Evening star., 1923-03-28

frortinued from First Page.)
hundre dths of cent--the increase in
the F,yrdney- -McCumber act over the
spon siIble for an increase of four
cents IL pound In the price of sugar
Influence on v. d. Production.
Furthermore. It was pointed out
that II the tariff rate on sugar was
not SUFFICIENT to make II possible for
the American cane and beet sngar
producers. to produce sugar In conpe-
tstion with Cuban sugar. the result
would be TO wipe out American pro-
duction and In the end to force the
price of Cuban sugar far higher to
the consumer here.
1t was recalled that the price Of
sugar during the war jumped TO 20
and 25 cents a pound This was un-
der the Underwood tariff law of !
cent pound No attempt at that
time was made to say that the in
relation TO the tariff rate. IT is
equally absurd. 1t was declared to
day. that the small increase In the
tariff duty has been responsible for
an increase in the price OF sugar to
10 cents pound.
The Increases. therefore il is said.
are entirely due TO manipulation OF
the market by the sugar gamblers.
Extra Session Suggested.
In q statement issued last night
Represenratt tive Cole of Iowa, republi-
can, proposed special session or
Congress be called to put through
legislation to curb gambling in sugar
should Attorney General Daugherty
find that existing laws are insufficient
to deal with the gamblers.
The cost of an extra session OF
Congress-" he declared in statement.
TO provide laws which will protect
the public would be nothing compared
10 the $4,000, 900 taken IRON the
sugar consumers with every cent In
United States Chamber of Commerce
to take cognizance Of the grave Ia
tiopal issue. The big business inter
ests OF the country ought TO be pow
erfGl enough to stop such unconscion-
able manipulations in the prices OF
food products"
Mr.. Cole made public g. letter be
had written TO Attorney General
Daugherty urging speedy action by
the Department of Jlsta suggest
ing an extra session II present laws
are not adequate, and proposing that
the recent act to prevent gambling In
grain be extended to other food
products.
Hoover's Prediction
A prediction that present sugar
prices will cause decreased conSump-
tion and Increased production was
made by Secretary Hoover today in
d letter to Representative Dalllnger.
republican, Massachusetts,, who had
asked him for information on the
present situation.
The semi-annual world survey OF
the department showed an estimated
com bined stocks and production for
1928 of lS,511,000 tons, estimated
consumption of 1906 900 tons. leav-
ing an estimated surplus of 476.000
tons at the end OF the year.. the Sec
, retary said. Il see no reason to doubt
the accuracy Of the Department. e
estimate Of the Cuban .augar crop
now being crushed
Sugar consumption and production
respond very quickly TO price. 1t
would be normal TO anticipate that
estimated consumption would de-
crease as the result Of the present
oVerhigh price.
Our consumption of refined sugar
according TO Willet and Gray, in the
United States during the year Of 1922
was 5.092.75S tons. as compared 10
4.1o7.S2s tons in 1921. or an increase
from 64.47 pounds to l03.1S pounds
per capita. This is nearly "A per cent
increased consumption. The high
consumption for 1922 was no doubt In
part the result of abnormally low
prices for sugar during the year. and
possibly some increase in invisible
stocks. It was, in fact. price so
low as to have decreased the produc-
tion of sugar ia continental United
States by $4,000 tons, leaving US
more largely dependent on imports.
The effect of higher prices is also
likely TO be felt il the very hard up
sugar-producing countries of Eu-
rope. in that these prices will tend TO
restrict consumption and increase
their exports. and thus tend to lower
the pull upon Cuban sugar to the nom
sugar producing countries of Europe
The present price levels will no
doubt stimulate production, especially
| in Cuba, as at this moment plantation
profits are very large"