Newspaper Page Text
FA I DAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1918.
THE MILLEDGEVILLE MEWS
AMERICAN SUGAR
SENT TO FRANCE
American Price Rigidly Regulated
by United States Food
Administration.
CONSUMERS HERE PAY 9c.
Sugar Cost 35 Cents a Pound During
Civil War—Refiners’ Profits
Now Curtailed.
Sugar Is selling today throughout
America at from 81£ to 0 cents a
pound to the consumer, even though
there Is a world shortage which lias
reduced this nation's sugar allotment
to 70 per cent, of normal.
Through the efforts of the United
States food administration the sugar
market has been regulated ns far as
the producer, refiner and wholesaler
Is concerned. The food administration
has no power to regulate retail prices
except by public opinion. Even though
more than 85,000 tons of sugar have
been shipped to France In the last
four months the retail grocer’s sugar
price Is around 8 to SVs cents. lie
should sell this sugar at 8V& to 9
cents, the food administration believes,
and asks the American housewife to
pay no more than tills amount.
Last August when the food admin
istration wns organized the price of
sugar rose suddenly to 11 cents a
pound. During the Civil War sugar
cost the consumer 35 cents n pound.
By regulation of the sugar market and
reducing tho price to 814 and 0 cents
and keeping it from advancing to 20
cents the food administration has sav
ed tho American public at lenst $180,-
000,000 in four months, according to
n statement made by Herbert Hoover
the other day.
"It Is our stern duty to feed the al
lies, to mnlntnln their health and
strength at any cost to ourselves,”
Mr. Hoover declared. “There has not
been, nor will be ns we see it, enough
sugar for even their present meagre
and depressing ration unless they send
ships to remote markets for it If we
in our greed and gluttony force them
either to further redueo their ration
or to send these ships wo will have
done damage to our abilities to win
this war.
“If we send the ships to Java
for 250,000 tons of sugar next year
we will have necessitated the em
ployment of eleven extra ships for
one year. These ships—If used In
transporting troops—would take |
150,000 to 200,000 men to France." j
Reason for World Shortage. ,
As Mr. Hoover pointed out, the i
United Stales, Canada and England
were sugar Importing countries before
the war, while France and Italy were
very nearly self supporting. The main
sources of the world's sugar supply
wns Germany and neighboring powers,
the West Indies and tho East Indies.
German sugar is no longer available,
ns it is used entirely in Germany,
which also absorbs sugar of surround
ing countries.
England can no longer buy 1,-100,000
long tons of sugar each year from
Germany. The French sugar produc
tion has dropped from 750,000 to 210,-
000 tons. The Italian production has
fallen from 210,000 tons to 75,000 tons. I
Thus three countries were thrown j
upon East nnd West Indian sources
for 1,925,000 tons annually to maintain '
their normal consumption. ]
Because of tho world's shipping I
shortage the allied nations started I
drawing on the West Indies for sugar; j
East Indian sugar took three times
tho number of ships, since the dis
tance was three times as great. Sud
denly the west was called on to fur- |
nlsh nnd did furnish 1,-120,000 tons of ,
sugar to Europe when .‘100,000 tons a |
yonr was the pre-war demand. The i
allies had drawn from .lava 400,000
tons before the shipping situation be- I
came acute.
“In spite of tbopo shipments,” Mr.
Hoover stated the other day, “the
English government in August reduced
tho household sugar ration to a basis
of 21 pounds per annum per capita.
And in September tho French govern
ment reduced (heir household ration
to 13 2710 pounds a year, or a bit over
1 pound of sugar n month. Even tills
meagre ration could not lie tilled by
the French government it was found
early in the fall. America was then
asked for 100,009 tons of sugar and
succeeded In sending 85.000 tons by
December 1. The French request was
granted because the American house,
hold consumption was then at least 55
pounds par person, and II was consid
ered the duty of maintaining tlie
French morale made our course clear.”
Today the sugar situation may
bo summarised by stating that If
America will reduce its sugar con
sumption 10 to 15 per cent, this
nation will be able to send 203,COO
more soldlera to France.
Sugar today sells at seaboard re
fineries# at $7.25 a handled pounds.
Tho wholesale grocer has agreed to
limit his profit to 25 cents a hundred
plus freight, and tlis retail grocer Is
supposed to take no more than 50 cents
a hundred pounds profit. This regu
lation was made by the food adminis
tration, which now asks (lie housewife
to reduce sugar consumption as much
ns possible, using other sweeteners,
and also reminds her that she should
pay no more than 9 cents a pound for
sugar.
Control of Cane Berners’ Profits.
“Immediately upon the establish
ment of the food administration," Mr.
Hoover said, “an examination wns
made of the costs nnd profits of refin
ing and It wns flnnlly determined that
the sprend between the cost of raw
nnd tho sale of refined cane sugar
should he limited to $1.30 per hundred
pounds. The pre-war differential had
averaged about 85 cents nnd Increased
costs were found to have been Impos
ed by the war in increased cost of re
fining, losses, cost of hags, labor, Insur
ance, Interest and other things, rather
more than cover the difference. After
prolonged negotiations tho refiners
were placed under agreement estab
lishing those limits on October 1, nnd
anything over this amount to lie agreed
extortionate under the law.
“In the course of these Investiga
tions It wns found by canvass of the
Cuban producers Hint their sugar had,
during the first nine months of the
past yonr, sold for nn average of about
$4.21 per hundred f. o. b. Qubn, to
which duty nnd freight added to (lie
refiners’ cost amount to about $5.0(1
per hundred. Tho average sale price
of granulated by various refineries, ac
cording to our investigation, was about
$7.50 per hundred, or a differential of
$1.84.
“In reducing the differential to $1.30
there wns a saving to the public of 51
cents per hundred. Had such n dif
ferential been In use from (he 1st of
January, 1917, the public would linve
saved In the first nine months of the
year nbout $24,S00,0O0.”
Next Year.
IVilli a view to more efficient organ
ization of the trade In imported sugars
next year two committees have beeiv
formed by tho food administration:
1. A committee comprising repre
sentatives of all of tho elements of
American cane refining groups. The
principal duty of tills committee is to
divide tho sugar Imports pro rata to
their various capacities nnd see that
nbsolute Justico is done to every re
finer.
2. A committee comprising three rep
resentatives of the English, French
nnd Itallun governments; two repre
sentatives of the American refiners,
with a member of the food administra
tion. Only two of tho committee have
arrived from Europe, but they repre
sent tho allied governments. The du
ties of tills committee nre to determine
the most economical sources from a
transport point of view of all the al
lies to arrange transport at uniform
rates, to distribute the foreign sugnr
between the United States and allies,
subject to the approval of the Ameri
can, English, French und Italian gov
ernments.
Tills committee, while holding strong
views ns to the prlco to bo paid for
Cubnn sugar, 1ms not had the final
voice. Tills voice has rested In the
governments concerned, together with
the Cubnn government, nnd I wish to
state emphatically that all of the gen
tlemen concerned us good commercial
men have endeavored with the utmost
patience nnd skill to secure a lower
price, nn3 their persistence has re
duced Cubnn demands by 15 cents per
hundred. The price agreed upon is
about $4.60 per hundred pounds, f. o. b.
Cuba, or equal to about $6 duty paid
New York.
“This price should eventuate,”
Mr. Hoover eald, “to about $7.30
per hundred for refined sugar from
the refiners at seaboard points or_
should place sugar in the hands of'
the consumer at from B'/g to 9
cents per pound, depending upon
locality and conditions of trade, or
at from 1 to 2 cents below the
prices of August last and from one-
half to a cent per pound cheaper
than today.
“There is now an elimination of
speculation, extortionate profits, and
in the refining alone the American
people will save over $25,000,000 of
the refining charges Inst yenr. A part
of these savings goes to the Cuban,
Hawaiian, I’orto Itican nnd Lousianiun
producer and part to the consumer.
“Appeals to prejudice against tho
food administration have been made
because tho Cuban price is 34 cents
above that of 1917. If is said in effect
that the Cubans are at our mercy;
(hat we could get sugnr n cent lower.
We made exhaustive study of tho cost
of producing sugnr in Cuba last yenr
through our own agents in Cuba, and
we find it averages $3.39, while ninny
producers nre at n higher levej. We
found that nn average profit of at
least a cent per pound wns necessary
in order to maintain nnd stimulate
production or that a minimum price of
$4.37 wns necessary, and even lids
would stifle some producers.
“The price ultimately agreed wns 23
cents above these figures, or about one-
fifth of n cent per pound to the Ameri
can consumer, nnd more than tills
amount hns been saved by our reduc
tion In refiners’ profits. If we wish to
stifle production Jn Cuba we could
take that course Just at the time of all
times in our history when we want
production for ourselves nnd tho al
lies. Further than that, the state de
partment will nssure you that such n
course would produce disturbances In
Cuba and destroy even our present
supplies, but beyond all these material
rensons is one of human Justice. This
grent country hns no right by the
might of its position to strangle Cuba.
“Therefore there Is no imposition
upon the American public. Chnrges
have been made before this commit
tee that Mr. Itolph endeavored to ben
efit the California refinery of which lie
was manager by this 34 cent Increase
in Cuban price. Mr. Rolph did not fix
the price. It does raise the price to
the Hawaiian farmer nbout that
nmount. It does not raise the profit of
the California refinery, because their
charge for refining Is, like all other re
finers, limited to $1.30 per hundred
pounds, plus the freight differential on
the established custom of the trade.
“Mr. Rolph lias not one penny of In
terest. I11 that refinery.”
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i
FACE the FACTS
L ET us face the facts. The war situation is critical.
Unless the Allies fight as they never yet have
fought, defeat threatens. Hungry men cannot fight
at their best; nor hungry nations. Franco, England,
and Italy are going hungry unless we feed them.
Wheat Savings—They must have wheat. It is the
best food to fight on. It is the easiest to ship. We
alone can spare it to them. By saving just a little-
less than a quarter of what we ate last year—we can
support those who are fighting our battles. And we
can do it without stinting ourselves. We have only
to substitute another food just as good.
The Corn of Plenty—Corn is that food. There’s a
surplus of it. Providence has been generous in tho
hour of our need. It has given us corn in such bounty
as was never known before. Tons of corn. Tritin
loads of coni. Five hundred million bushels over and
above our regular needs. All we have to do is to
learn to appreciate it. tYas ever patriotic 1 duty made
so easy? And so clear?
America’s Own Food—Corn! It is the true American
food. The Indians, hardiest of races, lived on it.
Our forefathers adopted the diet and conquered a
continent. For a great section of our country it
lias blong ecu the staff of life. How well the South
fought on it, history tells. Now it can help America
win a world war.
Learn Something—Corn! It isn’t one food. It’s a
dozen. It’s a cereal. It’s a vegetable. It’s a bread.
It’s a dessert. It’s nutritious; more iood value in it,
dollar for dollar, then meat or eggs or most other
vegetables. It’s good to eat; how good you don’t
know until you’ve had corn-bread properly cooked.
Best of all, it’s plentiful and it’s patriotic.
Corn’s Infinite Variety—How much do you know about
corn? About how good it is? A'bout tho many
delicious ways of cooking it? And what you miss
by not knowing more about it? Here are a few
of its uses:
There are at least fifty ways to use corn meal to
make good dishes for - dinner, supper, lunch or break
fast. Here are some suggestions:
DESSERTS
Corn-meal molasses cake.
Apple corn bread.
Dumplings.
Gingerbread.
Fruit gems.
HOT BREADS
Boston brown bread,
lloecake.
Muffins.
Biscuits.
Griddle cake3.
Waffles.
HEARTY DISHES
Corn-meal croquettes. Corn-meal fish balls.
Meat and corn-meal dumplings.
Italian polenta. Tamales.
The recipes are in Farmers’ Bulletin 5G3, “Corn
il .... . nd Ways of Using It,” free from the
j Department of Agriculture. j
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