Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-12-01
CATTLE FAIRLY AC||Y[
Prices About Unchanged With
Very Good Cattle Crossing
Scales at AIS
EXPORTERS ARE FREE BUYERS
There is Every Reason to Believe
That Hog Prices Will Improve =
Packers Have Killed Much Less
Than Last Year-Not So Many Hogs
Running Behind Cattle.

PACKERS nave NitIeQ Much Less
Than Last Year-Not So Many Hogs
Running Behind Cattle.
Chicago Dec. 1.-Cattie-Fairly act
i've at unchanged prices, with very
good cattle crossing the scales at AIS.
Exporters are free buyers at present
and want better class OF cattle than
usual.
Sheep.
Prices are advancing under the in
fuence of active demand and decreas-
ing receipts.
Hogs.
Prices are about SOLO cents lower.
trade being fairly animated.
While there has been an increase in
the marketward movement and an i'm
provement in quality, indicating that
spring pig crop widely touted as
backward, is rapidly reaching maturity,
the supply has been subjected to vlo-
lent contractions subsequent to bad
breaks In values. This shows that the
grower has not become reconciled to
permanency OF the new low level.
There are few hog men in the country
who believe that the market will stay
on a cent basis, even If put there by
a heroic effort on the part of the
buying interest. An impression also
prevails that the size of the hog crop
to be marketed this season has been
overestimated. Confirmatory of this
is the estimate of George Pratt, chief II
the Armour buying force. who. when
asked for his opinion as to the probable
size of the December run at Chicago.
said:
AT rough estimate, should say
obtu 100000, certainly not man,
more"
Now. December, 1902, saw s94.3ss
hogs reach Chicago During that
month mixed sold at range of $3.50
6.S5: heavy. s5.7o17.15. and light s5.4e
@675. These prices are much higher
than current quotations. an inexplic-
able feature, in view of the moderate
estimate for December of such recog-
nized expert as George Pratt, and the
fact that packing operations at Chicago
so far this season have been mu.h
lighter than for years past This state
ment of killing from Oct. 80 to date
for the years indicated is Of interest al
this juncture:
w. 49,. 80. 49,. ..... b99.OOJ
l9ol $500. 949. 00D
isoo ...... ...... 49,. $3.50. .S43.O 900
1879 81 z 0il1
1898 $500. -. 1921 .00g
Accepting the Pratt estimate, this
indicates a shortage in hog killing Al;
Chicago from Oct. 80 to Jan /, COM
pared with last year. of approximately
10000. which certainly does not justi-.
fy further raid on values.
Last seasons high prices were, in
trade opinion. largely due to artificial
Corners were run In lard
and ribs. both reputed to have been
expensive to the packing interests
which engineered them.
year ago the country had every
reason to hold back the hog crop.
Prices were high and every pound ct
increased weight meant added profit
while feed lots were full OF cattle, ne
plenty of hogs to follow
them. The result was the midsummer
run oyerweights that enabled killers
not In the lard deal to throw the stun
1t those who, were running that corna.
~ the ton. Had this run Of heayy
hogs been foreseen, the corner would
Tot have been attempted. The effort
It least proved the fallacy of trying %
pull the tail end of light hog cron.
lltho the bulling Of the tail end of A
ieavy crop is not as chimerical a prom
'sition. Now feed lots are not crowded
With cattle, consequently not as many
logs are needed to follow and the price
s low enough to discourage the major
ty from running the risk of feeding
thru the season OF inclemency. This
nay force the big end of the crop in
arly An Iowa man who raises many
logs said yesterday:
Il am going to hold my hogs as long
IS they keep in good health. / don't
relieve the crop is as large as has
'een represented. The killers are
argely responsible for circulating that
dea. They want to get the big eri
4 the supply cheap Last year. / TOOK
his cue and got my stuff in early. Tae
'rices looked good enough TO me AMI
hey had the prospect of going lower
instead of higher. Now they look
retty low, and think after the boz
ON has been reached there will be
ebound. Last season selling early was
my Judgment good policy, this year
n ~ La ~ ctc tn