Connecticut western news., 1918-11-14

fer pork products and with the member
foreign pork purchases.
The conclusions OF the conference
The entire marketing situation mas
90 changed since the September Joint
conference as to necessitate an entre
alteration In the plans OF price staol-
lization. The current peace talk mas
alarmed the holders Of corn, and there
has been a price decline of from 20
cents to 40 cents per bushel. The ract
that the accumulations Of low prlced
corn In the Argentine and South Afri-
ca would, upon the advent OF peace
and liberated shipping, become aValia-
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 similar reduction in the prices
of hogs would naturally follow. More
over. the lower range of corn prices
would, if incorporated in 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 as a result rushed their
hogs to market in large numbers ana
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 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 ~ per
cent. more than last year, during the
corresponding period, demonstrating
the unusually heavy marketing OF the
available supply. In the face or the
! excessive receipts some packers nave
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 endeevor
to maintain the agreed price. The re
suit In any event has been a failure
to maintain the October price basis
determined upon at the September con
| ference and undertaken by the pack
ers. Another factor contributing tt
the break in prices during the month
has been the influenza epidemic; Il
has sharply curtailed consumption Of
pork products and temporarily de
creased the labor staff of the packers
about % per cent.
The exports of 100000 pounds
of pork products for October com
nared with about 100000 pounds
in October a year ago, anu Ih
export orders placeable by the Foo'
Administration for November, amour
to 17O,OOO,OOO pounds as contrast
ed with the lesser exports o
9S.OOOOOO for November, 1917. In
Increased demands Of the allies ar
continuing, and are In themseiVe
proof of the necessity for the larg
production for which the Food Admin
istration asked The increase In ex
mort demands appears to be ampl
sufficient to take up the increase
hog production, but unfavoraDle maj
ket conditions existing in OCTOBER al
ford no fair index of the aggregat
: supply and demand.
It must be evident that the emo
! mons shortage in fats in the Centrt
Empires and neutral countries woul
Immediately upon peace result IN az
FOR narE DrO0uC1
which, on top of the heavy shlpmenl
TO the Allies, would tend materlall
TO increase the American exports II
asmuch as no considerable reservoir
supplies exists outside of the Unite
States. 1t seems probable that IL
present prospective supplies would [
Inadequate to meet this world deman
with the return to peace. SO far as
is possible to interpret this fact, 1t a.
pears that there should be even
stronger demand for pork produc
after the war, and therefore any alar
of hog producers as to the effect
peace is unwarranted by the outlook
In the light of these circumstance
1t is the conclusion of the conferen'
that attempts to hold the price of hoI
to the price of corn may work out
the disadvantage of pork producer
1t is the conclusion that any interpr
tation of the formula should be
broad gagged policy applied over
long period. 1t is the opinion of II
conference that in substitution OF Il
previous plans of sterilization Il
Live Stock subcommittee of the Agl
cultural Advisory Board, together wi
the specially invited swine represent
tives, should accept the invitation
the Food Administration to join wi
the Administration and the packers
determining the prices at which co
trolled export orders are to be place
This will be regularly done. The
huence of these orders will be direct
to the maintenance of the common c
ject-namely, the sterilization of t