Show T STEADIER HOG MARKETS PLANNED o n Hog Producers and Packers Confer With Representatives Representatives Representatives of the Food Administration and Agricultural Department and Adopt I New Plan of Regulation I Administration since Its foundation In with the policy of the Food tion to consult ron representative men amen In iu the agricultural industry on occasions lon of Importance to special branches of the Industry on October 24 2 there wa wn- wn Live Stock Stork Subcommittee of Cof the th convened ened in Washington a 1 of ot the tho Agricultural Advisory Board Doard and tho the special members member representing the swine Industry to consider the situation in the hog market The fhe conference lasted for three days and during this time met with the executive committee of tho the fifty packing firms Onus participating In foreign orders for tor pork products and with the members of tile the Food Administration directing foreign pork purchases The conclusions of the conference were as follows The entire marketing situation hasso has hasso so 80 changed since the tho September Joint conference as to necessitate an entire alteration In the plans of price The current peace pence talk has alarmed the holders of corn com cornand and anel there 25 has hns been heen a n price decline of from cents to 40 cents rents per bushel The fact that the accumulations of low priced corn in the Argentine and South Africa ca would upon the advent of pence peace and uld liberated shipping become available available avail avail- able to the I European market has hns created cre cro- apprehension on pled a great deal of decline the part of ot corn com holders This has spread fear among swine growers that a similar reduction in the prices of or hogs would naturally follow Moreover Moreover Moreover More More- over the lower range of corn priceD would if Incorporated In a to 13 l to 1 ratio ratio ra ra- tio obviously result In a continuously falling price for live hogs In view of these changed conditions many anticipated lower swine producers prices and as a result rushed their hogs to market in large numbers and this has hns added to and aggravated aggra the decline The Information of the Department of or Agriculture Indicates that the supply supply supply sup sup- ply of hogs has Increased about 8 per estimate estimate esti esti- unofficial the highest rent cent while mate does not exceed 15 per cent increased Increased In In- creased production over last year On the till other hand the arrival of hogs during daring durin the last three weeks In the seven even great markets has been 27 per than last year during the rent font more more corresponding period demonstrating Ih the unusually lly heavy marketing of the available supply In the tile face tace of the excessive receipts some packers have not maintained the price agreed last month On theother th other hand many of or the packers parkers have have paid over over th the price offered to them In on an endeavor to maintain maIt mall twin the agreed price The re rev result result been It failure sult suit In any event has to maintain the October price basis determined up upon n at the We September conference conference conference con con- ference and undertaken b by the pack pack- ers Another factor contributing to the break in prices during the month has been the Influenza epidemic it has sharply curtailed consumption of pork products and temporarily decreased decreased de do- creased the labor staff of the packers abo about t 25 per cent Th The exports of pounds mounds of pork products for October October compared compared compared com com- pared with about pounds in October a a. a year ago and the export orders peaceable by the Fo Food d Administration for November amount to pounds as contrasted contrast contrast- ed with the lesser exports of of for November 1917 The Increased demands of the allies are continuing and are In hi themselves proof of the necessity for the large production for which the Food Admin Admin- AdminIstration Administration asked The Increase In export export ex ex- ex port demands appears to be amply sufficient to take up the Increase in hog production but unfavorable market market mar mill ket conditions existing in October afford afford af of ford no fair Index of the aggregate supply and nd demand It must be evident that the enormous enormous enormous enor enor- shortage in fats tats In the Central I Empires s and ond neutral countries would immediately upon peace result In ad ad- demands for tor pork products which on on top of the heavy shipments Is Isto to the Allies would woud tend materially to increase the American exports Inv in as no considerable reservoir of supplies exists outside 0 of the United States It seems probable that the flue prospective supplies would be ho to to meet this world demand with the return to peace So far tar as Itis It ItIs Itis is possible to interpret this fact tact it appears appears ap ap- pears that there timers should be even a stronger demand for tor pork products after the war and therefore any alarm of or hog log producers as to the effect e of peace Is unwarranted by bythe he outlook In the light of these circumstances It Is the conclusion of the conference that attempts to hold the tho price of ot hogs to the price of ot corn may work out to the disadvantage of pork producers It Is 18 the conclusion that any Interpretation tation Cation of the formula should be a abroad abroad abroad broad gauged policy applied over ft q long period It ht Is the opinion of the conference that In substitution of ot the time previous plans of stabilization the Live Uve Stock Subcommittee of ot the Agricultural Agri cultural Advisory Board together with the specially Invited swine representatives lives tives should a accept the the invitation of ot the time Food lood Administration to Join with the and the packers in det the prices at which controlled controlled con- con trolled export orders are to be placed This will be regularly rel done The Influence In Inv fluence of these orders order will be directed maintenance of ot the common ob ob- 01 to tb t the e namely jest the of ot the price of ot live hogs so 80 as I to secure lecure as far tar faras HS as It U Is II possible tali lr return to the producer and the Insurance of an adequate adequate adequate ade ade- quate future supply These foreign orders are arc placed upon the basis buls of cost of hogs bogs to the packers As the time result of long negotiations bel this body and the Packers' Packers Committee representing tho the 45 to 60 50 packers pI participating In foreign ordera orders orders or or- ders dera together with the Allied A buyers all under the Chairmanship of the tho Food Administration the th following undertaking undertaking un un- has been given by the tho packers pack pack- ers In view of the undertakings on the part of the Food Administration with regard legard to the co purchases of pork products covered in the attached attached at at- ached It Is agreed that the packers participating in these orders will undertake undertake un un- not snot to purchase hogs for tor less than the following agreed minimums for the month of November that Is a adaily dally daily minimum of 1750 1760 per hundred pounds on average of packers packers' droves excluding throw Throw outs to be defined as pigs under pounds stags boars thin sows and skips Further I urther that no hogs of any kind shall be bought except throw- throw outs at less than 1050 per hundred pounds The average of packers' packers droves dro to be construed es as the average of the total sales in the market of all hogs for a given ilven day All the tile above to be based on Chicago We agree that a committee shall Rhall be appointed by the Food Administration to check the dally daily operations In the various markets with a view to super super- vision and demonstration of the carrying carryIng carryIng carry- carry Ing out of the above The ability of the packers to carry carryout carryout carryout out this arrangement will depend on there being a normal marketing of hogs based upon the tile proportionate Increase In In- crease over the receipts of last year The Increase in production appears tobe to tobe tobe be a maximum of about per 15 per cent and we can handle hondle such an Increase If the time producers of hogs should as they hake haye ha e In the past few tew weeks prematurely prematurely pre pro maturely market hogs in such increasing ing tog numbers over the above it is entirely entirely entirely en en- beyond the ability of the packers pack pack- ers to maintain these minimums and therefore we must have the cooperation cooperation cooperation opera co tion of the producer himself to maintain maintain maintain main main- tain these results It is a physical Impossibility for the tho capacity of the packing houses to handle a similar over-flood over of hogs and ond to find a market for the output The Time packers are anxious tons ious to operate co-operate with the producers In maintaining a stabilization of price and ond to see that producers receive a fair price for their products Signed THOS E. E WILSON Chairman Puckers Puckers' Committee The rhe plan embodied above was adopted adopt adopt- ed by the conference eThe r e The Food Administrator has appointed appoint appoint- ed a committee comprising Mr Thomas E. E Wilson chairman of the Packers Packers' Packers Packers' Pack Pack- ers' ers Committee Mr Everett Brown president ent of the Chicago Livestock l Ex Exchange Exchange Ex- Ex x- x change Major Roy of the l Food Administration Administration Ad Ad- ministration Mr Louis D. D Hall lIall of or the Bureau Harems of ot Markets to undertake the supervision super of the execution of the plan In the various markets Commission Commis slon sion men are asked to operate co In carrying out the plan embodied in the packers packers' agreement It must be evident evi dent clent that offers o by commission men to sell hogs below the minimum established above ubo Is not fair either to the tho producer or the participating packers Mr Brown has hns undertaken on behalf of the commission men in the United States that lint they will loyally support the plan pion It Is believed belle by the conference that this new plan based as it Is upon n a positive minimum basis will bring better bet ter results results' to the producer than titan average aver age ago prices for tor time the month It docs does not limit top prices and should narrow the time s' s n to country buyers buyers buyers buy buy- ers In more variable markets It Is believed ed that the tho plan should work out close to 18 average n II f Swine producers of the country will contribute to their own Interest by hy not flooding tho limo market for tor It must bo he evident that If it an on excessive over percentage percentage per per- of hogs Is marketed In an any anyone anyone one month price stabilization and control control control con con- cann cannot t succeed and It Is ts certain that producers themselves can contribute contri lute bute ute materially to the efforts of ot tho the conferences If It they will do their mark marlc marketing eting In as 08 normal a way as all possible The rho whole situation a as e existing at nt present demands a frank anti and explicit assurance from thu conferees represented namely namely that every possible effort rort will willIe be Ie made to maintain n a lire life hog price commensurate with swine production costs cost and reasonable sell sell- sellIng Ing values alues In execution of the he declared policy of ot the Food Administration to use every evOry agency In Its control to secure lecure Justice to the life fanner The stabilization methods adopted for tor November NO represent the beet bt be t efforts efforts ef d. forts of ot the conference concurred In is isby by bl the be Food Administration UD Mull and tile the s Livestock Subcommittee of the tIle Agricultural Agricultural Agri Agri- cultural A Advisory 11 1801 Board together with swine members and the tho representatives of t f the packers to Improve Improve Im Im- 1 prove the present present unsatisfactory situation situ atlon which witch has unfortunately resulted result result- ed because of time the Injection of factors facto We ask the producer to operate co with us In lu u a most difficult task The fhe members of the Conference were I Producers Producers- II C. C Stuart Elk Eik l lk Oar Gar Ga den Va Chairman Agricultural Advisory Advisory Ad Ad- Board j W W. M M. McFadden Chicago Chica Chicago Chi Chi- cago ca o A A. Sykes Ida Grove la 18 Is John M M. 1 Evvard En-ard Ames la Ia J J. J H Iii Mercer Mercer Mer Mer- Live Stock Commission for Kansas Kan Kan- sas Mile J J. J O. O G 0 Brown Monon Ind E. E C C. Brown President Chicago Livestock Exchange N N. If II 11 Gentry Sedalia Mo j Soho John t ii Broomfield Colo Cole j Eugene Eu Eu- Eugene gene Funk Bloomington III Isaac Lincoln Aberdeen S. S SD S.D. D D. C. C W W. Hunt Logan la In C. C E. E I Yancey Yancey W W. R. R R Dod Bed son soil Food Administration Herbert Herbert Moo Hoo Hoover ver yer F. F I 1 S. S Snyder Major E E. E L. L 1 Roy Hoy 0 O. H II U. Powell Department of Agriculture Louis Agriculture Louis D. D D hall l all F. F F R. R Marshall The packers present and others sharking sharing In foreign orders were represented represented I n teel by tho the elected packers' packers commit commit- tee tet Those represented were Packers Armour Packers Armour Co Chicago III j Cudahy Packing Co Chicago III Ill j Morris Co Chicago ill Swift A Co Chicago III Wilson Co Chicago Chica Chica- go III Ill John Agar Co o. o Chicago Ill Armstrong Packing Co Dallas 11 Tex Boyd BOYel Dunham Co Chicago DI Brennan Packing Co Chicago go It IL Cincinnati Abattoir Co Cincinnati 0 O. Clevelend Provisions Co Cleve Cleve- Cleveland Cleveland land 0 O. Cudahy Bros Co Cudahy J J. J Dold Dald Packing Co Buffalo N. N Y Y Dunlevy Packing r Co l Pa J. J E E. E Decker Sons Bons Mason City Ia la Evansville Packing Co Evansville Evans- Evans yule ville Ind East Side racking Packing Co 00 East St St. Louis III Hammond Standish Co Detroit Mich 0 O. O A A. Hormel A Co Austin Minn Home Packing Ice Co Terre Haute Ind lad Independent ent Packing Co Chicago Ill Indianapolis Indian apolis Abattoir Co Indianapolis Ind hid International Provision Co Brooklyn N N. Y V. V Interstate Packing Co Winona Minn Munn Iowa racking Packing Co Des Moines la Ia In Powers Begg Co Jacksonville Ill Kingan Co Indianapolis Ind lad Krey Packing Co St St. Louis Mo Lake Erie Provision Co Cleveland 0 O. O Lay Lay- ton Co Milwaukee Wis Oscar Mayer Bro Dro Sedgwick and Beethoven streets Chicago Ill J. J T. T T McMillan Co St St. Paul laul Minn Miller Hart Chicago Ill J 3 Morren Morrell Co Ottumwa ottumwa wa la In Nuckolls Pocking Packing Co Pueblo Colo Ogden Packing and Provision Co Ogden Utah Ohio l Provision Co Cleveland Cle O. O 0 Parker Webb Co Detroit De Do Detroit troit Mich lIeh PIttsburg Packing am an and Provision Co Pittsburg Pa 18 Packing Co Waterloo la In Roberts d dOaks Oake Oaks Chicago Ill Rohe Bros Uros New Neu NewYork NewYork York City W W. W 0 O. Mouth Routh Co Logansport logons Logans port mud St Louis Louhi Ind lad Packing Co St. St Louis Mo Sinclair Co T T. T M 11 Cellar Cedar la In Sullivan Co tie De- De D trout Mich Theurer-Norton Theurer Co Cleveland eland 0 O. O Wilson Provision Co Peoria Ill III Western Packing and Provision Co Chicago III J Charles Charlet Wolff Packing Co Topeka Kan |