Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-06
BIG CROWD IN LINE
WATTS TOBUY SUGAR
Policeman Unable to Handle the
Crush When Word Went Along
Street a Sale Was On.

The usual big Saturday crowd was on
King street this morning, marketing and.
when the word went among them that
there was sale Of sugar on at Kenny $
tea and coffee store, Mt Sixth and klng,
there was Immediately great rush Tor
that corner. In short order there was n
crowd that blocked the sidewalks both
on King and Sixth sides Of tho store.
The patroiman on duty at that corner
made an effort TO get them in Inc ex-
tending back toward Market street, IN
single file against the wall ard the fence
There was not much difficulty IN getting
the line formed, and II extended back
to Market street ut times, but the ma
jortv OF the crowd refused To get III hne
and Gathered about the entrance nj the
corner. and the door on the sixth street
side :,
In the crowd were boys and girls. old
men and old women. and people OF all
ages. most of them with market baskets
Automobiles were parked along inc curb
while their owners waited ior Chahcc
10 get a package OF sugar
When the door was opened the crowd
s7,rrcd inside until the store room was
crowded and the doors were then shut
until those inside could get waited ON and
let outside. The crowd outside waited
r,atirnfIy. and grew in slze while the
clerks were busy selling a package Of
crannlatcd sugar with a pound OF coffee
or tea.
The sugar shortage seems about as
acute as ever. and from the appearance
Of crowds at stores when sugar IS on sale,
II would seem that nearly everybody
in Wilmington is out Of that necessity.
The retailers arc supposed to he getting
25 cent of their normal supply, but
Al. @E,n4
some of the grocers seem never to have
any for sale. II NAV he that they have
select list Of customers that they save It
for.
A few davs ago some Of the American
stores had brown sugar on sale at II
cents pound. and there was Just as
rnuch of p scramble for it rs there Is Tor
bhe Tanulatcd.
A leading wholesale grocer said this
morning that the retailers were being
alnplied with % per cent OF the normal
amount of sugar, and that every family
IN Wilmington ought to get that proper
tion Of the amount il usually consumes.
But the facts arc that there are many
families in the city who do not get any
sugar. while there are others that manage
10 get ALI that they need. OF course thus
IS one feature Of tho shortage that cannot
be controlled
There is no prospect OF any change IN
tbe situation until after the first OF the
wear. 1t IS expected the new crop Will
begin to come in, and there will probably
20 on the market great quantity that Is
now being held by dealers and SPECTATORS
sgainst the time when the government
relinoulshes control, and price regulation
ceases Sugar is expected 70 he more
nlcntiful then. but consumers Will pay
rwice or three times as much for It as they
arc paylng now. 1t will probably sell at
from so to So cents pound, unless the
government should take some action to
retain control. In that event, the Iobbers
say that this country will not be able e
get It's supply. as foreign countries VII /
9utbjd the lnitcd States for the produc-
ton. and the scarcity here Will be hust
rs acute.
sugar for sale If tho people are willing tC
nay tie price the producers, the inn
D3rt,rs and tie renners demand Il I
government restriction Of price and con /
troll of the sugar market is removed, there +
will be plenty Of sugar come on the
market, but il will he at greatly IN I.
creased price If the government retains
control. il cannot get the supplies Tor this
country. and while the price may be .
kept down. the shortage will be Just as
bad. if not worse than, It IS now
The wholesaler mentioned said that
government control Of the sugar situation.
had saved the people Of the country
s225. 600 600. OF course in doing this
the supply has been very greatly cur
tailed.
There has been some talk OF restricting
or entirely cutting of the supplies OF
sugar to the makers Of candy, as pro
ducers of a non-essential. but it has
evidently been decided that this drastic
step would throw too many people out
OF work and create too great an lndustrla
disturbance, 50 that step has not beer
taken, and probably will not be.
Nine cars, about 100000 pounds, Of
beet sugar has been received during the
week at Philadelphia. from which point
Wilmington gets It's pro rata. About
%, 900, 900 pounds has been secured for
Philadelphia during December by the
Equalization Board. A steamer with
8 000 tons OF cane sugar from Cuba ar
rived at Philadelphia yesterday, for the
Franklin Rehnining Company. It Is
expected that the new Cuban crop will
arrive early Ii January The shortage
will then be relieved. But the price VIII
20 up.