The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-03-10
Hy WILLIAM r. sANsoRN.

kets of the county on last Saturday
than on any previous day since Oc-
tober 2, 1918 This means that hog
shippers received more money per
hundred pounds on March 8th, than
on any previous date in the last five
months.
Yes, the minimum price government
guarantee was withdrawn last week.
1t would have been best of hog grow
ers, many believe, had it been with
drawn two months earlier
And in this the writer is inclined
to agree-for this reason. Hogs would
have been fed longer; would not have
been shipped before attaining consid-
erably more weight, on the average.
The country would have had more
pork and lard when hogs finally
reached market; and farmers more
dollars to put in circulation, even had
there been no advance in prices.
They would have made a good profit
on the feed consumed, regardless.
World Is Hungry for Meat.
AS we have previously insisted, the
world is hungry for meat 1t isn't a
question of price, but of the ability
to get it into their countries and
market places. The whole world has
become accustomed to paying dearly
for everything edible. And no matter
how high are American prices on
meat products, meats will reach and
be distributed to war-stricken cout-
tries at much lower figures than the
inhabitants Of these lands have been
paying during the past three years;
will look cheap. in fact, by compari-
son. And what is true of meats is
assuredly SO as to fats and all cook
ing oils. The people, even of neutral
countries, have suffered for these.
With the letting down of all export
barriers, and he free access of ships
to our shores, our supply should rapid
ly diminish. until the half-starved peo-
pies Of Europe shall have recovered
their normal weights. 1t is true, of
course that Mr.. Hoover and others
engaged in the work of division of
supply will direct shipments and al
lotments; but these shipments will go
on, will grow, and will call for every
ounce of pork and lard we can pro-
duce for long time to come. This is
inevitable.
Europe to Conserve Stock
The depleted flocks and herds Of
home grown meat supply. This can
be accomplished as to hogs in much
less time than with cattle. 1t may be
remarked that the growth n consump-
ton of hog products has been on
constantly increasing scale, every
where. This will be the more appar
ent for some time in the future than
was noticeable before the war. Lard
is an important element in the produc-
ton of butterine on the continent, and
butterine of poorest grade has brought
exorbitant prices for two or three
years while butter, in warning coun-
tries, has been barred to all but the
well-to-do, by its price.
Cattle Selling Lower
In the face of all the facts it is hard
to account for the drop in the price
of cattle. Consider the Indianapolis
market, for instance. In spite Of a
large and rapid advance in hogs, cattle
have declined in price from day to
day. It would seem that the packing
and cold storage plants must be we'll
stocked with beef, not only at Indiana
polls, but in all live stock centers, for
cattle have been on the down grade
everywhere, for several days. Rece-
ipts OF cattle have been liberal while
hogs have been in limited supply, COM
pared to year ago at this season.
They received 10000 fewer hogs in
Chicago last week than during the
week proceeding, and $4,000 less than
on the same week in 1918. This goes
to prove that farmers rushed hogs TO
market while the guarantee held good.
fearing slump when government
price support was withdrawn.
The hogs left over are in strong
hands. They are mostly owned by
men who can afford to feed and to
await market days and times that
will best suit them to ship. This is
the reasonable conclusion, it seems
to us. In the meanwhile consumers
have rebelled at the high cost of beef
and have limited consumption accord
ingly. Pork in the form of bacon,
dry sailed and in brine can be shipped
on any freight vessel and so, too, can
be lard and oils. Fresh beef must
have refrigerated storage space and
this makes a vast difference as to our
ability to supply the abnormal demand
for fresh beef and mutton on the
other side.
Glen Miller Yards Report.
The live stock receipts at the Glen
Miller stock yards, Richmond, from
March l to March Sth, inclusive,
were:
Cattle, so head hogs, CTS head;
veal, calves, 131 head. The shipments
were nine single and two double-deck
carloads.
The local hog market was strong in
sympathy with all western markets.
But cattle were weak and in liberal
supply; they averaged from 81 to
$3.50 per 100 pounds lower than dur
ing the previous week, as to quality.
Receipts of calves normal and the
top was 15c for choice feals.
The total cost of the receipts at
Glen Miller yards from March LIST to
Sth, was $34,081.30.
Ollie Hodgin sent in 12s hogs that
netted him 1920 A single load of
veal calves cost the yards S2,105.
Space does not permit going into