The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-05-03
FEEDS RISE, STOCK
LOWER; FARMER IS
PINCHED BETWEEN
BY WILLIAM r. SANBORN

The eleven principal markets re-
ceived 100 900 fewer hogs last week
than in the same week last year, when
6oS,ooO were marketed. Comparing
the 10,6S0,O00 hogs received this year
to date, we find that receipts of hogs
are almost 10000 under those OF
the first four months in 1919, also
1000 600 below the receipts for the
same period in 1918.
Judging from the decrease in brood
sows wintered in 1920, and the heavy
losses of spring pigs reported IN feD-
ruary, March and early April, over a
great portion of the corn belt, the re-
ceipts of hogs will show a still fur-
Their comparative decline between now
and next May.
What effect this may have upon
prices is problem beyond present So
luton. 1t seems very certain that IN
the interim our exports of meat Will
fall very much below those of the past
two years. European food condltlonS
should be bettered from month TO
month, including the home supply or
meats. There will be more meats IN
future for home consumption, admit
teddy.
But right here the price of corn
and all feeding stuffs become large
factors. "If the packing industry, II
you please, persists in continually de-
pressing the prices Of hogs and cattle
to a point of actual loss to feeders,
there will shortly be much less meat
grown" said a Wayne county feeder
Farmers can not go on indefinitely
producing at a serious loss, nor Will
they"
Consumers Are Restless
On the street car Monday, some
early marketers were discussing what
they had paid for meats on Satur
day. ut takes weeks to reduce prices
a cent or two, on a big decline, and
but hours to jump prices up twice as
much as if there Is a little rise al
Wholesale" was the way one lady ex
pressed it, to which her sister gave
assent.
This may not be an exactly fail
presentation of the facts, but 1ndl
Gates tho feeling among those who
are trying to make ends meet on
too slender income for comfort.
Grain Continually Advancing.
All grain touched the lowest prices
of the season on Feb 9, since which
time, regardless of all temporary set
backs, wheat has advanced 81 cents
May corn, 45B; May oats, %; rye, ~,
and barley, SO cents per bushel. All
grain options are correspondingly high
er, for these advances do not represent
g. May corner" nor is wheat traded
in, except on cash basis, on any OF
the exchanges. Cash corn sold in Chi
cago at $3.50 on track at Chicago last
Saturday with No. white oats at
St.131a in the sample market; rye at
s2.17 on track and barley at $1.S5 per
bushel.
Live Stock Prices.
Hogs made net gain of so cents
per 100 at indianapolis on Saturday
which made the weeks advance ar
even dollar on the best grades, com
pared with Saturday, April "a. The
best hogs brought $3.50 on Saturday
against a top of S17.25 April 6, and
S17.60 on April 10th.
April was one of the worst months
in a long time for all stock shippers
and what is indicated by the above
figures applies to all markets. The
strikes and embargoes, shot all mar
kets to pieces and made trading OIL
shipping purely gambling operations
Farmers suffered very heavy losses, IN
the main, this applying to cattle as
well as hogs,