Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-03
U. s. PROBES SUGAR
SHORTAGE IN CITY
Attorney Kane to Confer With
Daniel on Situation in
Philadelphia
MAY RESUME WAR BASIS

4 mHI nCOOWG "HI' UNIV
United States Attorney Kane will
confer this afternoon with Todd Daniel
superintendent Of the Federal Bureau
OF Investigations here, on the sugar
situation.
Agents Of the Department of Justice.
under Mr.. Daniels direction, have been
making an investigation recently to
learn the facts in the existing sugar
scarcity.
IL IL is divulged that sugar has been
boarded Illegally prosecutions Will be
brought by the United States attorney 5
office.
This was one of the two important
developments today in the sugar strin-
sepcy. The second was the appoint
ment of a committee to take charge
Of the distribution of orders for sugar.
very much in the manner followed dur
ing the war.
John II. Mccarthy. president of the
Pennsylvania Sugar Refinery, is one of
three members of committee which
will allocate sugar orders. This in
formation was given out today by
James e. Bacon, Philadelphia banker,
who during the war was sugar ad
ministrator in Pennsylvania.
Orders Will Be Allocated
"Orders will be allocatcd," said Mr.
Bacon. "as they were during the war
This will be for the purpose of prevent
ing duplication. The orders will b.
classified according to the purposes fo
which the sugar is to be used. Domes
tic orders will come in the preferret
class. So will sugar for condensed milk
medicine and sugar for the preservation
of food or the conservation Of the foot
supply generally.
"In the second class will be sugar fOr
candy or other less essential purposes.
Mr.. Bacon has followed the present
situation closely. He believes that thu
private consumer is largely TO bam'
for 1t.
THE people have in some way Learned
of the scarcity said Mr.. Bacon. "ant
have bought more than their Legitimate
needs require. In Pennsylvania from
20 to % per cent more sugar has beer
used this year than during the samt
period last year
~ Expects Heavy Exports
Mr.. Bacon sees relief from the present
stringency in greater quantities Of sugar
being shipped to the refuers. He say
that from now to the first of the yea
shipments of raw sugar to the seaboart
refinerics will be heavier than durin,
the same period last year by 200, ,00(
tons.
Another important fact brought out
by Mr.. Bacon is that the food admin
istration will not be legally dissolved
until peace is signed and could step ii
IL dealers tried to force their prices too
high. At present rehners are payini
7.2S cents pound for the raw product
selling it at nine cents pound less
pcr cent for cash to the wholesaler
and the wholesalers in turn are sellin
it at nine and e-haf cents a poun'
plus freight to the retailer.
GrOcers Having Hard Time
Grocers are having difficulty gettin
sufficient sugar to supply their regula
customers.
dny that his firm was forced to buy di
rect from the reiner, and had to b
content with a barrel or two of suga
where they could get it. I'VE have ha
TO put our customers on a restricts
supply" said the manager.
''The situation is worse than it was,
said the buyer of another big grocer!
concern. "We are able barely to suppl,
our customers needs. We are givinj
>Sur regular customers their usual sup
~ply of sugar, but no more We ar,
selling only a pound or two to otheI
customers.
The Iefneries ave back in their or
ders, and are not willing to accep
Z additional business. We cannot bu,
from the jobbers-they haven't any su
gar to sell.
II believe the refneries are tryin
to act fairly. They want to make a
equitable distribution of sugar a
possible. And / don't believe there
danger of excessive retail prices.
II believe every one will have sufi
ciert sugar for their legitimate needs
only they will not get panicky and tr
to hoard 1t. There is enough sugar t
go around"
Charles ]. Hepburn, chief counse
for the Pennsylvania food administra
ton, said today that he believed
was the sensible thing for grocers I
ration sugar TO their customers. -
i will prevent boarding and safeguar
fhe supply. He said that two pound
OF sugar sold with a dollars worth q
groceries was greater pro rata amour
than was permitted during wartimes