French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1918-11-28

a.
The entire marketing situation has
so changed since the September joint
conference as to necessitate an >entire
alteration in the plans of price stabi-
lization. The current peace talk a
alarmed the holders of corn, and there
has been a price decline Of from 70
cents to 10 cents per bushel. The fact
that the accommodations of low priced
corn in the Argentine and South Afri-
ca would, upon the advent of peace
and liberated shipping, become avail
able to the European market has ere
ated a great deal of apprehension on
the part of corn holders. This decline
has spread fear among swine growers
that a Standardization in4the prices,
of hogs would naturally follow. More
over, the lower range. of corn prices
!. would if incorporated in a 13-to-l RAJ
ito, Obviously result in continuously
falling price for live hogs. IN view
. of these, changed. conditions many
swine producers anticipated lower
F. prices and as a result rushed their
hogs to market in large numbers, and
this overshipment has added TO and
aggravated the decline.
The Information of the Department
of AgricuItnre indicates that the sup
ply OF hogs has increased about s per
cent, while the highest unofficial esti7
mate does not exceed 10 per il
/ creased production over last year. On
the. other hand, the arrival of hogs
during the last three weeks in the
y seven great z~narketsShas been ,27 per
cent. more than last year. during the
corresponding period. demonstrating
I the unusually heavy marketing of the
available supply, IN the face of the
excessive receipts some packers have
not m~aintained the pric6 agreed last
month. On the other band, many
of the packers have paid over the
price offered to them in an ~epdeavor
/ to maintain the agreed price. The re-
suit in any event~has-bee a failure
to maintain the. October price basis
determined upon atthe September con
ference and undertaken by the pack,
efs. Another factor contributing to.
the break in prices during the month
/! has been the influenza epidemic; it
has sharply curtailed consumption of
pork products and: temporarily de-
creased the labor staff of the packers
about % per cent. ~ *S'
The exports Of 10000 900 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 1TO,OOO,0O9 pounds as contrast
ed with the lesser exports of
98,OOO,O 900 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 the2Food Admin,
| ~istration asked. The INCREASE in. ex-
port demands appears 10 be amply
sufficient to take up the increase in
hog production, but M~nfayorable mar
ket conditions existing in October af-
ford no fair index Of the aggregate
supply and demand.
It must be evident that the enor-
nous shortage in fats in the Central
Empires and neutral countries, would
Immediately upon peace result in ad-
, 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. It seems probable that the
present prospective supplies would be
Inadequate to meet this world demand
with the return to peace. So far as Il
is possible to interpret this fact, it ap
pears that there should be even {
stronger demand for pork product!
after the war, and therefore any alarm
p of hog producers as to the effect O
= peace is unwarranted by the outlook.
In the light Of these circumstance
il is the conclusion of the conference
that attempts to hold the PRICE of hog
to the price of corn may work out t
n the disadvantage Of pork producers
It is the conclusion that any interpre
tation of the formula should be
broad gagged policy applied over
r long period. 1t is the opinion Of tn
conference that in substitution Of tn
+, previous plans Of sterilization tn
a. Live Stock Subcommittee of the Ayr
- cultural Advisory Board, together wit
- the specially invited swine Representa-
tives, should accept the invitation Q
~ the Food Administration to join wit
ed the Administration and the packers
as determining the prices at which col
is troIled export orders are to be placed
no This will be regularly done. The il
fuence of these orders will be directe
ID to the maintenance of the common oil
m tect-namely, the sterilization Of I'll
MT price Of live hogs 80 as to secure as fl
ito as it is possible fair returns to tt