Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-01-30
AMERICAN SUGAR
Sent TO FRANCE
American Price Rigidly Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY &c.
Sugar Cost IS Cents a Pound During
Civil War-Retiners' Profits
Now CUrtailed.

Sugar is selling today throughout
+ America at from SIa to 8 cents u
pound Ia The consumer even though
there is world shortage which has
reduced this nation sugar allotment
to 30 per cent Of normal.
Through the efforts of the United
States food administration the sugar
market has been regulated as far as
the producer, refiner and wholesaler
I is 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 to S1a cents. He
! should sell this sugar at Sla TO Q
cents, the food administration believes,
I 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 IL cents a
! pound. During the Civil War sugar
| cost the consumer So cents a pound.
! BY regulation Of the sugar market and
! reducing the price to S1a and 9 cents
/ and Keeping It from advancing 10 20
j cents the food administration has saw
/ Cd the American public at least $780,
/ COO 600 in four months according TO
6 statement made by Herbert Hoover
! he other day.
1T is our stern duty TO feed the al
! lies. 70 maintain their health and
4 strength at any cost 10 ourselves"
( Nr. Hoover declared. "There has not
/ been, nor wifi be as we see it. enough
sugar for even their present meagre
end 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 10 send these ships we win have
done damage TO our abilities to win
this war.
''if we send the ships TO Java
for 25OoCo tons of sugar NEXT year
we will have necessitated the en-
| pioyment of eleven extra ships for
one year. These ships-if used in
transporting troops--would take
$50 600 to 100000 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 IL is used entirely i'm Germany,
which also ahsorbs sugar of surround
ing countries
England can no longer bug 100000
long tons of sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc-
ton has cropped from 10000 TO 210,-
900 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 1926. 900 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 die
lance was three times as great. Sud-
denly the west was called on to fur
nish and did furnish 100000 tons of
sugar 80 Europe when 100000 tons a
! year was the pre-war demand The
allies had drawn from Java 100000
tons before the shipping situation be-
caIne acute.
"In spite of these shipments" Mr..
Hoover stated the other day, 1.-The
English government in August reduced
the household sugar ration to a basis
of 81 pounds per annum per capita.
! And In September the French govern
ment reduced their household ration
TO I3 2-l0 pounds year, or bit over
I pound Of sugar month. Even this
meagre ration could not be. filed ny
! the French government IL was found
carly In the fall America was then
asked for 100000 tons of sugar ant
succeeded in sending $1,000 tons by
I December / The French request was
I granted because the American house
! hold consumption WAS then AT least ~
pounds per person, and it was consid-
cred the duty Of maintaining the
French morale made our course clear"
: Today the sugar situation may
be summarized by stating that II
America will reduce its sugar con-
sumption 10 to IS per cent this
nation will be able TO send 200, 600
more soldiers to France.
Sugar today sells at seaboard re-
fineries al S725 hundred pounds
The wholesale grocer has agreed to
limit his profit to - cents a hundred
plus freight, and the retail grocer is
supposed 10 take no more than 20 cents
n 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 sweeteners,
and also reminds her that she should
pay no more than cents a pound for
sugar.
Control Of Cane Refners' Profits.
Immediately upon the establish
ment of the food administration" Mr