Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-22
LAWRENCE REVEALS
EASY WAY To CUT
THE PRICE Of SUGAR
of Secretary Hous.-
ton Show Consumption
Has Greatly Increased,
Urges Conservation
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Copyright, 1920, for The Atlanta Jour

simple remedy availa BILE. David
Franklin Houston, secretary of the
treasury, who used to be secretary of
agriculture, and who just now is try
ing to exert the influence Of the
treasury department in the move
ment to cut down the cost of living,
is the author of the suggestion that
the best way to handle the sugar
question is to point out some salient
facts about sugar consumption tina.
p. obably will be amazing to the av-
erage householder.
Did you ever look over the data
as to the amount of sugar folks used
to eat ten and fifteen We ,ago?"
remarked Secretary Houston to the
writer as he took from the shelf in
his office thick volume called "The
Statistical Abstract of the United
States" and opened it to page SCI.
Down the page of figures is the
average amount that was consumed
by every individual in the United
States 965. In that year, di-
vidng the total amount consumed by
the population of the country. az.
II imately eighteen pounds was at
en-. At the end of 1875. this had gone
up to fort'--three pounds. Ten years
more and the per capita consumption
was fifty-four. pounds. In 1895 t
was sixty-tWo "nds d in 1905 it
was seventy-one pounds. From ther
year on, the amounts vary between
seventy and eighty pounds and in the
year 1918, when the food administra-
ton was urging conservation, tile
per capita consumption was seventy
seven pounds.
Sweets the Cause
,ow, what do you think was the
average consumed last year?" con-
tinued Secretary Houston. 1T was
pounds. Surely there is
no necessity for such a large CON
sumption. We used to get along on
less and If we could only conserve
a third of ninety-three pounds per
il vidual TIL rice of sugar would
come down Immediately. 1t isn't at
the breakfast table where the over
consumption of sugar occurs. It
isn't the sugar we take with our COZ
] or with cereals that counts up.
But we eat so much more cake. and
pies and ice cre.,m and candy.
Time was when children were
cautioned against too much sweets
But their elders aren't observing the
rule themselves. We could get along
and be just as healthy as people have
been for le last forty years if we
consumed less sugar If each indi-
viduai ate one-third less there
wouldn't be any trouble about the
price"
Indeed, Secretary Houston empha-
sized that it was to a large exten.
outside the home, in the restaurants,
cafes, soda fountains and pastry
shops where the consumption o.
sugar had risen, although the extrav-
agant use of pies and other sweets
in the home was by no means small
factor in the ninety-three pounds per
capita consumption last year.
..., Conserve One-Third
Nobody on the other hand, eX-
cuses the profiteer who has taken
advantage Of the demand for sugar
to raise prices, but if the demand
had not existed the profiteers never
would have had their opportunity.
Some people here are inclined to
think the coming of national prohibit
ton has had a good deal to do with
the over-consumption of sugar, but
it will be observed that the figure
SO was the average for the year
1919, before prohibition applied to
the more populous sections of the
United States. Of course, in many
cities, like New York. the candy shop
and soda fountain has taken the
same quarters previously occupied
by the saloon and decorated them
so handsomely as to attract a con-
slant flow of people who are temp
ted to eat candy with their lunch
cons.
The government used to be able
to control the amount of sugar that
could be used in candy, but gov
eminent control Of food consumption
is thing of the past. Very few eff
forts are made toward conservation.
It is true that the food administra-
but depended upon publicity and the
powe. of appeal to get the co-opera-
ton of the American people but the
licensing system was as effective as
any statute could be. The govern
ment therefore can only point out
the facts from time to time to the
American people.
And Secretary Houston believes
that if the fathers and mothers will
search. their recollections just a
trifle they will recall that the world
and the United States particularly
got, along just as well and perhaps
better, in the thirty years before the
than folks do now a days. And if
everybody conserves just one-third,
there will be more available for the
whole country and the government
will be better able to check up on
the profiteer whose argument today
is that the great demand is what
fixes his price.