Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-11-25
CONTROL OF FOOD SUPPLY
President Puts Attorney General In
Charge.
War TINE RESTRICTIONS REVIVED

1
Profiteerins May Bring about suf-
ferins and Want and Resorts to the
Law to Maintain Restrictions.
President Wilson last Friday placed
the government again in control Of the
nations food supply by transferring
the authority Of food administrator to
Attorney General Palmer.
Revival Of the wartime functions Of
Administrator Hoover resulted directly
from government efforts to avert
famine in sugar, but the powers dele
gated to the head of the department Of
justice will be used also to help put
down the ever mounting cost Of liv-
ing.
For the present the attorney general
will not put into operation all OF the
machinery permitted under the execu-
tive order signed by the president, but
should conditions arise to make 1t nee
essary the full pressure Of all the
broad power vested In him will be ex-
erted to meet them.
Mr.. Palmer's staff will begin inn
mediately to build up sugar distrib-
uting system which will allocate all
sugar stocks in the country. 1t will
provide an equitable system Of dis
tributing supplies and will defeat any
concentration Of boarding, officials
said.
Plans tentatively decided upon pro-
vide for increasing the price Of all
sugar, excepting the Louisiana crop
for which a price of II cents already
has been fixed, to IL cents a pound,
wholesale.
Through this increase, new sources
of supply are expected to be opened
With assurances that a fair margin
Of profit, said to be about $1.54 hun
dred pounds, would be allowed, sugar
refiners are ready to enter the Cuban
markets and purchase all available
stocks, it was stated. Thus, officials
believe, the increased price will avert
shortage which threatens to become
famine during the next go days.
Immediate action Is also contemplat-
ed in curtailing the consumption OF
sugar by manufacturers whose prod
ucts are not regarded as essential
food. This will apply particularly 70
soft drink dealers and caady manll|
| sacturers. The abnormal increase of
sales Of these articles and the conse-
quent heavy drain on the sugar sup
plies is traceable, officials declared, to
the enforcement of prohibition.
While It has not been definitely de-
termined, the cut in sugar supplies to
these classes of trade probably will be
about 60 per cent. Officials indicated
that If the exigencies Of the situation
demanded, they would reduce the al
iowance to soft drink and candy plants
to IS per cent of their normal require
ments.
Arrangements have been completed.
subject to changing conditions of the
sugar situation, whereby beet and cane
sugar reflners will enter the United
markets Immediately. The depart
menL, HOWeNcEJ VIII CAoSS S1o'N
agreement with firms entering that
trade to consign all of their purchases
20 this country. This will mean Anne
rican dealers will get a large pro-
portion Of the 100000 tons Of raw
sugar yet available in Cuba, officials
said.
Normal consumption Of sugar In the
United States is about 100000. In
other years aboutR 100000 tons were
imported from the Cuban fields to
which was added the average produc-
ton OF approximately 100000 tons
of native grown. But officials were
alarmed lest European dealers should
continue their heavy purchases, al
ready in excess of 100000 tons, in
Cuban markets and deprive this coun-
try of the full supply it usually gets
there. The refners who have agreed
to go into the Cuban trade have been
urged, it was said, to use all haste
that the stocks may not be exhausted
before this nation Is supplied.
The danger Of sugar famine will
be greatest next month, it was said, as
stocks are rapidly being depleted and
in many sections already exhausted,
and the necessity for garnering all
available supplies from outside, be-
comes daily more urgent.