Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-10-13
PRICES OF MEATS TO coNsUM-
Err NOT TO BE LOWER FOR
SOME TIME, HOWEVER.
SINCLAIR TELLS WHY
MEATS MUST STAY HIGH
Says Farmers Are Acting Wisely in
Lower. Priced Corr-Packers Los-
ing Money on Hides and Other by
Produets-Must Make Up on Re-
tail Prices.
special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Cedar Rapids, Oct. l3.-Two prin.
cipal reasons were given today b,
Robert Sinclair. head OF the T. NJ
Sinclair Packing Company, for the
continued high price Of meats at re-
tall. especially pork, when the sener-
al trend Of cattle and hogs Is lower
He corrected first the general inn
preston that hogs have made a biz
drop In price In the last six months
or q year, by saying that two weeks
ago hogs We're quoted at the same
price as year ago and that 1t IL
only within the past ten days that
hogs have gone lower.
The fact that farmers are keeping
their hogs and feeding them lowe,
priced corn rather than selling n,
this time is given by Mr.. Sinclair rs
one OF the basic reasons for the pre-.
sent condition, while the other IS thai
the drop in the price OF by products
of the packing houses has resulted ir
loss which has to be made up by
keeping up the prices on the mea,
carcass.
Says Farmers Are Right.
Mr.. Sinclair believes the farmer Is
right In keeping his hogs, and he
further says the packers are no, an
xious to buy them at this time, az
they consider 1t better to wait until
more permanent lower price levels
are reached than to take the >tobag-
gan I'll at onke. Mr.. Sinclair looks 70,
hogs to go to between $12 and s13 Q
hundred within the next few months
at Is a case OF supply and deraard
with pork" Mr.. Sinclair declared
1.-THE demand for pork, especially in
the east, Is strong while the supply
is short"
When asked II middlewest packers
Including his company. were not nell
Ing large amount OF fresh pork to
the high eastern market thus tending
to keep the supply low here and the
price up, he admitted they were
shipping q great deal to the east.
Lose Money on Hides.
or the by products which are caus-
ing the packers loss hides are the
principal item, according to Mr.. Sin
clair. There Is little market for them
now because Of the financial condi-
lions which make 1t difficult for tan
pers to obtain the capital necessary
to take care Of large numbers OF
hides. which necessitate long time
In preparation. He estimated that the
loss on hides In a year added to the
price of carcass beef makes an in
crease of about three and a quarter
cents pound on the latter. Lard and
other greases also have dropped. and
this has been felt by the packers.
Mr.. Sinclair pointed out that he
Gauge hogs dropped on the local
market 80 cents Monday compar-
able reduction could not be expected
In the price of pork in the next few
days. The average and settled price
levels govern the retail prices he
said, and until that is reached there
will be little change. The reaction
between the price of the animal or
the hoof and the carcass as sold to
the dealer Is necessarily much slow
er than the daily fluctuations in the
market for the live stock.
Mr.. Sinclair looks for a gradually
stabahzing market but until the
supply of hogs materially increases
and steadier market is reached
there is little likelihood of a big drop
in the price Of meat.