The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1918-11-21

cAcSutiVe cOmmittce VI the uity PUCK
for pork products and with the memb,
foreign pork purchases
The Cor clusions Of the conference
The emit e marketing situation ha!
20 changed since the September join
conferences as to necessltate an entire
alters ION In the plans Of price stabi
lizat'on. The current peace talk has
ala med the holders of corn, and there
has been price decline Of from *
cents to 40 cents per bushel. The fac
that the accumulatiOns Of low priced
corn In the Argentine and South Afri
ca would. upon the advent Of peace
and liberated shipping, become availa
BILE to the European market has ere
ated a great deal Of apprehension or
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 13-to-1 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 result rushed their
hogs to market In large numbers. and
this 0vershipment has added to and
aggravated the decline.
The information Of the Department
Of Agriculture indicates that the sup
ply Of hogs has increased about 8 per
cent. while the highest unofficial 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
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 a 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; 1t
has sharply curtailed consumption OF
pork products and temporarily de-
creased the labor staff Of the packers
about % per cent.
Tho exports of 13O,OOO,O00 pounds
Of pork products for October COM
pared with about 52,OOO,OOO pounds
In October year ago. and the
export orders placeable by the Food
Administration for November, amount
10 17O,OOOOOO pounds as contrast
ed with the lesser exports OF
90 10000 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
istration asked The Increase In ex-
port demands appears to be amply
sufiicient to take up the increase III
hog producti III, but unfavOrable mar
kef conditions existing In October ar
ford no fair index Of the aggregate
supply and demand.
It must be evident that the enor.
nous shortage In fats In the Cehtra,
Cmnires and neutral countries would
Immediately upon peace result IN al
d,tiopal demands for pork products
which. On top Of the heavy shipments
"a the Allies, would tend materially
10 increase the American exports, In
.sruch as no considerable reservoir OF
supplies exists outside OF the ohiteo
states. 1t seems probable that the
present prospective supplies would De
;nodeauate to meet this world demand
with the return to peace. So far "a II
a nossible to interpret this fact, 1t ap-
pears that there should be even
stronRer demand for pork products
after the war, and therefore any alarm
OF hog producers No W .
peace is unwarranted by the OUTLOOK
In the light of these circumstances
II IA the conclusion Of the conference
that attempts to hold the price OF hogs
to the price of corn may work out 10
the disadvantage Of pork producers
II IN the conclusion that any interpre'
tstion Of the formula should be
broad gauged policy applied over
long period. 1t is the opinion OF the
conference that in substitution OF the
previous plans of sterilization the
Live Stock Subcommittee OF the Agri'
cultural Advisory Board, together WIN
the specially invited swine representa-,
ttyes. should accept the invitation OF
the Food Administration to Join WIN
the Administrations and the packers ID
determining the prices at when con
trolled export orders are to be placed
This will be regularly done. The IN,
auence of these orders will be directed
to the maintenance of the common OBJ
ject-nsmely, the sterilization OF tht
price Of live hogs 80 as to secure as ial
n It u possible fair returns 10 tns