New-York tribune., 1919-10-30
Hoover Favors
RationingSuga1
To Candy Men
Board to Suggest Limiting
Supply to Soft Drinks
Manufacturers Also: He
Tells House Committee
Spectators Are Blamed
Stocks Said to Have Been
Hoarded for German De-
mand That Didn't Come

WASHINGTON. Oct 29-Rat;oning
sugar 80 manufacturers of candy
DIT drinks and the like soon is t. be
'uggested by the Sugar Equalization
oard, House war investigating com
'ittee was told to-da by Herbert
loover. former Federal Food Admins
rator. This step by the board, Mr.
oover said, resulted from the fact
nat raw sugar has risen beyond the
'oint where it can be BOUGHT advan-
ageously for the housewife"
Mr.. Hoover appeared before the COM
~nlttee in an inquiry into the sale Of
100000 pounds Of army sugar to
rance.
Sugar consumption in the United
'tates has increased apparently be-
'ause the country has gone dry :"
said Mr.. Hoover. The present con-
sumption of nnety-thgce pounds per
,apita a ear is the greatest in the
history of the country, he said, last
ears consumption being scventy-t three
pounds. the previous high consumption
elghty-four pounds.
Extent of Shortage Minimized
The shortage is not large" he con-
tinued. "The equalization board has
stated that for November and Decem-
'er the supply will be larger than in
past years, but increased consumption
caves a minor shortage. To meet all
demands we will have to get more than
lalf Of the Cuban crop"
Mr.. Hoover told of disagreements
omong advisers OF the Administration
"a to whether government control of
iugar should be continued and said no
agreement had yet been reached.
The committee was told the interna-
t.onal relief commission, Of which Mr..
hoover was chairman, had bourht on =
800 tons of sugar in the United States
md this was used to feet -four mi lion
iub-normal, nder-nourishod children
Europe
Six million. three thousand pounds
II sugar are consumed daily by the
americans for confectioneries- candy
and sweet drinks he said. The
sugar we got here for feeding the
children was one days candy TO the
American people. The hourly Ameri-
can consumption is $50 coo pounds"
How many hours construction did
we sell to France?' asked Representa-
tive Food Democracy. of Virginia, re-
fferring to the 22,OOO,00C pounds sold
by the War Department.
About twenty-threc hours"
Surplus of Food Predicted
Mr.. Hoover also discussed high
prices and the general food situation.
Sixteen to twenty million tons of food
more than is necessary for American
consumption will be the vie d from this
years crop. he said. adding that the
continuing high retail prices were due
large y to the "appalling psyche ogy Of
the public to buy expensive things.''
Specu alton by thousands Of people
in anticipation Of big demand from
Germany also was blamed by Mr..
hoover for advancing pr.ces. He said
large stocks were accumu ated by the
trade on the assumption that export
trade to Germany would be opened
soon after the signing of he armistice
Instead of buying, the Germans
tlghtened up their BELTS" he said.
Mr.. Hoover said, while the who esa q
price Of pork had gone part OF the
way it ought to fall retail prices had
not been reduced to any appreciablc eX-
tent
Cold Storage Law Inadequate
Discussing the pending Federal cold
storage law limiting sotrage of food
products to one year, Mr.. Hoover sal
he did not think the law compassed
the critical point" of preventing q
cold storage receipt from being used
a. "specu ative document - adding to
the price every time it changed hands.
Representative y and (Republican> ,
OF Indiana. submitted Il statement from
the Sugar Equalization Board that 493.-
0U0 long tons of sugar We're eXported d
from the United States this year, of
which 154 coo tons had been intended
for domestic consumption, while the