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Show Hoover said, "an examination was made of the Cf.sts and profits of refilling refill-ing and It was finally determined that the spread between the cost of ruw and the sale of reflnetf cane sugar 8hould be limited to $1.30 per hundred pounds. The pre-war differential hn! averaged about 85 cents and uereased costs were found to have been Imposed Impos-ed by the war In Increased cost of refining, re-fining, losses, cost of bags, labor, insurance, insur-ance, interest and other things, rather more than cover the difference. After j prolonged negotiations the refiners AMERICAN SUGAR SENTJOJRANCE American Price Rigidly Regulated by United States Food Administration. CONSUMERS HERE PAY 9c were placed under agreement establishing estab-lishing these limits on October 1, and anything over this amount to be agreed extortionate under the law. "In the course of these Investigations Investiga-tions it was found by canvass, of the Cubnn producers that their sugar had, during the first nine months of the past year, Bold for an average of about $4.24 per hundred f. o. b. Cuba, to which duty and freight added to the refiners' cost amount to about $5.68 per hundred. The average sale price of grnnulnted bv various mAnnrim no. 1 " V Sugar Cost 35 Cents a Pound During Civil War fteflners Profits Now Curtailed. Sugar U selling today throughout America at from 8ft to 9 cents a pound to the consumer, even though there Is a world shortage which has reduced this nation's sugar allotment to 70 per cent of normal. cording to our Investigation, was about $7.50 per hundred, or a differential of $1.84. "In reducing the differential to $1.30 there was a saving to the public of 54 cents per hundred. Ilnd such a differential dif-ferential been In use from the 1st of January, 1917. the puhllc would have saved In the first nine months of the year about $24 son 000." Next Year. With a view to more efficient organization organ-ization of the trade in Imported sugars next year two committees have been formed by the food administration : 1. A committee comprising representatives repre-sentatives of all of the elements of American cane refining groups. The principal duty of this committee Is to Through the efforts of the United States food administration the sugar market has been regulated as far as the producer, refiner and wholesaler la concerned. The food administration has no power to regulute 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 8ft cents. He should sell this sugar at 8 to 9 cents, the food administration believes, and asks the American housewife to pay no more than this amount. Last August when the food administration admin-istration was organized the price of sugar rose suddenly to 11 cents a pound. During the Civil War sugar divide the sugar imports pro rntu to their various capacities nnd see that absolute Justice Is tiune to every re-finer. re-finer. 2. A committee comprising throe representatives rep-resentatives of the English, French and Italian governments ; two representatives repre-sentatives of the Amerlcun refiners, with a member of the food administration. administra-tion. Only two of the committee have I arrived from Europe, but they represent repre-sent the allied governments. The duties du-ties of this committee are to determine 1 the most economical sources from a transport point of view of all the al- I lies to arrange transport at uniform B rates, to distribute the foreign sugar I between the United States and allies, subject to the approval of the Ameri- cost the consumer. 35 cents a pound. By regulation of the sugar market and reducing the price to 8V4 and 9 cents and keeping It from advancing to 20 cents the food administration has saved sav-ed the American public at least $180,-000.000 $180,-000.000 in four months, according to a statement made by Herbert Hoover ;he other day. "It is our stern duty to feed the allies, al-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 j ships to remote markets for It If we ; In our greed and gluttony force them : plther to further reduce their ration I or to send these shins wp will imvo can, English, French and Italian gov-ernments. gov-ernments. This committee, while holding strong views as to the price to be paid for Cuban sugar, has not had the final voice. This voice hug rested in the governments concerned, together with the Cuban government, and I wish to state emphatically that all of the gentlemen gen-tlemen concerned as good commercial men have endeavored with the utmost patience and skill to secure a lower price, and their persistence has reduced re-duced Cuban demands by 15 cents i r I hundred. The price agreed upon Is about $4.00 per hundred pounds, f. o. b. Cuba, or equal to about $6 duty paid done damage to our abilities to win this wor. "If we tend the ships to Java for 250.0C0 tons ft sunar next year we will have necessitated the employment em-ployment of eleven extra ships for one year. These ships If used In transporting troopswould take 150,000 to 200,000 men to France." Reason for World Shortage. As Mr. Hoover pointed out, the United States, 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, tne West Indies and the East Indies. Gentian sugar Is no longer available, New York. "This price should eventuate," Mr. Hoover said, "to about $7.30 per hundred for refined sugar from the refiner at seaboard points or should place sugar In the hands of the consumer at from ty2 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 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 purt of these savings goes to the Cubap, Hawaiian, Porto Rican and Lousiaulun 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 1917. It Is said In effect us It Is used entirely In Gennnny, which also absorbs sugar of surrounding surround-ing countries. England can no longer buy 1,400,000 long tons of sugar each year from Germany. The French sugar production produc-tion hns dropped from 750,000 to 210,-000 210,-000 tons. 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 1,025,000 tons annually to maintain their normal consumption. Because of the world's shipping shortage the allied nations started drawing on the AVest Indies for sugar; Enst' Indian sugar took three times the number of ships, 'since the distance dis-tance was three times as great Suddenly Sud-denly the west was called on to furnish 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 became be-came acute. 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 Droflt of at "In spite of these shipments," Mr. Hoover slated 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 government govern-ment reduced their household ration to 13 2-10 pounds a year, or a bit over 1 pound of sugnr a month. Even this meagre ration could not be filled by the French government It was found early In the full. America was then asked for 100,000 tons of sugar and succeeded In sending 85,000 tons by December 1. The French request was grnn'pd because the American household house-hold consumption was then at least 55 pounds per person, and It wns considered consid-ered the duty of mnlnralnlng the French morale made our course clear." Today the sugar situation may be summarized by stating that If least a cent per pound was necessury In order to -maintain and stimulate production or that a minimum price of $1.37 was necessaj-y, and even this would stifle some producers. "The price ultimately agreed was 23 cents above these figures, or about one-fifth one-fifth of a cent per pound to the American Ameri-can consumer, and more thnn this amount has been saved by our reduction reduc-tion in refiners' profits. If we wish to stifle production in Cuba we could take that course Just at the time of all times in our history when we want production for ourselves and the allies. al-lies. Further thnn that, the state department 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 one of human Justice. This great country hns no right by the might of its position to strangle Cuba. "Therefore there Is no Imposition upon the American public. Charges have been mude before this committee commit-tee that Mr. Itolph endeavored to ben-. ben-. eflt the California refinery of which he was manager by this 84 cent increase In Cuban price. Mr. Itolph did not fix the price. It does raise the price t the Hawaiian farmer about tha. amount. It does not raise the profit of the California refinery, becaiine thir ehnrge for refining Is. like all othr refiners, re-finers, limited to $t.,10 r hundred pounds, plus the freight differential on the "utnMNhed custom of the trade. "Mr. lu.iph hns not one penny of ln-Ureai ln-Ureai ui iLui rtunery," America will reduce Its sugar consumption con-sumption 10 to 13 per cent this nation will be able to send 200,000 more soldiers to Trance. Sugar today sells at seaboard refineries re-fineries at $7.?5 a hundred pounds. The wholesale grocer has agreed to limit his profit to 25 cents a hundred plus freight, nnd the retail grocer Is supposed to tnke no more thnn 50 cents a hundred pounds profit. This regulation regu-lation was made by tho food administration, adminis-tration, which now asks the housewife to reduce sugar consumption ns much as possible, using other sweeteners, afid also reminds her that she should pay no more than 9 cents a pound for sugar. Control of Cane Refiners' Profits. "Immediately upon the establlsh-I establlsh-I uient of the food administration," .Mr. |