The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-05-05
j. s. ATTORNEY
HERE PROBES
SUGAR PRICES
Burkhart Calls Confer
ence of Dealers of State
Tomorrow

hhllcu states llihtfitt Attorney
Summers Burkhart announced today
that he had called a conference to-
morrow OF the wholesale sugar deal
ers OF the state to discuss the present
high prices Of sugar
Mr. Burkhart said messages had
been sent out to all the wholesale
dealers asking them to be present at
a meeting at the Chamber OF Com
mercc at : O'Clock tomorrow after
noon when the sugar situation will be
gone into thoroughly.
lie said he hoped 10 be able to get
some relief for the state from the
present high prices though he had
been told hy one dealer that the
present supply IN the state would be
exhausted In 10 days.
Stlll InfiCr License.
The sugar dealers are siili oper-
ating under license" said Mr. Burk-
hart and we will attempt to determine
what fair margin OF proNt u.s. Nio-
lations Of the law can be prosecuted.
We contend that dealers should not
sell present supplies at replacement
prices. which they hold n iustlfiab.r
when u Is difficult 60 get sugar n Is
hard 10 determine lust what a fair
margin of profit H. under existing
conditions. but am hopeful of re-
sults from the conference"
Sugar Ia retailing In the city today
~ from 20 20 90 cents per pound
The stocks on hand ATE said q be
small.
Inquiry at ~ Paso.
The sugar inquiry IL widespread,
Assistant District Attorney y. B.
Eifsrs at ~ paso. Texas having
started On Investigation IN the III
paso district lie sent out the fol-
lowing letter To tho wholesale and re-
tail sugar dealers Of the ~ paso dis
trict which shows the attitude the
government IL taking In the matter
Investigation by agents OF the de-
partment 81 Justice discloscs that
some local wholesale dealers are has
lng their selling price Of sugar ON
the replacement value and adding
thereto a sum which they consider
fair margin Of profit. In following
this practice some wholesale dealers
have been found to De- taking net
profit Of from - to g. per hundred
pOunG bag. while today one whole
salcr was found TO be- selling sugar
al net profit uf 81 % per hundred
pound bag, which profit is unfair, un-
just an1 unreasonable pthcr whole
snlc dealers have been found 90 be-
coufining their profit to reasonable
limits
The United STATES attorney Tor this
district advises from san Antonio that
prosecution should be Instituted
sgains. any wholesale dealer taking
a profit of more than . cents per
pound on sugar, said margin OF profit
TO be figured ON cost price TO III"
Wholesaler. irrespective OF replace
meut value. Tho retail dealer is also
advised that profit Of more than
cents per pound. figured on the
cost price. irrespective ~ the replace
ment value. will be- considered eN-
cosaiyc. and prosecution will cnsuc
aEainat such offenders
This decision of what rs cousid
e. ed fair and reasonable margin OF
profit on sugar has been determined
bv tfc United States attorney at san
Antonio after advices from the at
torney general and conferences with
the wholesale grocery dealers ut san
Antonio and the state fair price com
missioner. and which margin ot prout
reasonable This matter n given pub
ucity FOR the information OF dealers
generally and 10 permit them 10 DE
advised OF the policy to he followed
hy this office concerning the sugar
trade Unless dealers immediately re-
adjust their margins of protii ~ out
lined above prosecutions VIII hc M
stitutcd against them based ON "Ni-
dcncc already assembled by agents OF
this department