Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-11-21

convened in Washington Il meeting o
Agricultural Advisory Board and the 5
industry TO consider the situation in I'll
The conference lasted for three d.
executive committee of the fifty packil
for pork products and with the menlDe
foreign pork purchases.
The conclusions Of the conference
The entire marketing situation mas
SO changed since the September JOINT
conference rs 70 necessitate an entire
alteration in the plans of price stabi-
lization. The current peace talk mas
alarmed the holders of corn, and there
has been a price decline OF from >
cents to 10 cents per bushel. The faci
that the accumUlations of low priced
corn In the Argentine and South Airi-
ca would, upon the advent OF peace
and liberated shipping. become avaiia-
Bile to the European market has Gre
ated a great deal of apprehension on
the part of corn holders. This decline
has spread fear among swine growers
that n similar reduction in the prices
of hogs would naturally follow. More.
over, the lower range of corn prices
would, II Incorporated in d l3-to-l ra-
ito, obviously result in Il continuously
falling price for live hogs. In view
of these changed conditions many
swine producers anticipated lower
prices and rs Il result rushed their
hogs to market in large numbers, and
this overshipment has added to and
aggravated the decline.
The information Of the Department
of Agriculture indicates that the sup
ply of hogs has increased about s per
cent, while the highest unofficial esti-
mate does not exceed Is per cent. ill.,
creased production over last year. On
the other hand, the arrival Of hogs
during the last three weeks in the
seven great markets has been u 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 last
month. On the other hand, many
of the packers have paid over the
price offered to them in an endeavor
to maintain the agreed price. The re-
suit in any event has been q failure
to maintain the October price basis
determined upon at the September con-
terence and undertaken by the pack
ers. Another factor contributing To
the break in prices during the month
has been the influenza epidemic: it
has sharply curtailed consumption OF
pork products and temporarily de.
creased the labor staff of the packers
about 25 per cent.
The exports of 130,O0o,000 pounds
of pork products for October com
pared with about J2,00U,o0O pounds
in October a year ago, ana The
export orders placeablc by the Foot
Administration for November, amount
to 170,00o,0W pounds as contrast
ed with the lesser exports o
100000 for November, 1917. The
increased demands Of the allies arr
continuing, and are In theInselve'
proof of the necessity for the larg'
production for which the Food Admin
istration asked. The increase In OK
port demands appears to be ampl.
sufficient to take up the increase II
hog production, but u~nfavorable maj
ket conditions existing in October al
ford no fair index Of the aggregate
supply and demand.
1t must be evident that the emo
mous shortage in fats in the Cehifi
Empires ard neutral countries W0uI
Immediately upon peace result IN az
ditional demands for pork product
which, on top Of the heavy shipment
to the Allies, would tend material
to increase the American exports. II
asmuch rs no considerable reservoir {
supplies exists outside of the Unite
States. 1t seems probable that II
present prospective supplies would !
Inadequate to meet this world demar
with the return to peace. so far as
Is possible to interpret this fact, 1t a.
pears that there should he even
stronger demand for pork produc
after the war, and therefore any Id
Of hog prUlucers IS to the effect
peace is un warranted by the outlook
In the Fight Of these circumstanc
II Is the conclusion of the conferen'
that attempts to hold the price Of hoi
to the ,Iricc Of corn may work out
the dt advantage Of pork producer
1t is t'ne conclusion that any interpr
tNtion OF the formula should be
broafl gauged policy applied over
long. period. 1t is the opinion Of d
cor ference that In substitution Of (
pr ev ious plans Of sterilization I
Live Stock Subcommittee Of the Az
cult iral Advisory Board, together wi
the specially invited swine represenI
tivas, should accept the Invitation
the Food Administration to join wi
the Administration and the packers
de te, mining tho prices Mt which &
tr Oiled export orders nrc to be place