Omaha daily bee., 1919-08-29
COUNCIL PROBE OF
SUGAR BOARDING
PROVES BIG FIZZLE
Wholesalers Say Increased
Candy Demand Cause of
Great Shortage.

Another of the city councils food
Investigations was held yesterday
without accomplishing anything ex-
cept to bring out the fact that May
or Smiths suspicion that vast guam
titles of sugar are being boarded in
Omaha, was entirely wrong and
that, on the contrary, there is less
sugar in Omaha today than there
has been at any time before.
Mayor Smith ordered the chief
of police several days ago to inves-
tigate reports of boarded sugar, and
yesterdays session a number of
wholesale and retail grocers were
subpoenaed to testify.
The probe" went into the ques-
ton of apples and potatoes also.
The shortage of sugar is due
largely to prohibition. declared
Frank Keogh, secretary of Paxton
& Gallagher Co.
Eat More Candy.
"The lack of alcohol causes peo-
pie to eat candy" he said. "Our
candy sales are enormously greater
than ever before.
THE sugar shortage will be even
worse next week but there will
probably be plenty by October IS,
when the beet sugar crop begins to
come in"
Standstill of industry in the big
beet sugar producing districts of
northern France and Germany, was
mentioned also as reason for the
present sugar shortage.
The investigation was started by
Mayor Smith because of number
of letters received by him stating
that vast quantities of sugar were
being boarded in various places.
William Weiner, Fourteenth and
Douglas streets, on. of the men re-
ported by letter IA have vast sup
plies of sugar in his place, testified
that he has just seven bags of sugar
J. A. Bryan, buyer for the Basket
stores, stated that his concern has
about 100 bags on hand in its ware
houses and it's 20 retail stores, about
enough to supply its demand for
two days.
1--WE have tried to buy sugar
everywhere and simply can't get it, >
he said. "July we had about 1,00C
bags on hand. During the last two
weeks we have been completely sold
out several times"
w. w. Roller, vice president Of
the Gordon Fireproof Warehouse &
Van Co., was called to the stand
and Assistant City Attorney Moss
man asked him how many cases oi
eggs his concern has in storage.
1--WE don't store eggs" he said
1--WE have only dry storage, not cold
storage
Probe Apple Prices.
The PROBE continued to potatoes
and apples Ernest Meyer, commits
lsion man, 1916 Howard street, took
the stand and was asked what per
centage of Nebraska potatoes and
apples he handles.
mot more than 5 per cent" he
said.
Where do you get the bulk Of
these things from?"
"Apples from Washington and
Oregon; potatoes from Colorado
Idaho and Minnesota" he replied.
"Now, who don't you sell Nebras.
ka apples and potatoes instead oi
shipping them in from those distant
places?" demanded Mr.. Mossman
"For the simple reason that Ne
braska potatoes and apples are nc
good compared with those shipped
in" said Mr.. Meyer. do you thinl
we pay freight on them from thos,
western states for the fun of it!
No, we have to ship them in. Ne
braska potatoes are not graded
They come, all together, little ones
wormy ones, scabby ones. Potatoe.
from Idaho, Colorado and Mime
sofa come graded according to s,z,
and with all the bad ones taken out
Raise More Corn.
Nebraska farmers find it mor'
profitable to raise corn and whea
than apples. They don't take tn,
| time to take care of apples. Appl'
trees in Nebraska have not beer
sprayed for years. We would rathe
buy potatoes and apples in Nebras
| ka if they were good, We dom
enjoy sending buyers out to thos,
western states and paying BIZ
freight bills"
| ]. Adler, manager of the peddlers
union, testified that his concerl
deals almost exclusively in Nebras
ka apples and potatoes at this sea
son of the year.
"But the quality is poor" he said
"They aren't graded. The few
graded apples from Nebraska or
chards are shipped east. We ge
Just what are hauled in to Oman;
by wagon. We got a few cars o
potatoes from Kearney this yea
and sold them at S2.25 a bushel
while Minnesota potatoes were 81
much better quality that they solt
at $3.50 a bushel."
The probe" adjourned withou
l,pv definite rest11t