Evening star., 1920-01-02
DC. RETAIL DEALERS
|. DEMAND 3 CENTS
F0RCUBAN SUGAR
Louisiana Product Selling at
rs Cents a Pound-InveS-
tigation Is Promised.

liydliUII 10 TIUIIlISeu.
Sugar said to be a part of the Cuban
advance" crop for this year has been
placed on sale in Washington. % cents
pound being asked for it. Other
Washington retail dealers are selling
Louisiana plantation granulated sugar
FOR 20 cents a pound. Some grocery
stores are charging 20 cents pound
Tor refined granulated sugar and re-
quiring customers to buy other goods
in order to obtain sugar.
These cases have been reported to
the Department of Justice At the Of
nee OF Assistant Attorney General F'ieg
II was stated today that the reports will
pc brought to the attention of Clarence
X Wilson. chairman of the local fair
price committee. at once. and that a
complete investigation of the reports
Will be insisted upon Immediately, with
appropriate action il the reports ar.
found to be correct
No "Check-Up" ON Beef.
so 1af as could be learned today no
attempt is being made by the local fair
price committee to check up on retail
prices OF Deer, nor has the meat sub
committee as yet announced a fair.
price list for other meats. The fair
price list for beef has been sent to ali
retail dealers, as we'll as to orpaniz..
tlons, clubs and individuals interested
IN reducing the cost of living. No in
spectors have been assigned by the
committee to learn whether or not re-
.ait. ueaiers are adhering to the COM
mittee's fair price list. Purchasers are
asked to report to Mr.. Wilson's office
IN the Department of Justice any an
parent overcharges for fresh beef. bnt
!. was stated at the office today that no
sucn reports have been received
"A rennrt 10
The Star today was to the effect thai
When purchaser asked a George
to"n retail dealer the wholesale price
OF cut of beef for which he was
Gnarsihs ,,.a her % cents a pound the reply
was that "it is none of your busi
ness and she was further told that
II she was dissatisfied with the prics
she was asked to paw she should 90
elsewhere to buy her steaks
Baltimore Bans Combination Sales,
The Baltimore fair price committee
has placed a ban on combination
sales. in which customers are re-
quired to buy a definite quantity of
other goods in order to obtain a
small quantity of sugar. and Fair
Price Commissioner Killian has
served notice on all dealers that the
ent is occupying large part of
the time and attention of the Balti-
more fair price committee. as it is
recognized that profiteering in sugar
is in prospect unless stringent pre-
cautious are taken to prevent It,.
Nations Sugar Bill Scars.
If Americans consume the same
amount of sugar this year that they
did in 1915 1913 and in 1917, the
nations sugar bill will be approxi-,
mately a billion dollars more than 1t
was for 1917, when the price was
| fixed by the food administration at
IL cents a pound.
! Every indication now points to an
! average price of about 20 cents
pound for sugar during the year
that began yesterday. The price may
be even higher-it may possibly go
to 25 cents for d short time. But it
is not at all likely to drop below 20
cents at any time during the present
year. according to George Zabriskie.
president of the sugar equalization
board.
With the population OF the United
States estimated at 110.000.000. the
per capita consumption of sugar Tor
the last five years has averaged about
ninety pounds. This, incidentally. is
the highest per capita CONSUMPTION OF
sugar of any country in the world
Officials of the sugar equalization
board declare that conditions are such
as to make it appear impossible that
sugar will retail at any time during
the year for less than 20 cents
pound or cents higher than the
famine" price fixed by the board and
the food administrator in 1917. Bas-
ing estimates on the per capita con-
sumption of sugar of population or
40. 100000. the increase of cents
pound in price over the 1917 price
gives a total increase of S9S0.0oo0o0
to be paid by American consumers OF
sugar for that commodity in 1920.
Price Fixed I'm New York.
While Washington retail dealers
have placed on sale sugar that they
declare is a part of the Cuban "ad-
vance" crop for 1920 and are charging
23 cents a pound for it, in New YORK
Federal Food Administrator Williams
has fixed a price of go cents pound
for this sugar and has ISSUED warn
ing to all dealers in New York that
prompt and vigorous prosecution faces
any dealer who asks more than that
price for advance" Cuban sugar. Mr..
williams also has warned all retail
dealers in New York that they must
sell this sugar from original contain
ers bearing labels and customhouse
stamps. and also that they must have
their invoices ready at hand to be
shown to any customers who may
question the price or the origin OF the
sugar For all old sugar the New
York food administrator has liked a
price of II cents pound retail. with
the threat of federal prosecution in
case any violation is reported.
The Louisiana plantation granulat-
ed sugar for which some Washington
retail dealers are dema anding % cents a
pound is dark in color and very
coarse and damp. Ii is sweeter than
the extremely fine granulated sugar,
however, and has no objectionable mo-
lasses taste For this kind of sugar
the New York federal food admins
traitor has fixed a retail price or %
cents pound.
"Rainbow" Brand Disappears.
The so-called rainbow sugar has
practically disappeared from Washing
ton markets. dealers saying they nave
received none in the last two or three
weeks 1t is understood the supply OF
this sugar. which was prepared ana
colored with harmless vegetable matter
for the use of bakers and confectioners:
is eXh3used, jobbers having sofa All oi
the surplus stocks.
About 100000 pounds OF the "ad-
vance" Cuban sugar of the 1870 crop
was placed on sale in New York yester-
day, according to dispatches. The price
of 20 cents a pound. il was explained by
Federal Food Administrator Williams.
was permitted because this advance
crop was prepared and rushed to mar
ket at considerably increased cost to
the planters. Only small amount OF
this advance crop, it is said. will be
available for distribution outside of New
York and Philadelphia.
Although such action was out of his
province the New York food admins
traitor this week issued "A general warn
ing to consumers throughout the east
to be on guard against dealers who
might attempt to charge them high
rrices for sugar on the ground that il
was part of this relatively small con-
sienment of the advance" new Cuban
pnrcba a of