White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1934-12-13
1885 Outlook
Is For Better
Average Prices
Ratio Between Prices and
Commodities Bought
Decreases

Price indexes of Washington farm
products, according to a report issued
by the college of agriculture, agrlcu-
trral extension service and the agrl-
cultural experiment station OF the
State College of Washington, show
gradual rise In prices received by farm
ers and a steady decrease in the I'M
favorable ratio between prices OF farm
products and prices paid by farmers
for commodities bought, during the
past few years.
Not all products have shown the
same proportionate rise. Apples, po-
tatoes and alfalfa reached maximum
levels late in 1888 or early IN 1884,
declining during the summer and fall
months of this year.
Butterfat, eggs, beef cattle and hogs,
on the other hand, reached extremely
low levels during the same period, RS
ing during the past few months to
more favorable prices.
Indexes for important Washington
farm product prices from the base
period of 191O-1914 to the end OF No
vember, 1894, are shown in the tabu-
lated list in the next column.
According to the report issued by
the agricultural departments OF the
state collge, the general business s1tu-
alton for the nation as whole since
September has shown slightly up
ward tendency, in contrast to decline
for several months preceding Septem1
Der. The present state Of business ac-
tiyity is not greatly different from
what it was a year ago. The LATEST
index of the New York Times was
at rs per cent of estimated normal
compared with 70 a year ago. me
latest index of the Business Week was
So compared with go year ago. Both
are appreciably above the figure lot
1899 but below 1880 and 1881, as well
as earlier years. Among the items
which are included in these indexes,
steel production, freight car load1ngs,
electric power production, and auto
mobile production were greater than
year ago, though only automoplle
production and building contracts
production was much greater. Lumber
awarded were slightly less than a veal
ago.
The greatest possibility for increase
in the domestic demand for farm pro
ducts is an increase in the durable
goods industries, says the report Among
these iron and steel goods and build
ing materials are of outstanding I'M
portance. The principal users OF lrol
and steel are the automobile, build
ing and railroad industries.
In summary, the report says ina
the domestic demand for farm pro
ducts in the first half of 1885, as IN
dicated by the prospects for lndustr1a
production and consumers income,
for a level slightly higher than tn
present level, but probably not greatl
different from that of the first hal
of 1884.
The foreign demand, in contrast t
the domestic, is expected to be less ]
1895 than in 1884. Foreign trade bar
riers continue to restrict agriculture
EXPORTS. Bilateral trade agreements al
increasing whereby foreign countrlt
seek to balance their trade ind1vld,
ally with other countries, and TN
tendency is unfavorable to the Unite
States, which has an excess OF con
modify exports to important agrlcu
tural deficit nations.
Outlook reports for 1885 for prli
cipal Washington farm products ar
Hogs
Hog prices in 1885 are expected
average materially higher than Il
low levels prevailing during the Ia
three marketing years. Washingt'
farmers who are situated to produ
up to their quotas which have be-
increased for 1885 above the ADJUST
production for 1884, may expect II
proved prices for hogs next SUNNI
With normal yields in the country
a whole, feed supplies are expected
be plentiful and feed prices may G
cline somewhat.
The present unfavorable relationsf
between hog prices and feed prlc
the severe drought with the RESULT
feed shortage, and the operation
the 1884 corn-hog reduction progra
are expected to keep commercial 81
plies of hogs for the 1934-35 hog mi
,.4,~~, $780,, 49, cyool1pst In more til