Evening star., 1926-09-28
=MttERS ENJOYING
PROSPEROUS TINE
Food Products Companies in
General Are Doing Well.
Live Stock Going Up.
BY j. G. ROYLE.

Spetldi DispdICi W AuC otdi'
NEW YORK, September 2S.-Food
products companies in general are in
the midst of remarkably prosperous
period In addition, the approach of
to food sales. promises exceptionally
large gains. Eleven large food prod
ucts compa nies so far this year have
reported an aggregate net gain of 23E2
per cent as compared with the CORE
spending period of 1925.
Perhaps the flour manufacturers
have done as we'll as any one, and
while grain producers in many In
stances have suffered from low prices,
their returns have been dictated by
protein content as much as by any
other factor. Durum wheat. OF which
macaroni is made. has been selling
around 20 cents a buShel higher than
in 1925, or higher than the best bread
wheat. The latter is 10 ceents or more
lower than in the corresponding pc
riod Of last year, owing to gains in
production. The advance in durum
is due to the failure Of the Italian
harvest, and it is the first time In
years that durum has been higher
than bread wheat flour.
Stimulates Flour Production.
The lower price OF bread wheat
flour has stimulated flour production.
The Oriental demand from the Pacific
Northwest has provided marvellous
outlet for the production of Idaho.
Montana Washington and oregon.
with vessels in the carrying trade
fully engaged. While mills in Mime
apolis in 1924 and 1925 averaged a
production of 100000 barrels of
-four a year, a decline from peak pro-
duction reached in 1916, other North
western mills have been increasing
their output.
This trend has been followed by a
decided squirt in production IN the
mills Of Buffalo which bids fair to be
we'll above the 1925 record of 9,OO0,0OO
barrels. The Minnesota mills blame
freight rates for this trend. But Kan
sas City is gradually climbing toward
a point where it can challenge Mime
apolis and Buffalo for supremacy as
a milling center. Kansas City has set
a series of new weekly production
records this year, and the month
production Is we'll in advance or the
previous high mark established IN
September. 1924, or 134.716 barrels.
This has been accomplished through
the operations of the new unit Of the
Washburn Crosby Milling Co. and the
new plant Of the Monarch Milling co.
there. In 1925 the output of the Kan
sas City mills was 5,6O0,OOO barrels,
but a decided Improvement is antlcl-
pated before January ], l92i.
Milling Output Increased.
Kansas City mills grind only hard
Winter wheat, whereas both the other
rival centers produce certain
amount of -four from Spring wheat
The Kansas City elevator capacity
now is in excess of 80 100000 busheis
Of wheat, distributed among A eleVa-
tors, many of them attached direct 70
mills. The St. Louis district has also
increased it's milling output material
ly in late months.
Firm live stock prices are antlcl-
pated this Winter. although the pronts
of the meat packers may fall signify
below those of 1925. The current
price trend of hogs and cattle is up
ward. although no sharp advance IS
anticipated. This is due to the fact
that low prices for feed have resulted
in a large number of heavy animals
arriving at market. The demand Tor
the lighter grades Of cattle and hogs,
however, is still untitled.
With slightly higher feed prices
expected as the season advances. the
trend again will be toward marketing
animals Of the light weights. This
will benefit the packers and possibly
make possible slight advances IN
prices of cattle and hogs to breeders
rather than fatteners. Marketing OF
hogs has been over 100000 animals
less than at this time last year.
Food imports now exceed food ex-
ports in this country. but the de-
pendence of this country on other
countries Is for articles regarded as
luxuries rather than on the esse ntials
OF bread and meat.