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About The Monmouth herald. (Monmouth, Or.) 1908-1969 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1918)
1 AMERICAN SUGAR SEfJTME American Price Rigidly Regulated " by United States Food Administration. CONSUMERS HERE PAY 9c i Sugar Coct $5 Ctnti Pound During Civil War Refiner Profit Now Curtailed. Sugar la selling today throughout America at from 8 ',4 to 9 ceuts a pound to the consumer, even though there ta a world shortage which hai reduced tlila nation sugar allotment to 70 per cent of normal Through the effort of the United State food administration the augur market has been regulated as far a the producer, refiner and wholesaler la concerned. The food administration ha no power to regjilate retail price except by public opinion. Even though more than 83.000 ton of sugar have been shipped to France In the last four months the retail grocer's suir price la around 8 to 84 cent. He should aell this sugar at 8tt to 9 cents, the food administration believes, and asks the American housewife to pay no more than this amount Last Aagust when the food admin istration was organised the price of sugar rose suddenly to 11 cents a pound. During the Civil War sugar cost the consumer 85 cents a pound. By regulation of the suiar market and reducing the price to 8tf and 9 cents and keeping It from advancing to 20 cent the food administration has sav ed the American public at least $180. 000 000 In four months, according to a statement made by Herbert Hooter the other day. "It Is our stern duty to feed the si lies,, to maintain their health and strength at any cost to ourselves," Mr. Hoover declared. "There has not been, nor will be as 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 reduce their ration or to send these ships we 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 neceuitated the em ployment of eleven extra ship for one year. These ships If used In . transporting troop would take 150,000 to 200.000 men to France.1 Reason for World Shortage. As Mr. Hoover pointed out, the United 8tates, 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 , was Germany and neighboring powers, the West Indies and the East Indie. German su?ar Is no longer available, as It Is nsed entirely In Germany, which also absorbs sugar of surround ing Countries. ' England can no longer buy 1,400,000 long tons of sugar each year from Germany. The French sugar produc tion has dropped from 750.000 to 210,- 000 tons.1 The Italian production has fallen from 210.000 tons to 75,000 tons. Thus three countries were thrown upon East and West Indian sources for 1,925,000 tons annually to maintain their normal consumption. Because of the world's shipping shortage the allied nations started drawing on the West Indies for sugar; East Indian sugar took three times the number of ships, since the dis tance was three times as great Sud denly the west was called on" to fur nish and did furnish 1,420.000 tons of sugar to Europe when 300,000 tons a year was the pre-war demand. The allies had drawn from Java 400,000 tons before the shipping situation be came acute. "In spite of these shipments," Mr. Hoover stated the other day, "the English government In August reduced the household sugar ration to a basis of 24 pounds per annum per capita. And In September the French govern ment reduced their household ration to 13 2-10 pounds a year, or a bit over 1 pound of sugar a month. Even this meagre ration could not be filled by the French government It was found early In the fall. America was then asked for 100.000 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 per person, and It was consid ered the duty of maintaining the French morale made our course clear." Today the sugar situation may be summarized by stating that If America will reduce It tugar con , lumption 10 to 15 per cent this) nation will be able to send 200,000 more soldiers to France. jJuKar tod;; .sells at seaboard, re- flnorle sf fT.23 l kttnifretf pounds, The wholesale grocer has agreed to limit his profit to 25 cents a hundred plus freight, and the 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 siks the housewife to reduce sugar consumption as much as possible, using other sweeteners, and also reminds ber that she should pay no mors than 9 ceuts a pound for sugar. . Control of Cane Refiners' Profits. "Immediately upon the estab'lsh ment of the food administration," Mr. Hoover said, "an examination was made of the costs and profits of refin ing and It was finally determined thai the spread between the cost of raw srJ the sale of refined cane sugar should be limited to $1.30 per hundred pounds. The pre-war differential had averaged about 85 cents snd Increased costs were found to have been Impos ed by the war In Increased cost of re fining, losses, cost of bags, labor, Insur ance, Interest and ether things, rather more than cover the difference. After prolonged negotiations the refiners were placed under agreement estab lishing these limits on October 1, and anything over this amount to be agreed extortionate under the law, "In the course of these Investiga tions It was found by canvasa of the Cuban producers that their sugar had, during the first nine months of the past year, sold for an average of about R24 per hundred f. o. b. Cuba, to which duty and freight sdded to the refiners' cost amount to about $5.68 per hundred. The 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 $1.80 there was a saving to the public of N cflit per hundred. Had such a dif ferential been In use from the 1st of January, 1017. the public would have sated In the first nine months of the year ahont K4ROO00O." Next Year. With a Tlew to more efficient organ isation of the trade In Imported sugars next year two committees have been formed by the food administration : L A committee comprising repre sentatives of all of the element of American cane refining groups. The principal duty of this committee Is to divide the sugar Imports pro rata to their various capacities and see that absolute Justice Is done to every re finer. 2. A committee comprising three rep resentatives of the English, French and Italian governments; two repre sentatives of the American refiners, with a member of the food administra tion. Only two of the committee have arrived from Europe, but they repre sent the allied governments. The du ties of this committee are 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 sugar between the United States and allies, subject to the approval of the Ameri can, English, French and Italian gov ernments. This committee, while holding strong views as to the price to be paid for Cuban sugar, has not bad the final voice. This voice has rested In the governments concerned, together with the Cuban government and I wish to state emphatically that all of the gen tlemen concerned as good commercial men have endeavored with the utmost patience and skill to secure a lower price, and their persistence has re duced Cuban 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. l ;- "This price should eventuate," Mr. Hoover said, "to sbout $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 82 to 9 cents per pound, depending upon locality and conditions of trade, or st 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 last year. A part of these savings go.es to the Cuban, Hawaiian, Porto Rlcan and Louslanlan producer and part to the consumer. "Appeals to prejudice against the food administration have been made because the Cuban price is 34 cents above that of 1017. It is said In effect that the Cubans are at our mercy; that we could get sugar a cent lower. We made exhaustive study of the cost of producing sugar In Cuba last year through our own agents In Cuba, and we find It averages $3.39, while many producers are at a higher level. We found that an average profit of at least a cent per pound was necessary In order to maintain and stimulate production or that a minimum price of $4.37 was necessary, and even this would stifle some producers. "The price ultimately agreed was 23 cents above these figures, or about one fifth of a cent per pound to the Ameri can, consjOTerndjnore, than, this amount has been saved by our reduc tion In refiners' profits. If we wish to stifle production In Cubs we could i take that course Just at the time of all times' In our history when we want production for ourselves and the alt lies. Further than that the stste de partment will assure you that such a course would produce disturbances In Cuba and destroy even our present supplies, but beyond all these material reasons Is on of human Justice. This great country has no right by the might of Its position to strangle Cuba, "Therefore there Is no Imposition upon the American public. Charges have been made before this commit tee that Mr. ltolph endeavored to ben efit the California refinery of which he was manager by this 84 cent Increase In Cuban price. Mr. ltolph did not fix the price. It does raise the price to the Hawaiian farmer about that amount 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 has not one penny of in terest In that refinery." Through the Secretary of Agricul: ture, Houston, the United States department of Agriculture is bring, ing into the country 100,000 tons of Chilean nitrates for fertilizer. This material will be sold to the farmers at cost. It will be brought to seaports at a coat of approxima tely $75.00 per ton. This plus the freight to unloading stations will be the cost to the farmer. This office has just received notifi cation that requests for this fertil izer must be made through the office of the County Agent or com mittee appointed by the Director of the Extension Service at Corval- lis. The requests must also! be made before the fourth day of Feb ruary. Necessity for quick action is apparent. If you will make your wants known to the County Agent, or committee man from your local Framers' organization (Farmers' Union or Grange etc.) at an eery date we can come in for our share of fertilizer. , , Most all are familiar withSNi- trate of Soda as a fertilizer. To those who may not I wish to say that it is especially good for gar den and truck crops. It will give results on any crop that we want forcing of stem and leaf growth. It is very readily availabl e to the plant and may be applied in small quantities at time of planting or j during the growing season. 250 to 400 pounds per acre is sufficient for most intensive crops. Don t delay if interested in this proposition. Further information gladly furnished by this office. J. E. Larson, County Agricul tural Agent See Us For Furniture Chairs, Rockers, Dining Tables, A Nice Line of MONMOUTH HARDWARE CO. a-vheat use more corn use moi&Jtsh (Lbeans use just enough and serve the cause of freedom U S. FOOD ADM I N I STKATION. Train into Monmouth L've Portland 71.5, a in, Gerllnger 10:20, Imlepend'ce 10.32, Monm'th 10:CU " Salem 9.36, " " " " " " " " 1.40, pm Dallas 2:45 3:10 " " 8.45, " Gcrlingor 4:24, Independence 4:37, Monmouth 4:GR "' " 6.00, " " 6:45, " 6:67, " 7:10 " Portland 8.30, Connect with above " Corvallis 6.45, a m Independence 7:35..,, Arrive Monmouth 7:45 " " 1.15, pm " 2:14 " 2:30 " Dallas 7.00, a m, Arrive Monmouth 7:25 ' Airlie 8.30, am snd 3:45, pm. Arrive Monmouth 9:06 am snd 4:13 p m Leave Independence, 6.50 am, 7.35, 8.45, 10,85, 12.20, 1.30, p m, 2.20, 8.50, 4.40, 7.00 Trains out of Monmouth L've Monmouth 7:06 a m, Independence 7:35, Gerlinger 7:49, Ar Salem 8:30 "Same as above Portland 11.10 " Monmouth 1:45, p ra, " 2:14, " 227, Salem 8:10 " Same as above Portland 6:50 " Monmouth 4:05, " 4:40, ' " 4:55, Salem 6:35 " " 9:05, am Dallas 10:00 " 11:00 " " 4;30, p m " 4:45, " 6:36 " " 9;05, a m, Independence 10:32, Corvallis 1120 " " 4;55, p m, " , 6:57, " 7:45 " " 7;25 a m and 8,10 p m. Arrives Airlie 8 a m and 8;40 pm Leave'Monmouth 7.05, a m, 8.15 9.06, 10.50, 12.30, M, 1.46, p m, 2.35, 4.15, 4.55, 7. 3 ' . , Bed Room Sets ' " '. '';'.,"" , "... . i Rugs and Linoleums and Heaters V use syrups A3
