New-York tribune., 1920-05-09
Revive Limited
Sugar Ration,
Hoover's Plan
/, -, Consumers Whose Needs
-, Arc Not Essential on an
Allowance to Relieve the
shortage, He Suggests
rould Eliminate Bidding
r,,,s Nations to Agree Not
to Compete in Purchase
! of Other Countries Crops

l I'll. Tribune's Washington Bureau
wIsHINGTON, May s.-Rationing of
,,ssr to consumers whose needs are
,ssentisl and an international
~. lament to do away with competitive
'',,;,r with other nations for foreign
s., c,ops we're urged to-day by Her
s.r s r Hoover, former food admins
.~.tor. to relieve the present sugar
shortage.
...;red in letter to Senator Capper.
':y.nsss. who had asked Mr.. Hoover
ar his views. Mr.. Hoover wrote;
4rbe present sugar position is due
Nv 10 bad business admlnlstra-
s'Mf' Isst September the Administra-
.lon' .ond have bought the Cuban sugar
"nn at ca cents pound for raw
nov .nasr This would have given 12-cent
.rcsr TO our consumers. and, together
sisb our domestic production, would
hsve furnished supplies in excess OF
Al, demands. AS the result of failure
~ act in this matter we are particl-
.s.;no in the world shortage OF sugar,
rrl;,b is due to decreased European
,Tdnction. and we are subject :" un-
r.yalleled speculation and profteering.
aThe use of sugar is an absolute es-
untjaI in our households and the pres
.r, situation discriminates terribly
.-s;nst the poor. The increase in price
;s ;mnosing an additional tax on our
nsople of about $50 a family a year,
,s on the 5000 000,000 pounds of sugar
We consume annually the present price
will cost our consumers over billion
dollars more than last year.
"As at least one-half of our sugar
must come from foreign sources, our
merchants are bidding against Euro
nean governments for its purchase.
The profteering is international. This
situation cannot be rcmedied by the
Attorney Generals conception that
forces of this character can be handled
by putting a few persons in Jail.
Something could be done to remedy
matters if our government even now
entered into negotiation with the
large European governments to stop
bidding against each other and so
secure our fair share of the available
supply. Aside from imitation of price
an undue share will otherwise go to
Europe because their purchases are
still being carried on under the direc-
ton of their governments. Our mer-
chants have not the resources TO COM
pete with such organization for for
warding supplies and thus our fair
share is seriously jeopardizcd. 1t may
be too late to accomplish this.
The second thing that could be done
TO break this gigantic bubble of specu-
ation would be to reduce consumption
through immediate rationing of the
non-essential consumers. More than
one-thrd of our sugar is used by the
manufacturers of candy, sweet drinks
and other non-essentials. During che
war these trades patriotically cooper
ated in public interest in such re-
duction. They would no doubt CO.
operate again.
ut is no use crying over split milk.
but simply to show that these measures
are reasonable I need only recount that
they were carried out for two years
BY the Food Administration and the
tqualization Board, of which | wa.
chairman, until last July. The impend-
ing situation was anticipated by the
board and myself last July. The con-
'lnuaton of control and insurance OF
our supplies through the purchase of
Inc Cuban crop, as in the two previous
Years, was recommended. When this
proposal failed the board recommended
me alternative and less efficient method
outlined above. If it were put in action
even now it would frighten speculator,
OUT Of this market and quickly moder
ate the price"
Representative Hudspeth. of Texas,
Democrat, introduced a bill in the
house to-day to prohibit the exporta-
lon of sugar and to authorize an in
vestlgation of the sugar Industry bv
me Federal Trade CnmnirSia. ~