Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1918-12-05

foreign pork purchases.
The eoncinsiens AZ shA espfeFenrs
The entire marketing situation ha@
20 changed since she September jeins
conferences a. TO Heeesaltats an entire
alteration 10 the plans Of price stabi-
iIzation. The current peace talk has
alarrnsd the holders Of carn, and there
hss been q price decline Of from n
cents TO 40 cents per bushel. The fact
that the denominations Of low priced
corn In the Argentine and South AfFi'
ca would upon the advent Of peaea
and liberated shipping. become availA,
Bile to the European market has crsr
ated q great deal of apprehension on
the part 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 a i3rio.i ra'
ito. obviously result In continuously
failing price for live hogs, In view
Of these changed conditions paans
swine producers anticipated lover
prices and "a a result rushed thsia
hogs to market in large numbers, and
this ovcrsbipment has added to and
aggravated the decline.
The information Of the Department
af Agriculture Indicates that the sup
ply Of hogs has increased about s per
cent. while the highest unofficial ssti-
aate does not exceed 10 per cent In
creased production over last year. On
the other hand. the arrival Of hogs
during The last three weeks Ia tbs
seven great markets has been n PER
cent. more than last year. duriIiE the
corresponding period. demonstrating
the unusually heavy marketing Of tha
available supply III the face Of the
excessive Receipts aome packers have
not maintained the price agreed last
month. ON he other hand. nasy
If the packers have paid egsF The
price offered 10 them 10 aa sndeayoE
TO maintain the agreed price The ~
suit In any event has besn a faiinre
90 maintain the October prize basis
determined upon at the September con.
fersne. and undertaken By the pack.
era Another factor contributing 20
this break in prices during the month
has been the Influenza epidemic: Il
has sharply curlaiied consumption Of
FIX products and temporarily De.
cree sed the labor staff of the packers
about 25 per cent
The exports of 100000 pounds
Of pork products for October com
pared With about 100000 pounds
10 October year ago, and The
export orders piaceahle By tho Food
Administration for November. amount
TO iT0,OO0.O 900 pounds Ms eobtraat
cd with the lesser exports o.
$4,000, 600 for November. 1917, The
Increased demands OF the allies are
continuing, and are 10 themselves
proof Of the necessity for the largA
production for which the Food Admin
is,ration asked. The increase in ep
port demands appears 10 be amply
snfscisnt to take up the Increase Ia
hog product ~, but unfavorabls mar
net 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 Contra
Empires and neutral countries weult
Immediately upon peace result In i'd
ditlonaI demands for pork products
which, on top Of the heavy shipments
10 the Allies, would tend materially
10 Increase the American exports, In
asmuch az no considerable reservoir Of
supplies exists outside OF the United
States. II seems probable that ths
present prospective supplies would BE-
inadaauate to meet this world demand
with the return to peace. 50 far az I
IN possible to Interpret this fact, II ap
gears that there should be even .
stronger demand Tor pork products
after tbs war, and therefore any alarn
Of hog producers as TO the effect Of
peace is unwarranted b. the outlook
In the light Of these circumstances
II 10 the conclusion Of the conference
tAat attempts to hold the price OF hogi
to the price Of corn may work out e
the disadvantage Of pork producers
II m the conclusion that any interpre
smsion Of the formula should be
broad gagged policy applied over
long period. II II the opinion Of ths
conference that in substitution Of tbs
previous plans Of sterilization N,
lave Stock subcommittee Of the Agri
cultural Advisory Board, together with
the specially invited swine representa-
aives, should accept the Invitation o.
the Food Administration to join viii
the Administration and the packers II
determining the prices at which con
trolled export orders are to be placed
This will be regularly done The In
nuence OF these orders will be directet
to the maintenance Of the common oh
jeet--namely, the sterilization Of thu
Price OF live hogs 80 ns to secure AZ ~
-AAA IL possible faix 1eturns to ths