The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-22
Williams UncOvers Offer
Carrying 8 Cents a Pound
Profit.
TRAP LAID BY PHONE
Secret Dealers Ready to Sell
Product to Master
Bakers.
NEW WAY OF BOARDING
Supplies Consigned to Europe
Suddenly Shipped Into
Warehouses.

Arthur Williams has had many
amusing experiences as Federal Food
Administrator, but no incident in his
cficial life of converting food law vio-
lators into patriotic citizens with keen
sympathy for the consuming public
has tickled his funny bone more than
the attempt yesterday of a man to
sell him 100000 pounds of sugar at
is& cents pound.
Mr.. Williams has worked with might
and main to uncover some of the big
boards of sugar which he believes ex-
igt in this city despite the acute sugar
shortage and the distress of sugarless
families. He has been eminently sue
cessful not only in compelling some OF
the hoarders to disgorge, but he has
forced many would be sugar profiteers
to refund the amounts of excess
charges exacted from customers on
sales. Therefore, when members of tine
Master Bakers Association of Brook
lyn informed him yesterday that they
had been offered 100000 pounds at a
price 9A cents IN advance of the Gov
ernment's price of 9h cents a pound
he asked them to permit him to be
their representative in the negoti-
atoms.
The rest was perfectly simple and Mr..
Williams subsequently refused to take
any credit for unusual detective work.
He merely called up Leo w. Hammel of
IS Liberty street and got a man who
said he was Leo w. Hammel on the tel
ephone.
This is what Mr.. williams said hap
pened:
Mr. Williams: Il am representing the
Master Bakers of Brooklyn. VIII you
tell me about the sugar. please?"
Sugar Ready for Delivery.
Voice at the other end of the wire
Glad to do so, sir. You can have 5000
barrels l will deliver it tomorrow
wherever you say. but you must call at
this Office with the money in the morn
ing"
AS the voice went into further details
Mr.. Williams quickly figured out that
100000 pounds of sugar at 1S& cents
meant the payment of s375,000 in cash
and then his mathematical mind worked
out in Jig time that the unlawful charge
on the proposed sugar deal would
amount to s1S5.00o, a quite ambitious
prohteering
By this time the voice on the wire had
tied itself securely into knots concerning
the sugar offer, the price. delivery, &c,
and then Mr.. Williams said in his pleas
antest tone: This is MI. Williams. the
Federal Food Administrator, speaking.
wish, Mr.. Hammel, that you would
come right up to my Office and see me-"
There was gasp at the other end OF
The wire and the voice answered !'All
right sir I'll be right up" and fifteen
minutes later a man who said he was
Leo W. Hammel OF 50 Liberty street was
ushered into the Food Administrator
presence.
shocked" at, Discovery.
The visitor admitted that he was
checked" at his discovery that the
bakers representative was Mr.. Williams.
He said he vas willing to help the Gov
ernment any way he could to run down
protiteers and hoarders. AS for his par
ticular 2 0O0. 900 pounds of sugar. he said,
he didn't really know where II was He
thought 1t must be in warehouse some
where along the Brooklyn water front
He was simply one of a number OF
brokers' through whose hands the sugar
was passing. he explained, and he wasn't
going TO make much out of the deal. in
ssmuch as ne had ito split" his com
mission OF one-quarter of a cent a
pound with two of his employees in
equal parts. He said he had Food
Administration license.
The man who sa i'd he was Mr.. Ham
mel let Mr.. Williams into one OF the
'hearsay" secrets OF getting sugar into
Circulation at more than Government
prices. He said he has heard some
people buy sugar for export, and when
delivery Is made at the pier the 'credits
fall fat" OF some other excuse is made,
and the sugar IL sent TO a warehouse
until such time as it can be sold quietly
and prohtaby.
Officials u the United States equali-
hatou board We're sceptical about the
existence Of this particular 1000, 900
pounds OF boarded sugar, but Mr., Will
lams said that Mr. Hammel spoke with
lne air Of 4 mar who seemed 10 have
sugar 10 sell.
iS's dSheu last nlgnl III ne cared 10
make any statement concerning a visit
winch he admitted he made to Mr.. WILL
ams s Office a man who said he was Leo
" Hammel Of 95 Liberty street replied
4 have absolutely nothing to say"
Meat Distribution Plan.
An arrangement is being worked out
py Col j NJ Carson. zone supply off,
GER Tor the army; the Rev. Or. Jona-
than C. Day. Commissioner of Public
Markets and Mr.. williams. Federal
rood Administrator, for the dstribu-
uon OF army surplus-beef, pork Iolns.
mutton and poultry-direct to retail
potchers Heretofore frozen poultry
ana pork lo!ns have been distributed by
Angus Slz acting as agent for the
wy which Is an agent for the Govern
meht He was allowed a margin for
"A"ui'g OF 3 cents per pound on
, poasinnsd on Seventh Pogo