Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-19

trying TO put the blame on anyone. But
the indisputable fact remains that If the
Sugar Equallzation Board had bought the
Cuban sugar crop this year, you and |
would be enjoying the boon of 4 full sugar
bowl right now Failure to secure the Cuban
sugar has caused both scarcity and
boarding of sugar
For Cuba WAS willing to sell lib the
sugar at reasonable price. The Cuban
sugar producers wrote n letter to the
Board last July urging it again to buy the
sugar crop In a lump. Ii may seem strange
to YOU that Cuban producers should pre-
fer TO sell all of their crop to the United
States government ut a price somewhere
between five and seven centsa pound,
when they are getting in some instances
rs much as thirteen and one-half cents a
pound But il is really not strange at all .
ANY producer would rather sell his whole
product for the year at one sale and at n
fair profit than to sell il slowly to many
different purchasers at different prices,
with all the expense and risk which such a
procedure involves. The principal of the
community store again comes in. The
American people by communal effort
can get their sugar for less the same rca-
son that the citizens OF any community
them in quantity In both cases the pro-
ducers can afford TO sell for less because
they do not have to bear the expenses of
retailing, and the risks of many different
credits and of a fiuctuating market.
cUBA PREFERS U. 5.
Besides, Cuba would rather have the
American dollar and American credit
than any other coinage or credit in the
world, and Cuba is anxious to stand in
with the United States For all Of these
reasons the Cuban producers were not
only willing but anxious 10 sell to The
Sugar Board This Is proved by their let
ter to the board which senator Nc\ars
caused 70 bc printed in the Congressional
Record
Just who is tO blame for the fact that
the sugar crop was not bought is . moot
question The buck Is being passed with
great zeal Some senators blame hc l'rcsi-
dent and some blame the board and the
board hlancs Congress The President So
far, has kept mum.
You should hc reminded that the Sugar
Equalization Board Is q committee Of
oight WISE men appointed by the Presi-
dent IN 1917, and equipped with FIVE mil
lion dollars from The President $ special
fund After il had been appointed the
board had Itself made a corporation
under III, laws oi Delaware The Presl-
dent was the Salr stock-holdcr of the cor
purttIon With tho tlve million which he put
up 'list why the board was thus moor
potatcd : not clrar presumably for its
own protection Bat the fact If IL, m
rorm r..t,nn Is not important II is none
thc-l- governmental agency, acting for
TIE lu,ritan people, aud spending the
pcopi mnne>
" bcn a, board got ihc letter from the
Cuban produrcr> offering 10 sell il the
Cuban crop .gan i gave the matter
lonr and earnest consideration Il then
Wrcft i letter 10 the President Whiclf
Senator McNarv has placed IN the record.
advising tina; the Cuban sugar crop ~
lgam pur based This letter u:l> >lgncd
~ seven Of She eight members 81 the
board tccordnc 70 senator Nc\Ar, pr
ialSsir IS the only member ot the board
WHO ,!li moi advise tho purchase IT Tho
crop Dr Taussig Is a college economist
lie believes ia the law Of supply and de