San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-13

GAMERS To
. RAISE PRICES
Decreased Supply Of Fruits
and Vegetables Cause,
Is Claim.
ELATED OVER NEWS
fasteners Think They Can
Secure Great Deal Of
Business.
ELATED OVER NEWS
BY j. c, ROYIE

4 -
New York. April 12.-Canners in
other sections of the country received
today with considerable enthusiasm
the prediction of the California pack
ers that the prices of tire fruit and
| vegetable packs in that state must te
advanced this season. If the predic-
ton is true. the Eastern and Mid.
western Gamers think they see a
chance to pry some of the markets
out of the fingers Of the California
contingent.
The California packers base their
prediction on the disastrous effect un-
favorable weather conditions have had
on the apricot, plum, peach. cherry,
pear, asparagus, pea and bean crops.
and on the expectation that they will
have TO pay more for their sugar this
year, They say growers will receive
20 TO 30 per cent more for their prod
ucts this year owing to the drought,
and predict sugar will cost California
Gamers i 1.2 to . cents pound
more than in 1928.
Prediction Surprise.
The prediction for higher sugar
prices came as surprise at this time,
when the Department of Agriculture
had just announced production Of
1,200,000 short tons larger than last
year. Prices for raw sugar today are
around 4 11-16 cents pound, com.
pared with an average Of 40 cents
for April. 1923. Refined today is
around $50 cents, compared with 9.41
cents for April last year. The aver
age of prices for raws last year was
I05 cents and for refined SIS.
However, the California packers ex-
plain that last year they laid in their
supplies around 6 IL cents before the
big jump in prices which occurred last
spring. In answer TO this. grocers.
jobbers and caonners in competing dis
| tricts point out that this fact was
not emphasized by the Pacific can
merry men during the time when sugar
prices were skyrocketing. and otht.
Gamers were having a hard time to
make both ends meet.
Discussion Over Figures.
| There is considerable discussion as
to the Department of Agriculture fig
ures. These were computed in short
| tons which raw sugar producers
among them the California. Hawaiian
Sugar company, say, making the fig
ures misleading since the long ton is
usually used by the trade in figuring
foreign production.
However, Cuba. according to the
latest report of the Federal SUGAR
Refining company, produced 2.322, o6!l
tons Of sugar up TO the middle OF
March. an increase of 113.441 tons
over the corresponding period Of last
year. The weather there continue
favorable and the yield Of sugar from
the cane is higher than last season.
European sowings of sugar beets have
increased p per cent over 1913 whe u
production from this source was D.
03S, 06j tons. which would seem to in
dictate an increased output of Euro
pean beet sugar of 1.057.094 tons.
Hard Hit By Drought.
The American beet sugar paintings
in most states will also show q de-
cided increase this year. This poten-
tial production will serve to stabilize
refined sugar prices throughout the
wear. according to many men in the
trade. California. however, has not
had favorable conditions for the sugar
beet crop. Last year the state pro
duced J13. tons and growers aud
manufacturers there this year ante
llnte tuut lHls VIII NC Nut ." Wv
neighborhood of 20 per cent.
The Southern California districts
were especially hard hit by drought
which delayed paintings. The cen
trol districts where irrigation is re-
lied on were not affected so severely,
The Hawaiian cane crop estimates
however, place the 1924 raw sugar
yield at JS5.200 tons. or an increase
Of about 10000 TONS over last year
Java sugars, according to Eastern re-
finers, are now being offered on the
Pacific coast. 49,.
Efforts to secure the reduction OF
the tariff rates on Cuban sugars have
not made rapid progress and have
been met by challenge ms to the ac-
curacy of figures on cost of produc-
ton presented to members of Con-