The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-26
HI CENTS PROPER
PRICE FOR SUGAR
Huge Sales by War Depart
ment Fix This as Limit,
Zabriskie Asserts.
EXPORTS HAVE CEASED
Raw Product Is Plentiful
41,175,0OO Pounds Turned
Out Daily.

The War Department has sold to the
United States Equalization Board 81.
900, 900 pounds Of refined sugar. accord
ing to an announcement made yesterday
by George zabrisisie. president Of the
board. As there is an abundance Of raw
sugar the retail price should not exceed
IL cents q pound and there isn't any
need of boarding.
Rehneries now are working day and
night. Mr.. zabrislSie said. and their com.
bined output Of 41.175.OOo pounds a day
is being put into domestic channels OF
trade. No sugar has been shipped abroad
In two weeks and expectation will moi
be resumed until all American needi
are met.
Mr.. zabriskie explained that dealer,
still are under the control OF the Federal
Food Administration and IL they profi.
teer In sugar they may suffer the fevo
cation of their licenses, The control will
| continue until the peace treaty is ratified
by the Senate.
Be1ated Orders Blamed.
The chief factor in this apparent
| shortge. which Is temporary" Mr.. Ia
| briskie said. has been the belated or
ders Of big fruit canneries and 'confec'
tionery factories which failed to antici
pate their normal demands and held OF
| ordering their sugar in the expectation
| that prices would be lower. They knew
the refiners could not sell above the
| fixed price of cents. Another element
| that as yet has not affected the situation
| Is the marine workers strike. which we
hope will be settled before the entire
| feet of sugar ships Is tied up In At
lantic and Gulf ports Meanwhile W.
\ are reaching by radio at sea all tn,
vessels possible and diverting them Il
| Cuba to bring back raw sugar.
THE cannery and confectionery trade
has not realized the limitations of the
sugar industry" continued Mr.. Zabris
kie. The capacity of the twenty-five re-
tineries Is approximately 100000 tons
| while the consumption Is 4,250,000 tons
| The margin between supply and demand
is narrow and the rehneries have t.
keep going when the demand in Marcel
and April is not great. building up re
serves for the four months-June, Jul,
August and September-when the de
mand is at its height.
Raw Sugar Plentiful.
| There is, however, at present NJ
shortage of raw sugar. The difficult,
now is the capacity Of the refineries. o.
tho 2,630.000 tons the United Statei
Sugar Equalization Board contracted Il
purchase from Cuba we had still to re
ceive on July / no less than 100000
tons. In addition to this we have access
to 100000 more tons. including thu
beet sugar, which will begin to come Il
about October /, and the big cane crop
Of Louisiana and the insular possession
of the United States. such as the Virgin
Islands, Porto Rico. Hawaii and thu
Philippines.
The situation is entirely satisfactor!
SO far as the raw material Is concerned
and know the reflners are doing thei
part for their plants have been operated
night and day. and some on Sundays
for months past. In those parts OF tn
country where local shortages exist 1t i
true there is an inclination to profiteer
but II Is easy to fix the blame for that
The refiner cannot sell ar for NOR
than cents a pound The wholesale
is obligated to n maximum profit of 8
cents, so that the retailer does not pa,
more than 1895 hundred. Everybody
therefore, should be able to buy suga
at a maximum of IL cents pound ant
know of chain stores selling 1t to-da,
for less than 10 cents"