The Delta independent., 1920-05-21
WHY STORES ARE CHARGING
ExHoRBlTANT SUGAR PRICES


of sugar and endeavor to find out
why they are compelled to pay the
price that they do for sugar delivered
at that firm and the ]. 8. Brown
Mercantile company of Denver, as
appeared in last weeks Nucla Inde-
pendent, is herewith reproduced for
the benefit of our readers:
April 81, 1920
TIL ]. S. Brown Nero. Co.,
| Denver, Colo.
| Gentlemen:- are seeking a little
enlightenment on the sugar situation.
In the past few issues of the fam.
GUS Denver Post. the public has been
informed that the wholesale price on
sugar is only 1882 f. O b., Denver,
and anyone selling on a higher basis
| is theft hog few other miscel.
laneous names and the truth isn't in
him.
A short time ago We were informed
by phone from Grand Junction that
beet sugar was 1892, making it cost
us about $21.00 here. Today we re-
ceive quotation in the mail stating
that beet sugar is s2O.12, O. b..
Grand Junction, no protection and
practically no sugar to be had. What's
the answer?
The natives over here are about
ready to take us apart to see what
makes us tick, and We are rather an
xious ourselves to know how the
Denver Post gets that way
We have long known that the Den
yer Post has reputation for having
slight impediment in it's veracity at
times, but we can't see how you let
them get away with this stuff re-
peatedly day after day.
What Is the price of beet sugar in
Denver at this date? Any explana-
t1on you can make of these condi.
tion will be fully appreciated. if it
reaches here before it is eyerlastinglv
too late Yours truly
Nucla Mere. Co.
Denver, Colo. April 30. 1920
The Nucla Mercantile Co,
Nucla, Colorado.
Gentlemen:-Weh have your favor of
the 9th asking for enlightenment on
the sugar situation. We will do our
very best, although in advance the
writer wishes to say that the present.
chaotic conditions in the sugar
trade throughout the United States
are such that it would take a prophet
second ony to Moses to foretell what
might happen.
Our local situation lines up some
what as follows: At the beginning OF
each campaign the various sugar com.
panies operating in different sections
or the state of Colorado, set aside suf-
ficient sugar to take care OF the con.
Stunning trade of those sections until
the new crop is made. They then
proceed to sell the surplus sugar in
other states at the best price they
can get for the sugar Oftentimes
these sales are made at prices tAat
are below what we are paying in Dur
own territory. This year. however
conditions were entirely different.
The prices which could be obtained
for the sugar in Missouri river terri
tory and points east. after paying the
freight, were much higher than what
the beet sugar companies were SELL
ing the sugar for in the state OF |
Colorado. Unfortunately for the peo
PIE OF your section the company that
ordinarily supplies you with beet
sugar saw fit to sell its supply OF |
sugar without holding the usual
amount to run until the new crop.
The other companies which supply
the other sections OF the state, can
not furnish sufficient sugar to the
jobbers operating in those sections to
enable them to take care Of this ad-
lditional trade. We are therefore con-l
fronted with the painful necessity Of
shipping sugar in from other sources
and the nearest available source OF
supply is the Pacific Coast At the
present time, the only sugar avail.
able on the Pacific Coast would cost
more money delivered at Grand juno
tion than $20.12 and while It is true
that the price of sugar in the city of
Denver is the lowest that there is in
the United States. 1t is due directly
to the fact that the Great Western
sugar Co., who has always supplied
this section OF the country, has set
aside a sufficient quantity in their
Judgment, to last the city OF Denver
and the territory which the Great
Western regularly supply, and up to
the present time have not raised their
Denver delivered price above the
1882 which is the present price we
are making to the retail merchants
OF the city of Denver and nothern
Colorado where the beet factories are
located. But we are not receiving a
sufficient quantity of sugar to supply