The Mahnomen Pioneer

MAKES EFFORT TO BOLSTER PRICES

Central Association on Ground Looking After Farmer's Interest During the trying period of undue bearishness on the part of packer buyers preceding and during the labor controversy between Armour & Co. and its employees the Central Co-operative Association made an earnest effort to uphold prices at South St. Paul and to balance that market in relation to other markets of the country, states the weekly market bulletin issued by that organization.

Unwilling to sell hogs at the damaging price declines forced on other selling agencies, which took prices from 65-cents to 70-cents below Chicago levels, N. K. Carnes, general manager of the Central Co-operative Association, ordered Central hogs not to be sold except at prices in line with other markets.

On Tuesday, November 14, the Chicago top was $4.60. Top at South St. Paul that day was $4.15. On the following day Chicago and other Markets were held about steady but packers at South St. Paul lowered their bids 20 cents to a $3.95 top for hogs. They were unable to buy on that basis except from the Central salesmen. This decline did not seem to be justified to them.

"This was too wide a spread between our market and other markets," said Mr. Carnes, "and our salesmen refused to sell on that basis and their hogs were held over for another day's market. To make matters more perplexing a strike among Armour & Co. employees developed the next day and that institution called a halt to its hog buying operations."

While other markets of the country were holding hogs at steady prices the remaining buyers at South St. Paul forced another 5c lower to a $3.90 top.

"In order to protect our patrons from the erratic price cut, the Central Co-operative Association took title to Wednesday's hog receipts of approximately 7000 hogs and on the following day disposed of them to outside pork packers and on other markets during the balance of the week. Owners of top hogs in those consignments received $4.00 per cwt. for them or 10c above the price paid for hogs of similar quality to competitive agencies here."

"During the past week country loadings for the markets were quite generous, and with buying competition limited (Armour & Co. still being out of the market because of the strike) it necessitated holding hogs over from day to day. Nevertheless, our men spared no effort during this time to obtain outside competition to aid this market."

"Altho. prices have continued to decline due to liberal supplies, the approaching poultry season and the processing tax levied by the Federal government, prices are now in line with outside markets."