000 this year IL we
had not taken these actions" Later
Mr. Hoover called attention to the fact
that uncontrolled sugar advanced to
35 cents a pound during the Civil War.
France Got Our Sugar.
Today the American public has been
allotted 70 per cent Of its normal sup
ply. Before the war the average an
nual household consumption here was
55 pounds a person. In England the
annual consumption during the war Is
"A pounds, and in France each person
is allotted little over one pound a
month.
"In August the French government
found itself unable to maintain even
this ration" Mr.. Hoover declared.
"An appeal was made to America.
France needed 100000 tons. We
agreed to fill this demand and up to
December had shipped S5,42s 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 sHa to 9 Cents.
Retail grocers throughout the coun-
| try are supposed to take a profit of nc
more than so cents a hundred-half
cent pound-on sugar. By reason OF
food administration regulations bind
ing refners and wholesalers, the re-
taller is able today to buy sugar at
from s to 81 cents a pound. This
enables him to sell 10 the housewife al
Sla to cents pound.
There have been some violations OF
the sugar rulings. Mr. Hoover said
recently: Sales Of sugar from 1e to
20 cents per pound have been reported
and followed up vigorously and stop.
! ped and is evidence itself Of the prices
at which consumers would have been
mulct had we not interviewed. We have
forfeited wholesalers licenses in az
gravsted cases, and we have issued
warnings to first offenders In a great
many instances through our local ad.
ministrators."
Effect on Military Situation.
American sugar stocks could be fill.
ed to normal very soon II ships could
be sent to Java, where 250,000 tons OF
sugar is waiting for shipment But
the shipping situation is SO acute that
the a''on cannot spare the eleven
ships needed to transport this sugar
1t would take the boats one year to
haul 10000 tons In the same time
they could be used for transporting
200, 900 soldiers to France.
The foed administration believes
that the American public will diminish
its sugar consumption by 10 or Is pei
cent. when 1t Is made clear that such
sugar saving Is patriotic act anc
when 1t is understood that there are
plenty of sweeteners available to take
the place of sugar, such as honey OF
corn syrup.
Why Shortage Exists
The three great sugar producing cen
ters Of the world are Germany, tn.
West and East Indies. German sugaI
is, Of course, used at home. The Eas
Indian sugar Is unavailable because o.
the ship shortage.
While q boats made big inroads OF
the worlds shipping, France and Ital,
ceased to be self sustaining In sugal
manufacture. England in the mean
time was cut of from German sugar
100000 tons a year-because Of tn,
war. The result has been that the al
lied nations have been forced to turl
to America and the West Indies To-
their sugar.