East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-01-26

coast packers secured large percent
age OF their swine needs from the
Missouri river section. The market
there was made by Chicago. They
were compelled to charge Chicago
prices for provisions because the hogs
cost them as much to bring here as
the eastern basis
Could Control the Trade.
Now with ample supplies of hogs
for every retirement and with much
more to be marketed in the near fu-
ture. 1t behooves packers themselves
to break loose from the old methods
of quoting and establishing an inde-
pendent price system on the coast.
1t js now an urgent case Of neces.
sity to secure more Of the provisions
business Of the coast. The natural
growth Of the trade is not sufficient
to take care Of the greater number OF
hogs that are being produced. With
out an additional volume OF business
packers will not be able to take care
of the hogs that are TO be offered
them by Pacific northwest growers.
The latter will suffer from the lack
OF competition for supplies and the
finely developed business-for which
much credit Is due packers themselves
will go to decay. Packers, and es-
pecially the Swift interests, have spent
many thousands of dollars in educat.
ing the farmers OF the Pacific north
west to grow more and better hogs
and from financial standpoint they
cannot afford to allow any lack of in
terest in the industry.
Charging Chicago prices for hams
bacon and lard and then adding the
freight from there, is a condition that
belongs to the past, when hog raisers
of the Pacific northwest were conspic-
uous by their absence. There is no
need for eastern packing interests
represented here to quit the business
either. There is now room for several
more modern packing plants of good
size at Pacific northwest points, and
especially at Portland. Bringing pro-
visions from Chicago is no longer a
necessity, 1T is a waste of money when
there Is plenty of the home product
of equal guilty to fill all wants of con-
sumers.
The hog market was under pressure
all week at North Portland. While
prices for tops showed little change
from the preceding week, still there
was little inclination among killers to
purchase offerings. While occasional
small lots of something extra select
sold for a nickel or a dime more the
general price for tops hovered around
the IS mark during the week. This
was lower than any of the leading
swine markets of the country were
quoting, a condition due entirely to
the fact that hog offerings here were
larger than packers could take caro-
OF with their present volume of busi-
ness. Had there been no importations
oi eastern provisions there is no doubt
that hog prices would have been bet
ter
General hog market range:
Top killers .SS.0O ~ S.OS
Good and light .......... 1876 q 500
Heav OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 1855 a 1.90
Rough and heavy ....... 6.75d 100
Cattle Market Rules Weak.
Only weakness was shown for cat
tie in the North Portland yards dur
ing the week The trade here was
extremely bearish. this condition being
continuation OF the feeling shown
last week and due to the recent rather
liberal importations of Canadian cat
tie by Puget sound interests.
While there was very small run
Of cattle in the local yards compared
with what has been shown during re-
cent weeks, there was no snap to the
trade at any time during the six days.
Practically all of the leading killers
| have surplus of cattle which they
are feeding on high priced stuff in
nearby feed lots. Naturally they are
not inclined to add to this surplus.
There is every promise of very
heavy run of cattle in the local yards
during the coming week and the gen.
eral expectations of the trade are for
a continuation of the present weak
ness.
General cattle market: