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Show Fi,0F ml is SOWJBSUHED Food Administrator Hccver Also Gives Promise That Prices Will Be ' Reasonable. PROFITS, AND NOT PRICES, ARE FIXED Whole Foundation of Food Administration Is Based on Co-operation, Says Hoover. By JOHN C. MELLETT, International News Service Staff Correspondent. WASHINGTON, Jan. 3. Herbert C. Hoover, food administrator, wound up his stormy session before the senate manufactures manu-factures subcommittee late today with the declaration that America will have a fail-sugar fail-sugar supply this year, with prices reasonable. rea-sonable. The day was taken up by a sharp running fisht between Hoover and Senator Reed, a chairman of the committee. com-mittee. The question of Cuban, Louisiana beet sugar and Hawaiian sugar prices was threshed out again. Drawing from Hoover the statement that the Louisiana supply of about 1"6,000 tons was contracted for last fall through the food administration as a "protection" for the planters, Senator Sena-tor Ree;l asked what prices sugar otherwise other-wise would have commanded., "Twenty-five or thirty cents a pound," Hoover answered. Reed derided this form of "protection" and Hoover admitted there was a contradiction con-tradiction of terms. "Well, isn't there a contradiction ot fact a.lso?" Reed demanded. Hoover did not reply. Planters' Profits Controlled. Reed then rrlsi to devcloo the point that Louisiana planters, turning clown the price ugrepil on, are now reaping big profits by selling plantation refined, or light brown sugar, at prices just as high as granulated pu;ar prices. Hoover domed do-med this, siating tha t means had been found to control planters' profits. Hoover denied that the administration fixed prices, but admitted that it does fix profits, bringing from Reed the taunt: "Then you get in the room, whether you go through the door or not?'' Hoover did not answer. Then followed a wrangle over the food control bill which governs the food a4-min a4-min 1st rat ion. Reerl asked whet her this bill had been violated tn regard to methods of determining prices not under the na lural la w of supply and demand. Hoover answered that every action of the n dm in ipt ration with i egartl to prices had been taken at the advice of counsel. Bill Not Violated. When Reed insisted the bill did not cover the actions of the ad ni In 1st rati on, Hoover replied: "Ton are making a statement here that Is practically a judicial decision. If there has been a violation of this bill, it is for the courts to decide. I don't concede that for one moment." Hoover went on to point out that no trade. Is so replete with private anil corporate cor-porate quarrels as the wugar trade and that this bitter rivalry has hampered the food administration const a ntly. "We have had an almost overwhelming response, throughout the count rv, however," how-ever," he added, producing a sheaf of telegrams of approval from Mlusouri. Sena tor Reed's home staff. These were read into the record by Senator Jones of New Mexico. Co-operation Foundation. "The whole foundal ion of food a rim I n-istra n-istra t ion," Hoover cont Mined, "is -,i on co-operation f the American people." At this point there was nppl.-uiKo throughout 1 he room and Sena tor I teed rapped for order. Senator Yardaman of Mississippi brought out the fact that Hoover had never voted in the United States. "It was be--a upe of moving about," Hoover said. He. admitted he had hpent most of his lime in England for the last ten years. Sena tor Yards man thn a sked a bout Hoover's staff. " have applied one t-st," Hoove,- npi. pwered. "If a man is willing to nul.(e;t his interest s to h el ping i his -ountrv win the r , ( don't a r e wn a i n j R associations are." '" have nntirrd that imur of th lrgnp interest? hae suffered, though." Yardri-ma Yardri-ma n hm id. "The hny who I'-nvrp a SfO.Ooo position and take? $:;fia nn a soldier i:-n't being protected." Tomorrow )'rn nk ' '. I mry. secretary of the Federal Sugar R'flning companv will testify. |