Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1915-12-23
MARKET PRICE OF HOGS IS Down
But HAM AND BACON STILL Up

cents a pound and showed the top
price of hogs for last week to have
been 6 cents. Suppose in order to
proper basis for the price of hogs
we do a little comparing. Perhaps it
would be better to submit the Reporter
and Stock Record some simple problems
in proportion. Let them sharpen their
pencils and answer these:
If bacon could be sold for cents at
profit when hogs were 4 cents and
corn 80 cents, how much more profit is
there in 30-cent bacon when hogs are
6 cents and corn one dollars Again,
how much better off is the producer
who feeds one dollar corn and sells his
hogs at cents than the producer who
fed~his hogs 80 cent corn and sold
them at A cents9 Again, if 30-cent
corn and 9-cent bacon justified a price
of four cents to the producer what
ought he to receive when corn is one
dollar and bacon 80 centsa If the
Signals mathematical conclusions are
correct, and the writer education has
not been in vain, the answer must be
that if the price of feed has gone up
800 per cent, or from 80 cents to one
dollar bushel, and the price of bacon
has gone up 800 per cent, or from 9 or
10 cents a pound to 2S and 80 cents a
pound, then corresponding advance of
800 percent should be made in the
price of hogs, and they ought to be
bringing exactly IL cents a pound on
the Portland market. Instead Of that
the top price quoted is cents, gain
of only so per cent over "the good old
times,' while the packers received an
advance of 800 per cent of the finished
product.
But, this is not all. AS a matter OF
fact the producers are not receiving Z
cents. That is the top price quoted at
Portland, and the price at Weiser is
cents. The producer must deliver his
hogs at Portland to get the cents
and as that is the top of the market
he is more likely to get 5h cents
Again, the price of bacon quoted IL
this article is the Portland price, ant
the consumer must pay that price plu
the freight back to Weiser and plus tn
retailers profit. Then it will be seel
that the packers receive the hogs at
cents while the former pays the freight
and the packers sell their bacon at 3
cents and the consumer in Weiser an
vicinity pay the return freight.
In "the good old times" when W
had local butchers who bougrt, kille
and marketed their own product, wit
half the knowledge possessed by tn
packer of how to utilize every part O
the hog, and with poorer facilities fo
making money, the standard of valu
for dressed meat was twice the pric
live weight. If four cents was pal
for hog the butcher was content
l he averaged cents for the dresse
. meat. The packers, however, are COZ
. tent with, nothing less than three {
: four times as much.
!, In the face of these well known ar
indisputable facts it strikes the Sign
that the stock yards and packing hou
organ would better be content Wi
drawing the pay from their benefacto
without attempting to argue matt
where it is patent there is no room
: argument. Twenty-six head of hoi
'o were sold on a farm close to Weis
% last week for exactly 4 cents pound
- it would seem "the good old times
have returned for the producer, but
70 grand larcenists in charge of the pac
y ing houses are not willing that the CO
= sumer shall have any of the benefit
" them.