The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1918-12-28

foreign pork purchases.
The conclusions Of the conference
The entire marketing situation mas
DO changed since the September joint
az to necessitate an entire
alteration in the plans Of price stapi'
lization. The current peace talk has
alarmed the holders of corn, and there
has been a price decline OF from 20
cents to 40 cents per bushel. The fact
that the accumulations OF low priced
corn in the Argentine and South ATT
ca would, upon the advent OF peace
and liberated shipping. become avail
able to the European market has ere
ated a great deal of apprehension on
the part of corn holders. This decline
has spread fear among swine growers
that a similar reduction In the prices
of hogs would naturally follow. More
over, the lower range OF corn prices
would. II incorporated In q 13-to-l ra-
Ito, obviously result in . continuously
falling price for. live hogs In view
of these changed conditions many
swine producers anticipated lower
prices and a. a result rushed their
hogs to market In large numbers ano
this overshlpment has added to ana
aggravated the saeelsnas 4@asi's4s-
The information of the Department
n Agriculture indicates that the sup
ply of hogs has increased about per
cent. while the highest unonacial esti-
mate does not exceed Is per cent In
creased production over last year. on
the other hand, the arrival OF hogs
during the last three weeks In the
sewn great markets has been n per
cent more than last year. during the
corresponding period. demonstrating
the unusually heavy marketing OF the
available supply. In the face OF the
excessive receipts some packers have
not maintained the price agreed ias'
month. On the other hand, many
Of the packers have paid over the
price offered to them In an endeavo'
to maintain the agreed price. The ~
suit 10 any event has been a failure
TO maintain the October price basis
determined upon at the September con
Serence and undertaken by the PACK
era Another factor contributing t.
the break In prices during the mcnti
has been the influenza epidemic; Y
has sharply curtailed consumption o
pork products and temporarily dc
creased the labor staff Of the packer
about 25 per cent
The exports Of 100000 pound
of pork products for October com
pared with about 100000 pound
in October year ago, and tn
export orders placcable BY the Foo
Administration for November, amour
TO 170,OOO.000 pounds a. contrast
ed with the lesser exports Q
$4,000 900 for November. 1917. In
increased demands Of the allies ~
continuing, and are IN themselve
proof Of the necessity for the lars
production for which the Food Admin
istratiou asked. The increase In e,
port demands appears to be ampl
suffjcient to take mp the Increase
hog production, but unfavorable ma
ket conditions existing In October q
ford no fair index Of the aggrega'
supply and demand.
II must Do evident that the emo
NOUS shortage In fats In the Centr
Empires and neutral countries wou
Immediately upon peace result IN
ditional demands for pork produc
which. on top Of the heavy shipmen
TO the Allies, would tend material
To increase the American exports, !
,asmuch a. no considerable reservoir
supplies exists outside OF the Unit
states II seems probable that Z
present prospective supplies would
Inadequate to meet this world DENIAL
with the return to peace. So far -
\. posstbls to interpret this fact, 1t
pears that there should be even
stronger demand for pork produt
after the war, and therefore any alal
of hog producers as to the erect
ne.ce IA unwarranted by the outlook
In the light of these circumstant
II is the conclusion Of the conferer
that attempts to hold the price OF nc
to the price Of corn may work out
the disadvantage Of pork produce
II IL the conclusion that any interp
tat,op of the formula should be
broad gagged policy applied over
long period. 1t 10 the opinion OF
conference that In substitution OF
.,.axinns .nlans. ..of atAhiltxAfl2n-