The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-01-30
There's a ''Nigger" in the Sugar

/ The American people have not fully
made up their minds as to whether they
are being robbed by the sugar trust.
but most of them have a suspicion that
such is the case. The way local deal
ers are parceling out the sweet stuff
indicates that the supply is being
juggled somehow. Alfred W. McCann.
the pure food expert, asserts that
sugar profiteers have gouged S940, 000,-
900 from the American people in the
past few months. He brings the
Sugar Equalization Board, created as a
part of the Food Administration under
MIR. Hoover, to his support. This
Board, still in existence, had the oppor-
tunity to buy the Cuban sugar crop at
six and half cents a pound Presi-
dent Wilson would not authorize the
purchase. Then, explains Mr.. McCann
the Louisiana crop came onto the mar
ket at seventeen cents pound whole
sale, whereupon our Cuban understudies
promptly boosted their prices, and per-
iected their little corners" with the
results that are found every time a
pound of sugar is purchased by the
consumer.
Mr., McCann's theory is noliceabIy
incomplete with reference to the sugar
redners trust as well as it relates to
be domestic sugar beet CROP He
'upports the attempt to fasten the
lame for present high prices of sugar,
md the shortage of it, upon the Cubans
and the Louisiana planters.
1t is a short memory that cannot
'ecall the sugar investigation in the
Senate yea, ago last winter, when
he SpgeckeIs interests exposed the
American Sugar Refiners, and accused
he latter with having juggled the al
ocation of sugar under the Food Ad.
nInistraton and manipulated the Amer
can market. According to Mr.. Spreck-
Is the trust succeeded in shutting out
heir competitors including Of course
Nr, Spreckels-the man who hollered.
At that time Mr.. Spreckels insisted Z
that if the Cuban markets had been
eft open to free competition that the
aw of supply and demand would have
made sugar plentiful and cheap, where
ls under the system of Government
purchase there was nothing but con-
fusion in the midst of which the sugar
rust manipulated the situation. The
opreckeIs doctrine was carried out this
year when the President kept "hands
III and let the Cuban sugar supply
ind its natural outlet. Mr.. Spreckels
las not protested against the condition
Which finds his refineries, and the
American Sugar refneries, and the
Whole balance of the crowd, pinching
'ut sugar to the dealers. who in their
urn are operating according to the old
Vanderbilt philosophy that "the people
'e damned -atsomethiDg like 20 cents
,er pound.
Mr.. McCann and George Zabriskie.
of the Sugar Equalization
3osrd, are both hot in the collar be-
'ause the Government did not purchase
he Cuban crop. and they lay the
present high prices to that fact and to
he manipulstions of the Louisiana pro-
lucers. Possibly they are right in the
Idoption of these long distance explain
'tions. And then. again, possibly the
dividend sheets Of the sugar trust and
he independent" Messrs. Spreckels
IS we'll. will eventually record the same
Id tale ofa successfully manipulated
market and successfully manipulated
ublic. 1t would not be surprising.
SELECTED.
a..