Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-03-06
MONEY IN PORK.
Concentrated Action for Establishment of
Packing House at Portland Needed.

1
Portland, March A. After raising,
fattening, shipping and selling hogs for
a longer time, perhaps, than any other
man in the Pacific Northwest, Ed. E.
Kiddle, banker and mill man of Island
City, Or, is of the opinion that wheat
fed to porkers yields 80 cents per
bushel, and that Portland, if properly
supplied with meat packing establish.
ments, would be the trade center of the
Pacific coast. Mr.. Kiddle said:
''It would take time to bring about
the condition of affairs that would
make Washington and Oregon leaders
in the pork industry, but if properly
gone about it can be accomplished.
1.-The thing is in rather a chaotic
state at present. The man with sufi-
cient capital looks over the field and
gays that he cannot afford to invest
his money because there is not sufi-
cient quantity of pork produced to
warrant it. i
| son the other hand, the farmer has
his share of these troubles. He com.
plains that as there are no packing
plants he cannot afford to devote time
and energy toward growing hogs
There is no market for them"
"The proper way to bring about such
market would be for those having
sufficient capital to put in the plant to
make tour or send out letters to farm
ers, thus ascertaining just how many
hogs would be produced in the event
the establishment was put into rum
ming order. This would afford sufi-
cient basis for each side to build upon.
The farmer would have market guar
anteed and the packer would have a
promise of sufficient pork to keep his
! factory running. -:
81 have been in the business long
kenough to know that there is good profit
in it for the farmer. I have fed hogs
on everything that will fatten them and
have kept accurate account of the re-
turns brought through this means. 1
know these figures to be correct
Mr.. Kiddle then showed that when
wheat was worth go cents per bushel
and therefore l cent per pound, it
would yield returns of approximately
80 cents per bushel when fed to hogs.
"The pork market is seldom if ever
less than cents per pound" said Mr..
Kiddle, 'tand four pounds of wheat will
make one pound of pork. If cents
worth of wheat make a pound of pork
worth cents, then there is an advance
of 2 cents on 4, which carried out pro-
portionately means 90cents per bushel."
When Washington and Oregon farm
ers are talked to of 9O-cent wheat they
laugh, and if they get so cents for their
crops they consider themselves very
fortunate. But, according to Mr.. Kid.
die, it is possible for them to secure
that price at all times.
washington and Oregon are better,
so far as general conditions are con.
cerned, for hog-growipg than any other
sections of the Union,' he said, sand
it will take meat packing establish
ment at Portland to bring this fact into
due prominence. Last fall I shipped
700 head of hogs East. The pork de-
rived from them is now coming back to
the Pacific coast states in bacon and
hams. This is not right. We should
be self supporting along this line at
least"
Askedsif hogs could be fattened on
Northwest stubble, Mr.. Kiddle said:
'I do not think SO. Hogs can be
turned loose ON stubble and will get
their growth without being fed, but
when it comes to preparing them for
market they must be fed on wheat.
The fence problem is serious one in
this country. Few farmers have hog
proof fences, but these could be pro-
vided and would be in the event a
packing house was assured"
Mr.. Riddle does not believe the
Northwest has any great future in beef
raising, the proper food for beef fatten-
| ing being cheaper in the Middle West