The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-03-21
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-Refners' Prof7te
Now curtalIed.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY &c.

1nrOugn the euOrCS OF the On1Le0
States food administration the sugar
market has been regulate as far as
the producer. refiner and wholesaler
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 nonths the retail grocer's sugar
price Is around to 81 cents He
should sell this sugar at 81 to 9
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 IL cents a
pound During the Civil War sugar
cost the consumer 35 cents a pound
By regulation Of the sugar market and
reducing the price to 81 and 9 cents
and Z eping 1t from advancing to 20
cents the food administration has saw
ed the American public ut least $780,
100000 in four months, according to
q statement made by Herbert Hoover
the other day.
FIt 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 II we
in our greed and gluttony force them
either to further reduce their ration
or to send these ships we viii have
done damage to our abilities to win
this war.
eff we send the ships TO Java
for 25o, 900 tons OF sugar next year
we will have necessitated the en-
pIoyment Of eleven extra ships for
one year. These shIps-lf used in
Transporting troops-WouId take
10000 to 200, 600 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 1t is used entirely In Germany,
which also absorbs sugar of surround
ing countries.
England can no longer buy 1,4O0. 600
| long tons Of sugar each year from
/ Germany. The French sugar prOduc-
ton has dropped from 10000 to 210,-
| 600 tons The italian production has
/ fallen from 10000 tons to 5000 tons
| Thus three countries were thrown
upon East and West Indian sources
for 1925, 600 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 5000 tons 8
year was the pre-war demand The
allies had drawn from Java 100000
tons before the shipping situation be
came acute.
TN 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 13 2-10 pounds year, or bit oVel
1 pound of sugar q month Even this
meagre ration could not be filed by
the French government it was found
early In the fall. America was theI
asked for 100000 tons OF sugar and
succeeded in sending $1,000 tons BIZ
December 1. The French request wal
granted because the American house
hold consumption was then at least 8
pounds per person, and ii was consid
cred the duty Of maintaining the
French morale made our course clear
Today the sugar situation may
be summarized by stating that u
America will reduce It's sugar con-
sumption 10 to IS per cent. this
nation will be able to send zoe, 600
more soldiers TO France.
Sugar today sells ar seaboard re
hnerfes at $7.25 a hundred pounds
The wholesale grocer has agreed q
limit his profit to . cents q hundret
plus freight, and the retail grocer 4
supposed to take no more than so 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 mucl
as possible, using other sTeetenerz
and also reminds her that she Shouts
pay no more than cents a pound 70
sugar.
Control OF Cane Refiners' Profits.
Immediately upon the establish
ment Of the food administration" Nj
Hoover said, an examination va
made OF the costs and profits OF rein
Ing and 1t was finally determined tina
the spread between the cost OF raw
and the sale Of refined cane suga
should be limited to S1.3O per hundre,
Pounds The pre-war dinerential hat
averaged about IS cents and Increases
costs were found to have been impos
ed By the war In increased cost OF re
lining, Losses, cost OF bags. labor, fnsUr
ances interest and other things, rsthe.
more than cover the difference. Aftel
: prolonged negotiations the rehnen
were D1aer1 uTff7e- agraounnf ezfah