The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-05-19
Daily Wall Street Gossip
BY HOLLAND.

But the latest Florida citrus food crop
 was exceptionally good. The growers
 looked forward to receiving sufficient gains through the marketing of their
 crops. They have the crops ready for
 marketing, but in many cases they stand
 by looking with despair upon thousands of boxes of grapefruit and oranges which
 are rapidly decaying because it is impos-
 stble to secure transportation for them to
 the northern markets. In fact. unless
 there be speedy relief it may be that the
 Florida citrus food crop of this season
 will meet with almost as heavy a loss as that which was entailed by the heavy
 frost of few years ago, and all because
 the cars cannot be obtained for the move-
 ment of this fruit to the northern mar ket.
 One of the larger manufacturing indus
 tres of eastern New York, whose plant
 is situated near the Connecticut boundary
 line, has been compelled to shut down
 because it cannot get the cars or secure
 the coal which is necessary 10 carry on
 the works A large number of employees
 in this way are thrown out of employ
 ment, and it is impossible to set day
 when the plant can be reopened and work again taken up.
 WHAT IS THE REMEDY? Every man who has studied the situa-
 ton insists that there must be a remedy.
 One of the leaders said this morning that it is absurd to think that country like ours, wonderfully rich in resources, the
 worlds greatest producer of food. with an enormous trade credit balance in it's favor, and having in it's possession very large part of the worlds visible gold supply, should be brought of sudden to
 standstill by reason of a sort o1 cata- sysm in railroad transportation. Nearly
 500 0O0 cars are available for transporta- | ,t
 sible to move from day to day more than
 very small percentage. So it is sad
 that there must be remedy. It IS vital
 that the danger be averted, but as yet no
 one seems to be able to suggest any
 method by means of which this can be
 done.
 SUGAR CRAZY IN CUBA Reports brought from Cuba justify the statement that the Cubans are not only
 very prosperous, but seem to be com
 pletely infatuated with the prospect of
 making large amounts of money here after by the cultivation and refining or sugar They are in the same condition of mind. as reported which is charac- teristic of so many in the oil regions, es- recially in Texas and the far west. There they think in oil In Cuba they think in sugar.
 A large amount of increased cultivation of sugar will be attempted in Cuba this year because it is expected that the worlds demand for sugar will not De equal to the supply. It is reported that the people of Cuba who seek sugar Tor domestic. uses are obliged to pay 50 cents
 pound for it since almost all of the available sugar supply has been sold or is under contract for shipment some Of it to the United States, but much Of It for other countries. This sugar fever, so to call it. is tempting some of the sugar interests in Cuba to venture into Florida, hoping to make Florida in way sec ondary sugar field to those which exist all ever the island of Cuba. If wheat is to be luxury and potatoes also so also is sugar likely to be included in the category of luxuries in the homes Of the United States for the next twelve
 months.