The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1919-08-01
COUNTRY HAS AMPLE
SUPPLY OF SUGAR
Head of Equalization Board Says
There's Plenty lof Refined Product

1HeTc icHtyI VI RcHuSu AVuuSC
The war department has sold to the
United States sugar equalization
board 37,000000 pounds of refined
sugar, it was announced in newspaper
dispatches this week, by George A.
Zabriskie, president of the board, who
declared there is abundance" of raw
sugar in the country, that retail
prices should not exceed II cents a
pound, and that there is no need of
boarding.
MIR. Zabriskie declared that the re-
fineries now are working night and
day and that their combined output
of 41,175,000 pounds day is being
put into domestic channels of trade.
Refiners, he said, have not sent a
pound Of sugar abroad for two weeks.
Expectation will not be resumed un-
til American needs are entirely met.
The head of the sugar equalization
board said protiteerlng dealers II re-
ported may suffer revocation Of their
licenses. He charged the apparent
shortage to speculative exporters"
anu UGldtcu OIucIo lIOIl CdluiClo eAAu
candy makers.
Housewives were "hoarding" sugar
unnecessarily, he said, New England
having refined sugar stocks sufficient
for six months.
! Sugar is abundant in the United
/ States, and if it were not for prof
iteers and nervous housewives en-
couraged to "hoard" it there would be
enough for every legitimate demand
and three-day reserve supply in ad-
dition, declared Mr.. Zabriskie.
The chief factor in this apparent
shortage, which is temporary, he said,
"has been the belated orders of big
fruit canneries and confectionery fac
tories which failed to anticipate their
normal demands and held off ordering
their sugar in the expectation that
prices would be lower. They knew
the refiners could not sell above the
fixed price of 9 cents.
Another element that, as yet, has
not affected the situation is the ma
rine workers strike which we hope
will be settled before the entire fleet
of sugar ships is tied up in Atlantic
and gulf ports. Meanwhile we are
reaching by radio at sea all the ves-
sells possible and diverting them to
Cuba to bring back raw sugar.
'The cannery and confectionery
trade has not realized the limitations
of the sugar industry, he continued.
"The capacity of the twenty-five
sugar refneries is approximately
4,800,0O0 tons, while the consumption
is 4,25O,0O0 tons. The margin between
supply and demand is narrow and the
refineries have to keep going when
the demand in March and April, is not
great, building up reserves for the
four months, June, July, August and
September, when the demand is at
its height.
"There is, however, at present, no
shortage of raw sugar. The difficulty
now is the capacity of the refneries.
Of the 2,630,0 tons the sugar equal
ization board contracted to purchase
from Cuba, we had still to receive on
July no less than 100000 tons.
I'm addition to this we have access
| TO l,SlO,UOO more IONS, lnciudlng tne
beet sugar, which will begin to come
in about October 1, and the big cane
crops of Louisiana and the insular
possessions of the United States, such
as the Virgin Islands, Porto Rico,
Hawaii and the Philippines.
"The situation is entirely satisfac-
tory as far as the raw material is
concerned and I know that the re-
fners are doing their part, for their
plants have been operated night and
day, and some on Sundays for
months past. In those parts of the
country where local shortages pre-
vail there is an inclination to- prof.
teer, but it is easy to fix the blame
for that. The refner cannot sell su-
gar for more than 9 cents a pound.
The wholesaler is obligated to maxi
mum profit of IS cents, so that the
retailer does not pay more than $9.35
a hundred.
Local retailers have been charging
but 10 cents a pound, if bought in
! 100-pound lots.