Evening star., 1923-03-16
HIGH SUGAR PRICES
THREATEN CANNING
Alarm Felt Over Sweeping
Advance in Costs-PeriI
Largely in West.
BY j. C.. ROYLE,

Special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK. March I6.-Canners
ana growers of berries and small
fruits In certain sections Of the coun-
try are facing a situation of reat
peru TO their industries in the present
price of sugar. This situation is ee-
pecially acute in the west and north.
west, where Gamers failed to pro
vide for the requirements for 1929
when sugar was selling near 4 cents 4
pound. Growers in the Pacific north
west today declared that the present
price Of sugar-S10 for 100 pounds in
that section-was ruinous, especially
when complicated by higher wage
scales on farms and in canneries,
shortage of labor and higher prices
for cans
Tens of thousands of acres OF new
~ cleared lands have been planted
10 raspberries and loganberries in
Washington and Oregon in the last
three years. Canneries and packing
plants operated on both a corporate
and cooperative basis have been
erected to handle these crops and
this heavy investment OF capital is
now threatened, according 70 those
| interested. They have sent today Il
communication to Secretary Of Com
merce Hoover protesting against
sugar prices which they say bare
| result of market manipulation.
Southern Gamers Protected.
Gamers of the south and parts os
the lnidnle west, however, are fairly
well protected against sugar advan-
| ces. They purchased heavily from
Louisiana cane growers when tho
| cane was cut last fall. buying futures
! against their probable requirements
for this year.
In nm, ,U-tt 81
| tion it is interesting to note that the
report Of the American Sugar Rein
! ing Company for 1922, before the ad-
vance in raw took place, showed profits
against a loss in 1921 of $2,177,275.
Heavy Asparagus Pack.
California asparagus Gamers are
preparing for a heavy pack and II
weather conditions continue favorable
total of 100000 cases may be ex-
ceeded. Practically all the Gamers
| have sold their expected output in
advance. Acreage has been increased
and Gamers have bid so successfully
| that asparagus which ordinarily
would go to the fresh vegetable trade
! is going TO the canneries.
Boxes used by Gamers in shipping
| have increased 40 per cent in cost in
some sections.
Builders Fight for Men.
| The shipping and building trades are
| In d battle royal for labor. Many Of
! the hands employed in ship yards ard
along the waterfront are being enticed
| from these employments by the high
wages in the building trades and sailors
are deserving ships for better-paid jobs
ashore. Marine engineers especially are
| in demand at figures higher than tie
marine scale.
| Building undoubtedly will find imne-
! date relief and Improvement from the
removal of freight embargoes by many
| of the eastern roads which have been
! concentrating especially on anthracite
coal shipments. New England indus
| tries have been heavily affected by this
| railroad freight congestion which was
complicated by heavy storms.
Oil Production Stimulated.
The statement by A. c. Bedford THAI
the expectations of two-thirds of tho
estimated oil producing areas in Mexi-
co had been abandoned that due to un-
favorable developments companies which
had operated faced loss of one-haIf of
their original investment, is expected
| to add stimulus to the drilling opera
tions in American fields. Development
operations now are proceeding at an un-
usual rate in the Smackover area the
California fields and in Wyoming and
Montana. a further advance IN gulf
crude is anticipated
Automobile owners in many differ
ent sections of the country are rush.
i ing to tire stores to buy their sum
mer's supply of tubes and castings be-
! fore the general advance in prices
which is expected goes into effect.
| High Prices Halt Trade
! SAN FRANCISCO, March 16 (Spe-
| ciaD aD.-CnWillingness of consumers 10
! absorb price inCreaS SeS is blamed by
retailers. in this section for a slight
! fall in business activity this month
as compared with January and Feb
ruary. Building operations have ma
! terially increased in the last fort