The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-11-01
FOOD ADMINISTRATION
ALTERS PRICE PLANS
ON HOG SITUATION

I Washington. D. G., Nov 25-Th.
conference between the livestock
committee of the agricultural advis
ory board including special members
representing the swine industry anC
OF the Food Administration held OF
, October % and to % has after con
sideration of the present situation
of the pork and hog market reached
through conferences the entire pro-
gram has been changed since the
September Joint conference as to nc
cessitate an entire alteration in the
plans of price stabllization the cur
rent peace talk has alarmed the
holders Of corn and tnciG has been
rslce decline OF from 81 cents to
forty cents per bushel. The fact that
the accumulations Of low priced corn
in the Argentine and South Africa,
would upon the advent Of the peace
and liberated shipping, become avail.
able to the European market, has
created a great deal Of apprehension
on the part Of corn holders. This
decline has spread fear among swine
growers that similar reduction in
the prices of hogs would naturally
follow. Moreover the lower range
of corn prices, would, if incorporated
in thirteen to one ratio obviously
result in a continuously falling Price
for live hogs. In view Of these
changed conditions many swine pro-
ducers anticipated lower prices, and,
as a result, rushed their hogs to
market in large numbers, and this
over.shipment has added to and az
gravated the decline
The information OF the department
of agriculture indicates that the sup
ply of hogs has increased about eight
per cent while the highest unofficial
estimate does not exceed fifteen per
cent increased production over last
year On the other hand, the arrival
OF hogs during the last three weeks
in the seven great markets has been
twenty-seven per cent more than last
Year, during the corresponding pc
licd, demonstrating the unusually
heavy marketing of the available sup.
Ply, In the face OF the excessive re.
cIipts some packers have not main
tanned the price agreed last month.
. nthe other hand. many Of the pack |
ers have paid over the price offered
to them in an endeavor to maintain
the agreed price. The result in any
event has been a failure to maintain !
the October price basis determined |
upon at the September conference
and undertaken by the packers. An
other factor contributing to the, break |
in prices during the month has been
the influenza epidemic; it has sharp
ly curtailed consumption of pork pro, |
ducts and temporarily decreased the
labor staff of the packers about 25
per cent. The export of one hun
dred thirty million pounds OF pork
products for October compared with
about fifty-two million pounds in Oc.
tober year ago, and the export or
ders placeable by the food admins
tration for November, amount to one
lunded seventy million contrasted
with the lesser exports of ninety
eight million for November nineteen
seventeen. The increased demands
If the allies are continuing and are
in themselves proof of the necessity
If the large production for which
he food administration asked The
Increase in export demands appears
o be amply sufficient to take up
The increase in hos production but
market conditions exist
ing in October afford no fair index
1f the aggregate supply and demand.
It must be evident that the enor-
nous shortage in fats in the central