Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1918-11-21

executive committee Of the fifty pack
for pork products and with the memb
foreign pork purchaser
The conclusions Of the conferenc.
The entire marketing situation has
10 changed since the September Joint
conference ID to 'nscessitats an entire
alteration In the plans Of price stabi'
lixation. The current peace talk has
alarmed the holders of corn. and there
has been q price decline Of from %
cents to 40 cents per bushel. The fact
that the Accommodations Of low priced
corn 10 the Argentine and South Afri.
ca would, upon the advent Of peace
and liberated shipping, become avail
able to the European market has cre-
ated q great deal Of apprehension on
the part OF corn holders. THIS decline
has spread fear among swine growers
that 4, similar reduction in the prices
Of hogs would naturally follow. More
over, tho lower range Of corn prices
would, II Incorporated In asl8:to-1 IA
Ito, obviously result In a continuously
failing price. for live hogs. In view
Of these changed conditions many
swffs producers anticipated lower
prices and as q result rushed their
hogs to- market In large numbers. and
this ovsrshipment 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 II per cent. in
creased production over last year. On
the other hand, the arrival Of hogs
during the last three weeks in the
ssvens great markets has been ~ per
cent. more than last year. during the
corresponding period. demonstrating
,ths. unusually heavy marketing Of the
available supply. In the face Of the
excessive receipts some packers have
mot maintained tho 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-.
ference and undertaken by the pack.
lefA Another factor contributing to
the break In prices during the month
!hsa BEEN the Influenza epidemic; II
has sharply curtailed consumption of
pork products and temporarily de-
creased the labor star Of the packers
about Is per cent
The exports Of is0.0oo.o00 pounds
of pork products for October com.
pared. with about 100000 pounds
in October a year ago. and the
export orders plhcsAblso BY the Food
Administration for November, amount
to 170,0o0.000 pounds : az contrast.
ed with the lesser exports Of
:90, O0O,O 900 for November, 1917. The
increased demands Of the allies are
continuing, and III In. themselves
proof Of the necessity for the large
Tor which the Food Admin.
'lktration asked. The increase In ex-
port demands appears to be amply
'~suGacients to take up the increase in
hog production, but unfAvorabls mar.
KIT conditions existing; In October at
ford no fair" index Of the aggregate
supply and demand.
It must BIZ evident that the enor
taouS, shortage In fats In the Central
Nmpires and neutral countries would
Immediately upon peace result IN ad-
ditional demands for port products
which, On top Of the heavy shipments
to the Allies, would tend materially
to increase the American exports, In
asmuch a. no considerable reservoir of
supplies exists outside Of the United
etatss. Il seems probable that the
present prospective supplies would be
inadequate to meet this world demand
with the return to peace. 30 far ~ It
IL possible to. interpret thin fact, It ap.
pears that there should b even a,
stronger dsnand for pork products
after the wal, and therefore any alarm
Of hog, producers ~ to the effect Of
peace a unwarranted BY; the outlook.
Il the light Of these circumstances
Il n ths ~eoneiusien Of the conference
that attempts y hold the price Of hogs
to the price of cor may work out to
the d~fsadvantags OF pork producers.