Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-04-18
DECIDED BREAK At START AND
DECLINES TOO RAPID TO
KEEP TRACK OF.
PACKERS HAMMERED PRICES,
CONCESSIONS BEING IS TO so
Main Trouble Was Too Many Hogs
Cattle Supply Also Liberal and Trade
Had Early Chill, But Declines Held
To Small Figures - Sheep Best
Branch Of Market.

SnlCdSO, ApTll lo.-4OO HIdAy AoSS
made it apparent that the market
would have a decided break. The de-
clines were so sharp that the trade
could scarcely keep track of them. The
opening was 25 cents lower, buyers.
however, insisted on concessions of So
$50 cents, the latter being quotable
in the decline at the finish. Packers
hammered prices freely. The top today
is 81 lower than the high point Of a
week ago.
While the top Is only IS cents lower
than week ago. most of the stuff
Saturday was s1.20 lower than the
high spot in March, but the bulk show
a decline of about s1.40.
Supply shows considerable increase
everywhere in the west. The five
principal western markets report about
24s.000, against $4,000 the previous
week and $4,000 year ago.
Neither market nor country senti-
ment is bullish regarding hogs now
and the decline of the past four weeks
may start run All winter the coun-
try has been holding back light stuff
and putting on weight, the result being
a display of sterling porcine quality
in April. During cold weather many
hogs did not do we'll, but all thru
March excellent gains were made.
corn was becoming cheaper daily and
the hog market wore a bloomy ap-
pearance. This was one reason why
March receipts were so light and why
movement figures are assuming bear
ish proportions now. Hogs are still
high. however. A year ago $3.50 took
the best and that market was causing
little complaint. probably because it
had succeeded in emerging from such
a wrecked rut Packers are making
all kinds of promises as to what they
propose to do with the market. but at
the new price basis pork consumption
will undoubtedly increase and help the
grower.
Cattle were in liberal supply, and
the trade had an early chill, due to
the weather. fearing that prices would
be force sharply off. Instead the de-
clines were held to comparatively small
figures and the market had IAN active
tone where sellers were willing to con-
cede a break of 10@15 cents from the
high time of last week. ~
Some comment has been occasioned
by the report from the east that Ar
gentine beef is likely to be dumped
on the New York market but traders
here do not seem to be afraid that
competition from that source will
amount to anything. Some Austral-
ian frozen mutton is arriving at New
York but that is not the right kind
of material to seriously affect the
market for beef.
about $4,000 against against only $4,000
the previous week and $4,000 a year
ago The top for cattle last week was
1855, which was paid for a load of
prime Herefords from the South Da-
kota. The market was dull for the
heavy, high priced cattle, but good for
the lighter weights around 1900
pounds Anything over 1,400 pounds
was hard to sell. The bulk of the good
to choice steers sold last week at $500
$3.50, with the lighter kinds at $500
500 and a large share of the fair to
good killers at s7.00@7!50. There were
also a good many short-fed steers
which had to go at $6.Oo@S.75. but not
many sold below &C. The market is
about $3.50 higher than a year ago at
this time.
Sheep.
The live mutton trade was better
than any other branch of the livestock
market Choice lambs were stronger
Better sorts of sheep were fully as
high as the prices paid at the close OF
last week.