The daily banner., 1919-08-27

ports lie. ID, as a Fair Price.
The Committee on Living Costs
appointed by Governor Harrington
has been holding daily sessions fol
more than two weeks, in the rooms
of the State Conservation Commits
sion, in the Munsey Building, Balti-
more. 1t consists of Mr.. w H. Kill
lian, chairman; Judge Oscar Lesser
DR.. George e. Barnett, Mr.. Sylvan
H. Lauchheimer, Mrs. w. R. C.
Wood, and Mr.. John HI. Ferguson
Assisting the Committee is Miss K.
E. Braithwaite, a specialist from the
Maryland Agricultural College. The
Commission has also the co-opera-
ton of the Women's Civic League
who are especially valuable in gath
ering information on retail prices in
the city, and the members of the
Federated Women's Clubs for the
counties, who are doing the same
work for the State. Also aid is be-
ing received from the State Board
city and State.
The list of retail prices in the
markets and stores, furnished daily
to the newspapers, is familiar to
the public, but the COMMITTEES is pur-
suing much broader and deeper in
quiry. It's policy is to gather the
fundamental facts so that its state
ments may be absolutely fair. The
statements giving these facts will be
issued as developed, and the Com
mittee will reserve it's conclusions
until it has all the evidence in hand.
One leading commodity will be COW
cred at time, until the list is COM
pleted. The first commodity def
nitely reported is sugar, which is
important just at this time because
of the coming movement of the Gu
ban crop, and because of the fact
that many have claimed that they
have been charged excessive prices.
The Committee advises that eleven
cents pound is a maximum fair
charge for sugar, which advice is
based upon the following statement,
giving authoratively the work and
opinion of the United States Sugar
Board, a Government
Agency, appointed to forestall specu-
lation and protect the public.
The United States Sugar Equaliza-
tion Board, Inc, an Agency of the
United States Government, purchas-
ed, in October, 1918, the entire Gu
ban 1919 sugar crop in order to as
sure an adequate supply of sugar for
the United Stat as and the Allies for
the year 1919. The purchase was
ccomplished in the expectation of
the continuance of the war for an
other year. Although the war end
ed in 1918, the worlds sugar pro-
duction is still very far below the
pre-war average, and the worlds de-
mand upon Cuba, as the main sugar
country, is now tremen-
dous. Under the terms of the con-
tract with the United States Sugar
Board, the Cuban Gov
ernment cannot, without permission
of the Board export any sugar ex-
cept to the United States. Accord
ingly, at the present time, although
foreign nations are offering high
prices for Cuban sugars, there is no
possibility for the Cuban producer
to profit thereby. Since the price of
Cuban sugar determines the price
for our domestic raw cane sugars
and the beet sugar, there is no pos
sibility for the domestic producer to
profit by the present great world de-
mand for sugar. Nor can the rein
er profit through this same situation,
since the refners all entered into a
contract last year with the Sugar
Board, by virtue of which they are
now still buying all their raw sugar
at price of $7.28 per hundred lbs.
duty and insurance paid, from the
Sugar Board, and they cannot buy
sugar elsewhere under the terms of
the contract They are compelled by
this same agreement to sell all sugar
at cents per pound for fine gran
ulated," with the customary differ
entails for special brands, (net cash
price is 8.82 cents per fb. owing to
the 2 per cent. discount); thus OBJ
tanning a fixed margin of 1.54 cents
per pound for refining.
In view then of the fact that nei-
ther producer nor refiner can profit
by the present great world demand
for sugar, the Sugar Board feels that
any wholesaler or jobber or retailer
who attempts to profit thereby is
taking advantage of the people OF
the United States because of en-
porary laxity in the enforcement of
food administration regulations, ow-
ing to the dissolution of the EN-
forcement" activities of the Food
Accordingly, the
Attorney General has been notified
of any cases where obvious profiteer-
ing in sugar has taken place.
In determining what is a fair mar
gin of profit for the jobbers or deal
ers, the Board has taken into con-
sideration the pre-war and the war
average spread between the price
Of fine granulated sugar at refneries
and the retail price, which was as
follows:
Average Prices of Fine Granulated
Sugar:
Refinery. Retail. Spread