Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-10-05
PRICE OF HOGS APPROVED
. by FOOD ADMINISTRATION
Herbert Hoover Adopts Rccommen
dation of Henry g. Stuart's
Committee.
FIGURE is $3.50 PER HUNDRED
Justice to Farmer and Stimulation
OF Production End to BE Achieved.
Work of Advisory Body Is Highly
Commended.
Especial to The Timcs-Dlspatch.

iSPcciai 10 l lie I1nlcS- D1Spatch.1
WASHINGTON. October 4-Herbert
Hoover United States food administra-
tor, in letter to former Governor
Henry Henry, {. Stuart. chairman Of the Agri-
cultural Advisory (price-tiXiny> Com
mitlee, approves the price of $3.50 per
! hundrcdweight for hogs, which the Ad-
rlsory Committee recommend that the
tood administration seek to maintain.
! The letter is as follows:
Dear Governor Stuart:
am extremely obliged for the help
ful and intelligent recommendations of
the committee. | wish to say for the
food administration that, so tar as we
are able, we will continue the assur-
ance OF q minimum sl5.5o per 100 for
io- hogs narrowed this fall We can
reconsider the outlook in "a few months
as to the extension of this again TO
lie doubt that we will be able to con-
tinue. do want 1t made clear in all
these matters of price influence by the
government that this is not a guar
antee; IL is policy, and this policy
VIII only be defeated by some unlock
editor interruption in distribution,
transportation or consumption Il risk
OF VAR we must all take.
Tine criticism has been made that
III changing the formula from cost of
corn TO pc led TO the hogs to the farm
country stations has the effect Of an
advance to the farmer, as it realizes
tc him the profit on corn production as
well as the profit between the normal
amount of corn fed TO hogs and the
higher ratio here adopted and that
the calculation of hogs at Chicago only
partly compensatcs this. l am not,
however, disposed TO quarrel with just
profits to the farmer, and in any event.
the application of such formulas must
be rough and ready and designed to at
tain their real end: justice and the
stimulation of production.
The food administration has sys-
tematfc independent information on the
actual prices paid for corn at coun
try stations through it's cereal division,
and we must necessarily use this in
formation in conjunction with informa-
ton collected by The Department OF
Agriculture.
SIX STATES IN EVERY
BASIS OF CALCULATION
I'VE have carried out an inquiry as
to which really are the eight leading
hog and corn producing States for
basis OF these calculations. we exam
!ncd the question from various stand
points: production of both items upon
Il square mile basis: upon per capita
basis of populations: upon simple State
production and for different years: I'm
der these tests. Iowa, Illinois, lndiana,
Ohio, Nebraska and Missouri. six states.
fall into every basis OF calculation. Or
The others IL is difficult TO decide. From
kota, Texas. Tennessee, all enter for
the other two. In fact, the committee
was referring TO the corn belt of
which Texas lies outside and only mas
place here by sheer size. From Narl-
Gus aspects it appears TO me that every
one would agree that South Dakota
and Minnesota more nearly conform TO
the committees definition than any
other, especially If we weigh the rel
a,ivc factors. ! have, therefore, adopt
ed these States.
"ln accordance with the committees
rccomm cndation, we will issue instruc-
tons TO the packing firms, about nifty
in number, who participate in con-
trolled orders. affecting so far as these
orders will go the sterilization OF price
on these lines. ,
You will recognize that this should
be effective as long as the controlled
fall short Of this il Will be necessary
to rely upon the packers carrying In
stock any surplus rendins absorption
consumption.
This was accomplished last winter
the minimum was prevented.
(signcdD "mERBERT HOOVER"
RECOMMENDATIONS Oh"
me agricultural advisory boards
rec.. :me II da tons were embodied in a
report of a special subcommittee made
public last Thursday. The report was
In part as follows:
The prices so far as we can effect
them will not go below ii minimum OF
about $3.50 per hundrcdweight for the
average of packers droves on tho Chi
cago market until further notice.
AS to the hogs narrowed next spring
I91S), we will try to stabilize the
price so that the farmer can count on
getting for each 90 pounds of hog
ready for market, thirteen times the
average cos. per bushel Of corn fed
into tho hogs. Let there be no mis-
understanding of this statement. 1T
is not II guarantee backed by money.
II is not "a promise by the packers. 1t
Is a statement OF the intention and
policy OF the food administrations.
which means TO do justice TO the
farmer"
W0IlI D RESTORE PR0NlMcEs