American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-01-29
SUGAR CONTROL
SAVED MILLIONS
American Consumer Proflted by
s1sO,OOO,0 O0-French Stu
alton Helped.
HOME PRICE HELD AT 9 CENTS.
This Nations Sugar Supply Reduced
TO Seventy Per Cent. Of Normal.
Java Stocks Unavailable.

Sugar control has saved the Amer
lean public $3.50, 600, Herbert Hoov-
or. United States food administrators,
declared the other day.
He pointed out that sugar was sell
ing for IL cents a pound last August
and that it would have advanced to 20
cents a pound, with the world short
age as a stimulus, had not the food
administration secured he co-opera-
tion of the refners and wholesalers
and fixed a sugar price that today en-
ables housewives to buy sugar at from
Sh to 8 cents a pound.
EVERY l cent raise in sugar from
September 1 to January l means Slo,-
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 $3.50, 600, 700 this year if we
had not taken these actions" Later
Mr.. Hoover called attention to the fact
that uncontrolled sugar advanced to
80 cents a pound during the Civil War.
France Got Our Sugar.
Today the American public has been
allotted 10 per cent. Of its normal sup
ply. Before the war the average an
nual household consumption here was
80 pounds a person. In England the
annual consumption during the war is
"a pounds, and in France each person
is allotted a little over one pound a
month.
"In August the French government
found itself unable 10 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 85,426 tons. In
the meantime an appeal was made to
the American public to reduce It's 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 70 impose them"
Domestic Price Is eH to 9 Cents.
Retail grocers throughout the coun-
try are supposed to take a profit of no
more than 80 cents a h~undred-half a
cent a pound-On sugar. BY reason Of
food administration regulations, bind
ing refners and wholesalers, h re-
taller is able today to buy sugar at
from 8 to 81 cents a pound. This
enables him to sell to the housewife at
81 to 8 cents a pound.
There have been some violations OF
the sugar rulings. Mr.. Hoover said
recently "Sales of sugar from 10 to
20 cents per pound have been reported
and followed up vigorously and stop
ped and Is evidence itself Of the prices
at which onsume would have been
mulct had we not interviewed. We have
forfeited wholesalers licenses In az
Rravated cases, and we have issued
warnings to first offenders in a great
many instances through u local adj
ministrators."
Effect on Military Situation.
American sugar stocks could be NIL
ed to normal very soon If ships coulu
be sent to Java, where 100000 tons OF
sugar is waiting for shipment. But
the shipping situation is so acute thal
he nation cannot spare the eleven
ships needed to transport this sugar
It would AXE the boats n year &c
haul 100000 tons. In the same time
they could be used for transporting
100000 soldiers to France.
The food administration believes
that the American public will diminish
its 2 consumption by 10 or 10 pei
cent when 1t is made clear that sucl
sugar saving is a patriotic act an'
when II is understood that there ar
plenty of sweeteners available to tax
the place Of ugar, such as honey o
corn syrup.
Why Shortage Exists.
The three great sugar producing cen
tiers Of the world are Germany TN
West and East Indies. German suga
is. of course, used at home. The Eas
Indian sugar is unavailable because o
the ship shortage.
While U boats made big inroads o.
the worlds shipping, France and ltal
ceased TO be self sustaining In suga
manufacture. England in the mean
time was cut off from German sugar
100000 tons a year-because OF Tn
war. The result has been that the a
lied nations have been forced TO tur
to America and the West Indies 10
their sugar.
xn- 1toIn EO0n CONTROL.