The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1918-11-29

VI llIt bLNl IiNt
for pork products and with the memt
foreign pork purchases,
The conclusions of the conferenc
The entire marketing situation ha
so changed since the September join
conference as to necessitate an entir
alteration In the plans of price stab
iizadon. The current peace talk ha
alarmed the holders OF corn, and Their
has been a price decline of from .
cents to 40 cents per bushel The fac
that the accommodations Of low price,
corn In the Argentine and South Afri
ca would, upon the advent of peace
and liberated shipping, become avail
able to Che European market has ere
ated great deal OF apprehension on
the part Of corn holders. This decline
has spread fear among swine growers
that Similar reduction In the prices
OF hogs would naturally follow. More
over. the lower range Of corn prices
would, II Incorporated In 1S-to-1 ra-
ito, obviously result In q continuously
calling price for live hogs. In view
of these changed conditions many
swine producers anticipated lower
prices and as result rushed their
hogs to market In la,ge numbers, and
this overshIpment has added to and
.. ,err,ro ~ Tod tho daciina
The information Of the Department
OF Agriculture indicates that the sup
ply of hogs has increased about per
cent. while the highest unofficial estl-
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
seven great markets has been 81 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
mot 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 failure
to maintain the October price basis
determined upon at the September con-
ference and undertaken by the pack
ers. Another factor contributing to
the break in prices during the month
has been the influenza epidemic; II
has sharply curtailed consumption of
pork products and temporarily de-
creased the labor staff Of the packers |
about 25 per cent.
The exports of 130,000,0OO pounds
of pork products for October COM
pared with about 100000 pounds
In October a year ago, and the
export orders placeable by the Food |
Administration for November, amount
to 170,Q00.000 pounds as contrast
ed with the lesser exports of
for November. 1917. The
increased demands Of the allies are
continuing, and are In themselves
proof of the necessity for the large
production for which the Food Admin
asked The Increase in ex.
port demands appears to he amply |
sufficient to take up the Increase In +
hog production, but unfavorahle mar
ket, conditions existing in October az
ford no fair index of the aggregate
supply and demand.
1T must be evident that the enor-
nous shortage in fats in The Central |,
Empires and neutral countries would
Immediately upon peace result In adj
ditional demands for pork products
which, on top of the heavy shipments
to the Allies, would tend materially
to Increase the American exports, in
asmuch as. no considerable reservoir of
supplies exists outside of the United
States II seems probable thar the
present prospective supplies would be
TO meet this world demand
with the return to peace So far as 1t
s possible TO interpret this fact. Il APP
pears that there should he even
stronger demand for pork products
Utter the war, and therefore any alarm
IF hog producers as to the effect of {
peace is unwarranted by the outlook.
n the light of these circumstances
I Is the conclusion Of the conference ,
nat attempts to hold the price of hogs {
o the price Of corn may work out to {
ne disadvantage of pork producers Z
I IL the conclusion that any interpre-
alton of the formula should be a {
road gagged policy applied over a b
ong period It Is the opinion of the G
difference that in substitution OF the e
revious plans Of sterilization the
i've STOCK Subcommittee Of the Agri- n
uItural Advisory Board, together with a
Ne specially invited swine representa- 8
yes, should accept the invitation OF e
q Food Administration to join with b
le Administration. and the packers in 2
,termining the prices at which con- Il
oiled export orders are to be placed. p
his viii be regularly done. The in t
renee Of these orders will be directed s
the maintenance of the common OBJ
ct-nameIy. the sterilization OF the +
ice Of live hogs 80 a. to secure AZ lar 4
A L. roaalbia fair rofurna 10 the h