The Washington times., 1923-11-01
PRICE To
DECLINE, SAYS
SPRECKELS
Leader in Industry Says Eu-
rope Will Have Big Beet
Crop This Year.
By w. 8. COUSINS,
Copyright. 1898, by Cosmopolitan
Nave GApr,ann

News Service.)
NEW YORK, Nov. /. - Lower
prices for raw and refined sugar
were predicted by Claus A.. Spreck-
els, chairman OF the board OF the
Federal Sugar Refining Company,
today. The company has just
ordered another reduction in the
selling price of its refined product.
Spreckles recently returned from
Europe, where he studied sugar
production in the chief producing
countries, including Germany,
France, CzechoslovalSia, Belgium,
and Holland. Unless chaotic con.
ditions return to these countries
through a renewal Of strife, he said
he believed gradual increase In
production Of sugar beets, in which
form most Of the European sugar
Is raised, would take place.
tour estimates OF world sugar
production are not made until
about the first OF December" said
Spreckels, land ! cannot therefore
predict with any certainty the raw
sugar output next year. But all
Of the estimates / have seen thus
far indicate an extraordinarily high
YIELD"
Dull Season Now.
The sugar refiners, he asserted,
are now entering the dullest mar
keting season Of the year. In the
spring the ripening berries and
western fruits call for an enormous
consumption of refined sugar, and
in the early fall the demands of
the candy manufacturers are
heaviest, he said. All Of these re.
quirements having been taken care
OF for this year, the sugar market
will have only the regular house
hold consumption to provide for.
To meet this demand the refinerS
will have at their disposal nearly
q million tons Of raw sugar, some
of which will be shipped from
Cuba, while Louisiana and Western
beet sugar will make up the bal.
ance, he declared.
THE American people" said
Spreckels, ARE still being taxed
about two cents a pound on sugar
consumed here for the protection
OF the big interests which control
the production of sugar beets in
America. Only a small portion Of
this tariff-tax finds it's way into the
Federal treasury. The proposed con-
sumption tax would be a more
equitable method Of providing gov
eminent revenue from the sugar In
dustry, and would place all producs
ton on an equal basis"
Records to Be Broken.
Ali records in world sugar produc-
ton will be broken this year IL the
indicated production reported by
Willett and Gray, statistical experts
in the sugar trade, is realized. While
Cuban production indicates O shrink.
age OF about 100000 tons from its
record high, all other producing
companies will extent their quotas
sufficiently to raise the total to 49,.
145, 500 tons, compared to the largest
previous world crop OF 1e, 483, 432
tons, it was reported. Last year the
producing fields of the world yielded
only 17,947,528 long tons.
Excessive drought in Cuba, the
largest single producing country in
the world, may necessitate a re.
vision OF the estimates OF cane
sugar production there this year.
Present indications are for q crop
OF 100000 tons, against actual pro-
duction of 3,602,910 last year.
Hawaii will contribute $50, 200 tons.
Brazil $4,000 tons. Peru 326, 900.
and Argentine $50, 900, making the
total for America and dependencies
6,778,600 tons, an increase Of ESQ.,.
900 tons over last year, and excess
production will help to supply many
of the countries which depended on
America last year. Germany viii
grow 1,S75,000 tons OF beet sugar.
Czechoslovakia $4,000, France SO.
goo, Holland, Belgium and Ukraine
SOO, 900 each. Poland 45O, 900, and
Italy $4,000 tons, according to in.
dications.