Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-04-06
'CATNE CLOSE STRONG
Tone Improves During Session,
But No Appreciate Advance
Noted in Prices
HOGS CLOSE ABOUT 5 LOWER
HOGS CLOSE ABOUT LOWER
Market Was Active Today, Lights
Being the Glass for Which There
Was the Best Demand-Receipts
Heavy Compared With Demand =
Cheep Receipts Liberal.

Chicago, April 6.-Cattle-Early de.
mand was slow and buyers were very
cautious, but later better inquiry de-
veloped. Altho the tone was strong
at the close, there was no appreciable
| advance in prices.
| Receipts of cattle last week show
some increase over the previous week
but are still comparatively moderate
| The total stands close to 10000 head
against $4,000 the previous week anG
| 1000 a year ago. The demand was
remarkably uneven all last week and
prices have shown radical fluctuations
On Monday, tho the supply was large
most of the good to choice steers solo
about steady, but the mediums were
lower. On Wednesday buyers pound
| ed the market hard and forced a de-
a decline that was rather severe. On
| Thursday they acted as if they were
sorry for their Wednesdays behavior
and bought the supply up quickly, adj
vancing values almost enough to cover
the Wednesday decline. Compared
with week ago, however, prices show
reduction of 15025c on the bulk OF
the cattle below the 81 line. The best
steers have not changed so much, tho
they are not as high as at the best
time.
1t would be too much to expect
such boom prices to stick without
some reaction. The advance in the
market has been remarkably rapid
and the upward pace has been almost
unprecedented. Buyers have reached
point where they are anxious to call
halt. but whether they can check
the upward march of the trade de-
ponds, Of course, on the future sup
ply.
The country has been made bullish
by this recent Improvement in the
market, and the disposition now is to
hold back as much as possible and get
the stuff in a better marketable shape.
While the shipping demand has
SldCheIieu up d HUE uuIlIl tIle pdSl
few days, it has been remarkably good
during the week and right up to a
week ago. The demand on export ac-
count has also been very strong. con-
sidering the conditions of the markets
on the other side, and, altogether, the
outlet was good.
The efforts that buyers have made
this week to apply the brakes have
set many to thinking that it will be
prudent to keep receipts down this
week.
The highest price for beef cattle
last week was $3.50 which is the
highest of the year thus far. The
demand was uneven all week, and val
ues averaged a little lower than one
week ago; still, this is to be expected
after such sudden and remarkable
boom.
Hogs.
Hogs We're active. closing generally
sc lower. Lights were in best demand,
closing at 5.SO@6.20. Receipts We're
heavy for the needs of trade.
Receipts of hogs for last week total
about 12S,OOO, against $4,000 the pre-
vious week and 100000 a year ago. The
market was very uneven during the
week, due mainly to the inequality in
receipts and the strenuous efforts
packers were making to stop the up
ward flight of the market. The high
spot was reached on Wednesday, when
the top brought $6.45. This is the high
est since late last fall. Packers took
hard fall out of the market on
Thursday and forced severe decline.
Friday some more was Whitfield off, but
Saturday, with Il little stronger tone,
prices were 15@20c lower than at the
high time of the week, but 10@15c
higher than a week ago.
All of the western markets were
pretty well supplied with hogs last
week, and the total at the six leading
markets shows gain of 10000 over
the previous week and $4,000 over a
year ago Shippers bought very free
ly all week, but did not get as many
as the previous week. They took about
$4,000 head, against $1,000 a year ago.
1t is the shipping demand that has
been the boosting factor in the trade
for some time, and packers do not have
much hope of dragging down the mar
ket under such conditions, especially
since the country has become bullish
and is inclined to hold back. A year
ago hogs We're selling at s6.50@69O,
which looked pretty high, compared
with this time in 1899, when hogs were
selling at s3.5O@395.