The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1918-11-22


industry to consider the situation In G
The conference lasted fog three
erecu1tive committee Of the fifty pack
for pork products and with the menoE
foreign pork purchases
The conclusions Of the conference
Tne entire marketing situation has
SO changed since the September joint
conference as to necessttate an entire
alteration In the plans Of price staoaf
uzation. The current peace talk has
alarmed the holders Of corn, and Tiers
has been a price decline OF from n
cents to 20 cents per busilel. The facs
that the denominations Of low psacea
corn tn the Argentine and South Afri3
ca would, upon the advent OF peaca
ana liberated shipping, become aVaIi4
able to the European market has cHe4
,ated a great deal OF apprehension ON
the cart OF corn holders. This decline
has spread fear among swine growers
that a similar reduction In the prices
Of hogs would naturally follow. More'
over, the lower range Of corn prices
would, II incorporated in 1S~to-1 ra1
ito. obviously result In continuously
falling price for tive hogs. In view
Of these changed conditions many
swine producers anticipated lower
nrtces and as a result rushed their
hogs to market In large numbers, and
this evershipment has added to and
aggravated the decline
The information of the Department
Of Agriculture indicates that the sup
ply Of hogs has Increased about . per
cent, while the highest unofficial esd-
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 tn the
seven great markets has been II 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 an 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; 1t
has sharply curtailed consumption Of
pork products and temporarily de-
creased the labor staff Of the packers
about Is per cent
The exports OF 100000 pounds
Of pork products for October COM
pared with about 100000 pounds
in October a year ago, and the
export orders placeahae by the Food
Administration for November, amount
to 170O0O,OO0 pounds as contrast
ed with the lesser exports Of
ea0oO0O0 for November. 1917. The
increased demands Of the allies are
continuing, and are 10 themselves
proof Of the necessity for the large
production for which the Food Admin
istration asked. The Increase In ex-
port demands appears to be amply
sufficient TO take up the increase In
hog production. but nfavorable mar
ket conditions existing in October at
ford no fair index of the aggregate
supply and demand.
II must be evident that the enor-
nous shortage In fats In the Central
Empires 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
asmuch as no considerable reservoir OF
supplies exists outside Of the United
States. Il seems probable that the
present prospective supplies would be
inadequate to meet this world demand
with the return 10 peace. So far as 1t
is possible to interpret this fact, 1t 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
It 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
It is the conclusion that any interpre
tation Of the formula should be a
broad gauged policy applied over q
long period It Is the opinion of the
conference that In substitution Of the
previous plans of sterilization the
Live Stock Subcommittee of the Agri.
cultural Advisory Board, together with
the specially invited swine representa-
lives, should accept the invitation OF
the Food Administration to Join with
the Administration and the packers In
determining the prices at which con-
trolled export orders are to be placed.
This VIII be regularly done. The in.
fiuence Of these orders will be directed
to the maintenance of the common OBJ
ject-namely, the sterilization Of the
price Of live hogs so as to secure as far
as II Is possible fair returns to the