Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-04-28
creasAd. cannot be employed by the
small private builder who seems to
be UP against a stone wall, no mat
ter which way he turns.
on: SUGAR.

At the present rate Of going sugar
seems destined to become one Of
those memories. to be cherished by
the people Of this generation, and to,
exist only as a tradition for those who
follow. Sugar at Is cents pound is
already a reality, and S0-cent sugar Is
one Of those things that the immedi-
ate future appears to have in store.
And the mischief Of it is that, regard
less of price, the stuff is not to be
had.
Our government made a fine mess
Of the sugar business, abandoning
control Of the situation when it had
Cuban sugar crop to be distracted
from under our noses by foreign buy.
ers while ouEnwn people were debar-
red by government regulations from
entering the market in competition.
with the Europeans. Now our own
buyers are scrambling for the rem.
nant of the crop that IS left, and about
the only Americans who are deriving
any comfort from the situation are a
few sugar men down in Louisiana and
q handful of spectators here and
there who are %pinching what profits
they a out of the fluctuations in
price. The rest OF the public Is get
ting less than half the sugar, 1t wants
at twice as much as it ought to pay.
If enough people would look the
facts %squareiy in the face and act in
concert the situation could be vastly
improved, if not entirely rcmedied,
without causing serious Inconvenience
to anybody, The thing for tho coun-
try to do is to so on short commons
in the matter of sugar as a voluntary
act, and to remain on that basis I'M
til the supply and the price approach
normal.
The thing can be lone without any
organization. .dues, pledge or hyster-
les. Let every individual in the coun-
try cut down his own consumption Of
sugar to the lowest point : consistent
with his own comfort. Where he is
in the habit of using two spoonfuls
in coffee, let him use one. He VIII
scarcely notice the difference. If he
is in the habit of using two pounds
Of candy within a given time. let him
use one pound. In a similar way let
him restrict his consumption of sweet
drinks. In other words, let him not
quit using sugar and the things on
tanning it, but let him reduce his
consumption Of these things just to
the point, where the effort begins to
be an inconvenience to him. The re-
suit would be an immediate reduction
in sugar consumption at the rate of
millions of pounds a day. Both sup
ply and price would necessarily be
affected. -
The employment of a plan OF this
kind would work hardship on no one
except those who>are making illegiti-
mate gains out of the present situa-
ton. Retailers would undoubtedly
be glad to see some such plan en-
ployed, as they are at their wits end
to find even small amounts Of sugar
for their trade. Manufacturers Of
candy and drinks are unable as it is
to find enough sugar to meet their
needs, and the plan would ve,y
quickly aid in restoring their present
crippled condition to norman:
The employment of such a plau re-
quires merely the passing OF the
word along, n so far as the general
population of the country is concern
ed, it will not cost any of us a cert.