Evening star., 1924-04-14
HOGS STILL FACTOR
IN LIVE STOCK TRADE
Farmeroan Packers Indicate Con-
tinuance of Interest Following
Review of Situation.
PORK HELD MONEY-MAKER
Heavy Consumption Regarded Due
to Industrial Activity.
BY j. C. ROYLE.

bI Js Ss tOn LIZ
Special Dispatch to The star.
NEW YORK, April 1.-THE farmer
of this country is not going to turn
his back on the hog, in spite of the
fact that more hogs have been sent
to the market in the last twelve
months than in any similar period
That is the conclusion of many of the
live stock men and packers who are
in close touch with the situation.
Accurate figures on spring farrow-
ings are not yet available, but Frank
w. Waddell. vice president of Ar
mour &. Co., in charge of pork opera
tions in outlining hog prospects for
the next six months forecasts no
shortage.
'The accurate data which has been
kept by my department on the guam
tity of hogs that have been reshipped
from the public markets to the farms
for further feeding" he said, gives
every assurance that there will be no
shortage. despite the heavy market
ing Of brood animals.
Hog as Money Maker.
''The hog has been the money maker
for the farmer all through the time
OF depression and yet is the money
maker. The farmer knows this and
is not going TO abandon the COM
modify which has meant so much to
him financially in the past. Wherever
in this country you find a corn farm.
there you find hog producer. Corn
and hogs go hand in hand and are
part of the economic system of our
agriculture. ! See no reason to antici
pate an unusual condition of the hog
market within the next year"
The ability of the packers. Mr.. Wad-
dell added. TO absorb the tremendous
offerings Of hogs was due to the gen
eral Industrial situation of the
country.
employment has been so wide
spread and steady throughout the
United States" he declared. that il
has been possible TO keep the huge
sumers hands and mouths and pre-
vent disastrous piling up of the
product.
Business conditions in general have
been healthy, and when such conditions
exist with labor gainfully employed there
Is always strong demand for meat.
Naturally the great supply has
made it necessary to broaden that de-
mand as much as possible. The natu-
raj way TO strengthen and broaden the
demand and make IL more nearly COM
mensurate with the supply was to offer
as little resistance as possible to the
downward trend of selling prices.
Pork Once .Bargain Food"
Some months ago pork became the
bargain food on the meat counter and
was sold at wholesale on a basis com
parable with that of 1913. The cheap
ness Of the product made it attractive.
and it has moved into consumption with
remarkable freeneSS, The same is true
heavy. but by no means cumbersome"
Similar opinions were expressed by
l.. f. Swift, president of Swift & Co.
Hog receipts in the past year" he said,
have been Il per cent greater than
during 1918, the previous record period
No less important than these huge
ceipts has been the ability OF the coun-
try to consume all the meat offered.
The great increase in supply natu-
rally resulted in lower prices and this
stimulated demand. But no such con-
sumption would have been possible at
ruling prices had il not been for the
general prosperity OF the country. If
the great pork supplies mad occurred
during a period Of depression and un-
employment, l dislike to think what
might have happened to both farmers
and packers"
Heavy Rise in Consumption.
The heavy consumption of meat
products at home" said Thomas f.
Wilson of Wilson & Co, which, ac-
sording to government statistics, in
creased by IS pounds per inhabitant
IN the last year, is fair indication of
what our home markets can absorb
If general conditions are normal and
reasonable prices prevail. 1t seemed
at times in the last year we were fac
ing the possibility of having to carry
over into the next season a large
stock of our products. However, all
our surplus stocks were readily alb
Sorbed."
The heavy marketing of pork un-
had an influence on the
beef situation in the last year. accord
ing to President F. Edison White of
Armour & Co. Beef cattle were mar
keted in normal quantities." he said,
but the surplus pork products
pressed upon the market constituted
competition with beef and in
beef prices have not been
wholly satisfactory either to packers
or producers"