SWINE STATISTICS.


One of the Chicago dailies recently made the point that this city should
be the center of the swine and pork statistics of the country on the
ground that here is the center of trade in these products. The point is
a good one. Some years ago the bulk of the hogs of the West was marketed
at Cincinnati. At that time the Price Current of Cincinnati with
commendable enterprize established itself as an authority in swine and
pork statistics, and it has held the position from that day to this,
despite the fact that Chicago has for several years received and packed
several times as many hogs annually as has the original porkopolis. And
this year, as usual, the Chicago press is dependent upon Cincinnati for
packing statistics throughout the extensive swine-growing regions of the
country. Of course it makes no real difference to merchants or producers
where the figures emanate from so that they are comprehensive and
reliable. It is only a bit of local pride that suggests the idea that
here should the records be kept and the statistics compiled. If there is
not sufficient enterprize here to capture the business, there is no
ground for complaint. We should not have alluded to the matter,
probably, but for the fact that the Cincinnati Price Current, with its
hog-packing statistics, for the season of 1883 has just brought it to
notice. Here the figures are compared with those of last year:

Cities. 1883-84. 1882-83.