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Show 'EXPLANATION ON 4 SUGAR SHORTAGE GIVEN BY THE OPA Recently the Springville War Price and Rationing Board received re-ceived an unsigned letter asking why the housewife could not have jams and canning fresh fruits and the sugar she needed for making vegetables. The O. P. A. answered this letter by a direct explanation through the Herald as follows: "Sugar has gone to war. The Army alone is taking approximately approxi-mately 25 per cent of the United States' total supply. Furthermore, shipments from Cuba and Puerto Rico are going to be greatly reduced re-duced during the current season. Imports last year decreased nearly near-ly 500,000 tons as compared with normal times and domestic production pro-duction declined another 500,000 tons. To make matters worse, industry in-dustry in 1944 had to have a million mil-lion tons of sugar for the manufacture manu-facture of synthetic rubber, explosives ex-plosives and other munitions. With these shortages, with new burdens placed on the United States' dwindling supply, only one action would meet the crisis. To the OPA fell the unpleasant task of reducing reduc-ing the civilian's allotment of canning can-ning sugar to 15 pounds for the season of 1945. "The person protesting OPA's action to the Springville board objects ob-jects to canneries receiving a share of sugar. Probably, the complainant com-plainant forgot that the boys in the fox holes fighting the battles of the United States depend for their main food supply on meats, fruits and vegetables processed in canneries. We do not believe that this1 person would want to deprive men and women of the armed services of the canned goods that they need to maintain their health and carry on the defense of their homeland. Nor is it likely that this person would want to deprive Utah of the employment and revenue rev-enue derived from its canning industry. in-dustry. "Believe me, OPA does not like the reduction in sugar rations any better than the consumer. The reduction has been caused by critical crit-ical shortage. Only by restrictive action could the people of America be saved from real deprivation and hardship." Sincerely yours, GAIL MARTIN District Informative Executive. |