The patriot. (Glenmora, La.) 1918-1955, 1918-11-29

foreign pork purchases.
| >. The conclusions Of the conference
de entire marketing situation mas
. changed SINCE the September Joint
conference as to pecessitats an entire
alteration in the plans of price stabl-
| lization. The current peace talk has
alarmed the holders Of corn, apd here
has been a price decline of from %
cents to 40 cents per bushel. The fact
that the accumulations 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 mas cSe-
atei u great deal of apprehension CD
the part of corn holders. This deeiine
has spread fear among swine peNeFs
that a similar reduction in The gc1ees
! Of hogs would naturally follow. Mose-
ever, the lower range Of CORE Desc0
would, IL incorporated in lS-te-l "a
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, and
this overshipment has added to ana
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 "a 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 IN endeavor
| to maintain the agreed price. The re-
| suit in any event has been failure
| to maintain the October price basis
| determined upon at the September con-
! ference and undertaken by the pack
| ers Another factor contributing to
the break In prices during the month
| has been the influenza epidemic; II
has sharply curtailed consumption OF
pork products and temporarily de-
/ creased the labor staff of the packers
about IS per cent.
The exports of ls0000Oo0 pounds
of pork products for October com
pared with about 52.00O.O0O Pounds
1 ln October a gear ego, and the
| export orders placeabic by the Food
| ADMINISTRATION for November, amount
to 170;0OO,OOO pounds as contrast
I cd with the lesser exports OF
os,00O,000 for November, 1917. The
/ Increased demands OF the allies are
! continuing, and are in themselves
] proof of the necessity, for the large
puduction for which the Food Admin
| istration asked. The increase ia ex-
port demands appears to be amply
sufficient to take up the increase Ia
hog production. bat unfavorabie mar
kct conditions existing In October az
ford no fair index Of the aggregate
supply and demand.
Ii must be evident that the enor-
nous shortage In fats I'm the Centfnl
Erapires and neutral countries would
Immediately upon peace result In adj
ditional demands for pork products
which, on top of the heavy shipments
to the Allies, would tend materially
to increase the American exports In
asnuch as no considerable reservoir OF
supplies exists outside Of the Unsfed
States. It seems probable that the
4 present prospective supplies woulA Dc
Inadequate to meet this world demand
With the return to peace. So far as it
is possible TO interpret this fact, IL apr
pears that there should be even a
stronger demand for pork products
after the war, and therefore any alarm
of hog producers as 10 the effect OF
peace is unwarranted by the outlook
| In the light of these circumstances
4 1t is the conclusion Of the conference
that attempts TO noid the price oI dfoss
ito the price OF corn may work OUT TO
1 the disadvantage Of pork producers.
| II Ii the conclusion that any interpre-
fation Of the formula should be a
| bread gauged policy applied over a
| long period. It Is the opinion Of the
conference that In substitution Of the
| previous plans OF stabllizatlon the
iAse stock subcommittee Of the Agrf-
cultural ADVISORY Beard. together with
the specially invited swine representa-
| tives, should accep. the Invitation OF
| the Food Administration 10 join with
the Administration and the packers In
Determining the prices at which con-
troiled export orders are to be placed,
This viii be regularly done. The In
fs.:enca OF these orders win be directed
TO tie maintenance OF the common Oh
s ject-narnely, the stabiIization Of the
price of live hogs sc as to secure as far
Is it Is possible fair returns 70 the