Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1918-11-20
STEADIER HOG MARKETS PLANNED
Hoo Producers and Packers Confer With Repre-
sentatives of the Food Administration and
Agricultural Department and Adopt
New Plan of Regulation.

In accordance with the policy OF tn
ition to consult representative men in
of importance to special branches Of
convened In Washington meeting O.
Agricultural Advisory Board and the
industry to consider the situation In th
The conference lasted for three d.
executive committee Of the fifty packi
for pork products and with the membe
foreign pork purchases
The conclusions Of the conference
The entire marketing situation has
$50 changed since the September joint
conference as to necessitate an entire
alteration In the plans Of price stabi-
TIization. The current peace talk has
ALARMED the holders Of corn, and there
has been a price decline Of from 70
lcents to 40 cents per bushei. The fact
that the Accommodations Of low priced
corn in the Argentine and South Afri-
lca would, upon the advent OF peace
land liberated shipping. become avail
able to the European market has Gre
lated a great deal Of apprehension on
the part of corn holders. This decline
has spread fear among swine growers
that q similar reduction in the prices
Of hogs would naturally follow. More
lover, the lower range OF corn prices
would, if incorporated In l3-to-l "a
'tio, obviously result In a continuously
failing price for live hogs. In view
;of these changed conditions many
swine producers anticipated lower
prices and as q 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 Agriculture indicates that the sup
ply of hogs has increased about s 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
seyen great markets has been q 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
mot maintained the price agreed last
month. On the other hand. many
Of the packers have paid over the
tprics offered to them In an endeavor
ito maintain the agreed price. The re-
fsult in any event has been failure
to maintatn the October price basis
determined upon at the September con-
iSerence and undertaken by the pack
Iers. 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 stan Of the packers
fabout 25 per cent.
The exports of 100000 pounds
IcR pork products for October COM
pared with about 100000 pounds
lin October year ago, and the
export orders placeable by the Food
Administration for November, amount
Ieo 17O,O00,000 pounds as contrast
ed with the lesser exports of
9S,O0O,OOO for November. 1917. The
increased demands Of the allies are
continuing, and are In themselves
;proof of the necessity for the large
jproduction for which the Food Admin
listration asked. The increase in ex-
port demands appears to be amply
sufficient to take up the increase in
hog production. but unfavorable mar
ket conditions existing In October af-
ford no fair index Of the aggregate
supply and demand.
I: 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
ito 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 1t
lis possible to interpret this fact, it ap-
pears that there should be even
stronger demand for pork products
after the war. and therefore any alarm
! of hog producers as to the effect Of
( peace is unwarranted by the outlook.
! In the light Of these circumstances
LII Is the conclusion Of the conference
:! that attempts to hold the price Of hogs
| to the price of corn may work out to
the disadvantage of pork producers.
1T is the conclusion that any interpre-
tation Of the formula should be
broad gauged policy applied over
Ilong period. 1t Is the opinion OF the
conference that in substitution of the