Show t mm m I iA A A Washington Daybook i 4 By RODNEY BUTCHER DUTCHER WASHINGTON Jan 14 14 In In 1920 when wheat sold for 3 a n bushel 1000 bushels of the grain would retire a n mortgage on oct a farm At the bottom ottom of ot the wheat price depression depres depres- sion Ion last October when wheat hit the he lowest prices in modern modem history it t would have taken bushels to retire the same mortgage and even ven today conditions are not very much better But this Isn't the complete picture for or the federal farm board insists that hat practically all the reductions in retail etall food prices that havo occurred recently have been taken out of the farmers farmer's hide Farmers ar are receiving much less ess for live hogs than is just justified ie by iy prices consumers are arc paying for pork products says C. C B. B Deriman Denman a member of the board as he quotes prices on a certain day of last month These show that prices at New York retail markets for good grade pork chops averaged 2 20 cents a pound a reduction of 7 cents or 21 per cent from the price of the same day one year before ham 22 cents a pound a reduction of or 7 2 1 cents or 25 per percent percent percent cent sliced bacon 32 cents a pound a reduction of 9 cents or 22 per cent lard 13 2 1 cents a pound a reduction reduction tion of 3 cents or 18 per cent In the same week prices of live hogs in Chicago averaged per pounds compared to for the corresponding week In 1930 a reduction of or or 47 per cent cents With agencies between the farmer and the consumer making little or no reductions in their margins practically cally all the burden of supplying the consumer with priced low pork products Is being carried by the farmers says Denman The percentage per per- farmers receive of retail prices of pork products is the smallest smallest small small- est on record Current retail prices w warrant considerably higher prices for hogs than farmers are receiving Addressing the Institute of American Ameri Amen can Meat Packers in irs New York recently recently re re- re Denman called upon them to narrow the gap between producer and consumer The livestock industry said Denman Den Den- man is entitled to a reduction in the cost of meal meat distribution Live Live- Livestock stock lock producers have had to bear the burden jurden of at high merchandising costs since the prewar period During the past two years when all prices have declined the farmers farmers' have received a decreasing proportion of the price Ithe the consumers pay for tor meat The cost of processing and ing ng a unit of meat has declined very little from irom tho the relatively high levels prevailing pre before the depression An undue proportion of the burden resulting re no suiting from reduced consumer purchasIng purchasing pur pun chasing power is being passed on to I Ithe the farmer I A classic Instance was a. a u cited by I J John ohn Simpson of Oklahoma City p president resident of the National Farmers' Farmers u union nion in his testimony before the senate enate s agriculture committee re re- re- re c Submitting canceled checks and andales s sales ales records as evidence Simpson d developed this W. W B. B Ester Estes a sheep r raiser residing near Littleton Colo Cob shipped hipped s seven sheep to A. A A. A A. A Blakely Blake- Blake b ly y a Denver commission merchant Blakely's company sold two of the s sheep heep to the Hurlburt Packing company com corn pany ony p of Denver for and the theother theother o other ther five to Swift Co for o or r a total of From this there was deducted for Insurance in and commission Sheep Raiser Estes for his bis seven sheep got gota a check for the balance 75 cen cents which he hc gave to Simpson and which Simpson waved before the senate senate sen son ate committee Estimates by the department of or agriculture agriculture agriculture ag ag- ag- ag representative at the tile packIng pack pack- Ing lag plant Simpson went vent on showed that the consumer would pay for tor these seven sheep when butchered On a dining car near Chicago Simpson ordered two lamb Iamb chops for his lunch His bill was 85 cents cents or or 10 cents more than Sheep Raiser Estes Estes Es Es- tes got for all his seven sheep Now something is the matter matter- Simpson told the senators |