Evening star., 1923-03-25
PUBLIC READY TO REVOLT
AGAINST THE PROFITEERS
Skyrocketing of Sugar Following Cool
Extortion About Final Straw to
Overburdened Camel.

sumers. and were aimed at dealings
for future delivery
The demand is growing year by year
that the government take a firm
stand to protect the people against
exorbitant charges for the neces-
saries. and the government is regu-
lating today prices of transportation,
and if the signs of the day mean any
thing, will go further along these
lines at the next session Of Congress.
Coal is declared a public utility. 4
United States Coal Commission is
working today to solve the problem
Of coal production and distribution, II
possible, and will report at the next
Congress.
Time to Take Warming.
Members of Congress, and many or
them not to be classed as radicals.
say frankly that the producers OF
coal, oil, sugar and other necessaries
must take warning if they do not
want to have the same kind of regu-
latfon placed upon them as is placed
upon the transportation companies:
To speak Of sugar today is to bring
TO mind Cuba. But while Cuba is the
greatest producer Of cane sugar in
the world today, sugar cane did not
grow on the island before the dis
covery of the western hemisphere bv
white men. 1t was introduced into
Santo Domingo not long after the
discovery OF the West Indies. and
spread from that island to Cuba. In
dta is supposed TO be the home OF the
sugar cane, and it was transplanted
from that country, until now it j.
found growing in practically all tropi-
cal and semi-tropical countries. Al
though sugar was known ages ago
sugar was exported from India to Eu-
rope about 500 Adm the old days
1t was comparatively little known,
and the sugar of those days was un-
like the refined product of today. The
crude methods of making sugar from
the cane continued for many cen
turies.
Found Sugar In Beets
Beet sugar was not discovered and
manufactured until long after cane
sugar. 1t was in 1747 that Hargraff
discovered sugar in the ordinary beet.
but the content was small. running
from to per cent. Half a century
later Archard undertook TO extract
sugar from beets, and from that time
on great interest was taken in the
industry in Germany and France.
Cane sugar is produced in greatest
quantity in Cuba, and ranking next
TO Cuba in this production is British
India, then Java, the United States.
including Hawaii and Porto Rico. The
greatest amount of beet sugar is pro
duced in European countries. where
for years the industry has been built
up by bounties, etc.
Since the war New York has be-
come the great sugar market. and
the world price is fixed there. though
in former years this was NOT true
Ihere are sugar exchanges in San
Francisco and New Orleans, but these
are Insignificant in volume Of trad
ing when compared TO the New York
sugar market. The trading in sugar
has increased enormously in recent
years. The actual costs attached H.
a gamble in sugar in the way of com
missions. etc. are comparatively low.
and SPECTATORS find it easy TO take
shot at the sugar market, with
| chances of big gains.
Effect on Fruit Market.
The peak of the demand for sugar
comes later In the year, when the
canning business is in full swing. If
prices of sugar should be very high
at that time, canning will be much
less, and fruits and vegetables will
lack the market they otherwise would
have
The production of sugar this year
the world over, plus the stocks on
hand at the beginning of the wear.
according TO a survey made by the
Department of Commerce. will total
ls,5l1,000 tons. The same survey
fixes the consumption of sugar for
the year at 19,035.0o0 tons, leaving
the surplus already referred to at
the close of the year
| Tho democrats, who opposed The
increased duty on sugar in the Ford
ney-McCumber tariff act. have
\ charged that the increased price Of
sugar is traceable to the increased
duties. The United States Tariff Com
| mission, under the flexible tariff pro
| visions of the act, has already begun
an investigation of the cost of pro
ducing sugar in this country and
abroad. Public hearings will be held
! later, it is understood, on this mat
ter. When the investigation has been
completed it will be possible TO draw
| a correct inference as to whether the
duties have affected the price OF
sugar to any great extent