The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1918-02-06

CONSUMERS HERE PAY 50.

Sugar Cost 50 Gents ! Pound During
Civil Warn hnsrs' Profits
Now curtailsd.
Sugar Il selling today throughout
America at from 833kf to cents q
pound to the consumer, even though
there 10 a world shortage which has
reduced this nations sugar allotment
to 20 per cent. Of normal. ...~....
Through the efforts Of the United
States food administration the sugar
market has been regulated as far az
the producer, reflner and wholesaler
70 concerned. The food administration
, has no power to regulate retail prices
except by public opinion. Even though
more than $1,000 tons Of sugar have
been shipped to France in the last
) four months the retail grocer's sugar
price is around 8 to 81 cents. He
should sell this sugar at 81 to 8
cents, the food administration believes,
and asks the American housewife to
pay no more than this amount.
Last August when the food admin
istration was organized the price Of
sugar rose suddenly to II cents a
pound. During the Civil War sugar
cost the consumer IS cents a pound.
BY regulation Of the sugar market and
reducing the price to 81 and 8 cents
and keeping it from advancing to 20
cents the food administration has saw
ed the American public at least $780,
100000 in four months, according to
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 it, enough
sugar for even their present meagre
and depressing ration unless they send
ships to remote markets for it. If 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
III we send the ships to Java
for 25O, 900 tons Of sugar next year
we will have necessitated the en-
ployment Of eleven extra ships for
one year. These ships-if used in
transporting troops-Would take
$1,000 to 10000 men to France"
Reason for World Shortage.
As 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 it is used entirely in Germany,
which also absorbs sugar of surround
ing countries.
: England can no longer buy 1,4OO, 600
long tons of sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc-
ton has dropped from 10000 to 21O,-
600 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 1,925,O00 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 a basis
Of "a pounds per annum per capita.
And In September the French govern
ment reduced their household ration
to IS 2-10 pounds a year, or q bit over
pound Of sugar month. Even this
meagre ration could not be filed by
the French government it was found
early In the fall. America was then
asked for 100000 tons of sugar and
succeeded In sending $1,000 tons by
December l. The French request was
granted because the American house.
hold consumption was then at least IS
pounds per person, and it was consid-
cred the duty Of maintaining the
French morale made our course clear"
Today the sugar situation may
30 summarized by stating that II i.
America will reduce To sugar con-
sumption 10 to IS per cent. this E
nation will be able to send 100000
more soldiers to France. + 81 ITCH
Sugar today sells at seaboard re-
/ nneries at 1925 hundred pounds
The wholesale grocer has agreed to
limit his profit to Is cents hundred
4 plus freight, and the retail grocer il
8 supposed to take no more than Ef) conf