Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-11-16

1Jo+ Snrings, Nov. l5.-Replylng to
 fioo fiood pf letters and telegrams pro- sost;ng r-n against the shortage of sugar tesiN +6o high price consumers must anu for m what little of that product pas ha purchased, state food admin .a.otor can H. Williams, today "laid the ls..ds' corJs on the table," as he expressed :t :ai and ain a statement to the people is arkansas made public the protest bl ba has filed with the department of ;r,st;ce. Washington, against the dis J1u;,,,ination Ju;oi the people of the south ora being subjected to in order to as- @;st I,ouisiana sugar interests De- o.H1 onuso of their short crop of that product. -,, ,o orar,s that have passed between MT. Williams and the department or ]us- +;ce Mr. Williams statement is one of the most important that has come from a government official m the nresent sugar shortage. 1t follows: "In order that the consumers in Arkansas may understand why they are having from 20 to 25 cents per mound for sugar when consumers ot Inc East are paying only II or 12 cents m and the West 12 to 15 cents, ar inst about one-half of what we are paving, I am submitting the fol- lowing correspondence and my regis tered objection to this discrimination. On November 10, l received the fol- lowing telegram from the depart ment of justice. :, "Former margin of profit should be allowed dealers handling sugar. Seventeen cents Louisiana clearified Seventeen cents Louisiana clarified lated. f. o. b., seaboard basis, and eastern sugar cane nine cents, f. O. h.. seaboard are the established prices for all United States"
 My reply to that was as follows;
 When dealers paid nine cents for sugar they were allowed to make half cent profit. On same hypothesis when they pay IS cents they should make one cent. Am I authorized t, allow this profit to be made?'
 q received the following reply o' November II:
 'The same gross margins as al lowed retailer and wholesaler on nin' cent sugar should prevail on Is cen sugar, which in this emergenc! should be considered fair.'
 q then followed the foregoing tel egram with a protest against the dis crimination between the people O Arkansas and those of other sections and sent the following to the depart ment of justice:
 Why should we pay IS cents fo Louisiana sugar when beet sugar Ii only 10 cents? Our jobbers are com plaining that beet sugar manufac turers will not furnish them sugar thereby forcing them to buy Louis jana cane or do without. Are we t be penalized because of Louisiana crop shortage? If the governmen wishes to do anything for Louisian: why not take over the Louisiana cro and make uniform prices to all 7
 South at Disadvantage.
 T contend that the people of tn south should not be discriminate against and forced to make up tn losses of the producers of cane suga in Louisiana. l contend further tha if the government wishes to be fa' to all the people it should name tn same prices for sugar for all of u and if they wish to help Louisian planters, we have no objections. W do most emphaticany object, howeN CT, to having this deficit made goo locally. It should be distribute equally among all the people of tn country. l now quote from good al thority the following statement:
 |" I am informed that the Unite States sugar commission, whlc had the handling of sugar during, tn past year, is supposed to be handlln only the balance of the Cuban cro, 1, It is estimated at approximately 30O 900 tons. The domestic crop will ul