Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-11-14

FOR pork products and with the membei
foreign pork purchases
The conclusions Of the conference
The entire marketing situation has
80 changed since the September Joint
conference MS TO neeessitate an entire
alteiatio In the plans Of price stahi'
Hsation. The current peace talk has
alarmed the holders Of corn, and there
has been a price decline OF from -
cents to 40 cents per husheI. The fact
that the arcunulationk Of low priced
corn In the Argentine and South Afrl'
"a would, upon the advent OF peace
and liberated shipping, become avail
able to the European market has Gre
ate,l a great deal Of apprehension on
the part Of corn hol''srs This decline
has spread fear among swine growers
that a similnr reduction in the prices
Of hgs would naturally follow. More
svsr the lower range Of corn prices
would. II Incorporated IN l3'tol ra'
tic, obviously res III. in COM 'nuously
falling prize for live hoss, In vie"
Of Ahese changed conditions lnaay
Swiae producers anticipated lower
prices and as II result rushed their
hogs to market IN large numbers, alli
Tits overshlpment has added TO and
Aggravated the decline.
'eThe information OF the Department
OF Agriculture indicates that the sup
ply OF hogs has increased about 8 per
cent, while the highest unofficial estl'
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 Ia the
eAveh 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
not maintained the price agreed last
month. On the other hand, many
OK the packers have paid over the
brice offered to them In an cndeavor
to maintain the agreed price. The re.
suit In any event has been failure
10 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 e per cent.
The experts Of l30000,000 pounds
Of pork products for October com.
pared with about 52,000000 pounds
IN October year ago, and the
export orders placeable by the Food
Administration for November, amount
10 110,00O,00O pounds as contrast
ed with the lesser exports OF
gS0O0.OO0 for November, 1917. The
Increased demands OF the allies are
continuing, and nre In themselves
proof OF the necessity Tor the large
nroduction for which the Food Admin.
istration asked The increase In ex-
port demands appears to be amply
sufficient to take up the increase IL,
hog production, but unfavorable mar
ket conditions existing In October If.
ford no fair index OF the aggregate
supply and demand
II must be evident that the enor
nous shortage in fats In the Contra
Empires and neutral countries would
Immediately upon peace result In ad
fitiona demands for pork products
which. on top OF the heavy shipment.
To the Allies. would tend materially
10 increase the American exports, In
hsmuch as nc. considerable reservoir o1
supplies exists outside OF the United
States. 1t seems probable that til,
present prospective supplies would b.
Inadequate to meet this world demand
with the return to peace. SO far rs i
IA possible to interpret this fact, 1t ap
pears that there should be even I
Stronger demand for pork products
after the war, and therefore any alarm
of hog producers az to the effect 0
peace'is unwarranted by the outlook.
In the light Of these circumstance
,-lg -
e4e,------..s ~'..s-.-.a.ae NJ "a