, 1879-04-14
PORK.


PORK.
IT. Cost, md Present Prices.
n thu Editor a. The 7'ribtre.
DRlRTot, ILL.,, April 9.-fn your weekly edition
of April ! notite an article Oh pork-packng Of
the past winter compared With prdylons seasons,
prices Of pork for several yenrs past, our ck-
ports, 10 whnt countries sent, ctc, IL taken from
the PriceCurrna Of CINCINNATI. which aays:
The past your has largely exceeded any prevfous
ono IN tho number Of hogs packed In the West.
Of tbe most Rerious financial ,osses for some years
on tho pnrt Of 8 connderable portion Of the pack
en @ ~ 5 ~ o.ay sy Sssnts. "'
iii saa to say ti'st 1 no othor fins ot aericuifa
production of hogs during ihe past f.o years, in
sections where l.utls ars cheap, and corn aus
epns o. einre The ton a. x
Nor. l, 1878, reached 1,uh7. In. 200 pounds. or
pr cont more than tho prcvlons year, aud equal
number Of hogs packed In the West dnring ,hs
patlod was Q, S93, 4S0, aqntntt z, B44 42S during
tue .,p ptcesa!ng t,s twelve months-an increase Of
The compiler Of that article says: "While tic
packers Werc prosecuting au Improbable husl-
ness tho producers OF hogs wore reapEng har-
vest in the past i've ycars"; md, In the Bum-
mIng-up, gives the average price Of hogs the
past winter at "$3.W per hundred lbs. not, or
s2,85 gross.n "Tto average net, oultttipg tho
years 846 to '60-'70, Inclusive. for twenty y-Dine
years, WIS 4G49, or S4.8t gross."
The amount OF pork III the laat year raised
and marketed seems to Be largo quantity, and
certainly Is, hut not greater. than thu Increased
demand called for, and which might have been
OF grcatcE valua to the producers, packers, md
consumers too II tho prices OF list year had
been maintained, as tho producers would hive
been abba to bare purchased fur greater amounts
Of foreign manufactures.
ghe farmers cannot produce pork at eueh
rates as the pnst wnter,-an average Of S2.83
gross. a writer IN thv Ivts!t'7' RarSt 3, sums up
ree t i's sare R1fsh hs s ID Y rood % paatuts
eafelr estimated TINT bushel Of corn will
produce ten pounds Of pork, or thirty
nusnels to produce 8o0..pou'id hog, which
or as te rapoa depot 5 % or I ssughscrloase iof
$D.00 This would bu Just 90 cents bushcl Tor
the corn, hut nothing fur the pasture in stint
mer, years care aud feeding, nor any consIngcn-
clos for tie loss of part Of Gach 10 herd 81 hogs"
tho fairest sitlo OF inc matter. With ordinary
care, ntld without tho aid Of good pnsturc, zach
busllol Of corn fed to logB Will >oftcner produce
onlIy five pounds Of pork than 4 VII mo5en u;
That writer's experience colncldea with that
Of thousands who have cndeavored to tathom
tic cost Of pork. Your correspondents, havlng
had considerable oxpcrienco tn lts fartninE op-
erations Of twentY-thrce ycnrs, Is very similar.
prices tooycr. production Tths, believe, Is not
tl.e fact; but Tint those to whom We ae1i and
these who consume arc desiring to obtain their
| food.prodlcts ut the lowest coat 70 them. re-
gardlcss Ut how II nay even attect tho prices Of
other things which they manufacture and sell.
A M1Ivo uii1 let live polcyn Ii absolutely csscn-
tial to healthy condition, Of things, md should
bo kept ever In view b. oil pcrsous, iu all ayoca-
| tlons.
Tie TR1nuNE will coincide with US, we think,
| In tho assertion that the far1nerh must receive
mora for their productions. to have oil thu other
| avoeations md tradc6mon prosper,- making tlla
farmers, who arc more than bali tic Inhabitants
of this country, greater consumes of thc
articles made for their necessities al.d daily nnd
constant use, as we'll 81 consumers Of much TINT
| IL out OF the question now, called luxuries nnd
yast number Of persons aud employ great
| amount Of cnptal.
! This uuuslion is vital ono to oil people In
| this country a,sd those Of whom VIC purchase
our Imports; md We thinli that thn cntIro press
of this country cannot do bottur thing for
their patrons tl,an to heartily advocate tho nd
vanconent Of tho pr1coa OF fafm-producta TIL
they shall be equal ~ thoso OF TINT ttne when
tons, and individuals, Including farmers, waa
eoHla'.SSs Tha Enhancement OF farm.proaucts to an
equilibrium with the cost Of sending to market
| VIII NltEflAke tuAt!J u tAle H11* t418 Peopt Ats
complaining Of.
Equality Of prices Of everything, even at very
low or lower rates ttau now for dry goods and
fornl-products, would, be admissible Il the peo'
ca,llot eyer cxtrtcate themselves at tho present
! ruling pricea for farm.producss. 1hera never
hus been any need OF the prices golng 30 lor,
| causing tlls almost 1nuutnara1le failures
| throughout this country and Europe, had
those who llayo had the shaping Of thu
prices taken into nccount tlls elect 1t would
| haye to cut Of one-half 70 tfree-fourths of the
| money from circulation mud the purchasing
power OF labor, ...
Ii TIN CHIoA6o TRIBUNE and otlter leading
newspapers will but give such support to these
views Of prcca aa na1 eexiRencles Of the cast
seem to require, they Will add vastiy to thci'
tire press shall aid on tl.s work, It will not be
long betorn q batter market will b bad for all
things produced, and ths peop!e Will be IN the
enjoyment of bottar tlmas. j. NJ. CALI.