Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-04-08
WEAKNESS N HOGS
ON POOR DEMAND
LIGHT HOGS NOT DESIRED BY
BIDDERS BUT HEAvlES HOLD
ABOUT STEADY.
PACKERS FAILED TO ASSERT
eEARiSH INDICATIONS
Bad Shape-Eo Demand From Pack
Higher Prices - Sheep and Lambs
Steady.

STEADY.
| Chicago. April Slight hogs had
I poor demand al the outset and the mar
ks, showed weakness, the first prices
OF heavy hogs were about steady, with
an average about the same as yesteT-
day. Packers did not seem TO care to
assert their bearishness TO the extent
Of breaking the market.
The country has tried the tonic
effect of lighter receipts this week,
On, has failed to check the sagging
tendency of the market. Mondays
! trade was SO 10c lower and on Tues
! day the same depreciation was ef-
! fected, light stuff suffering most on
that session. Wednesday light re-
ceipts caused 501Oc advance. and
on Thursday 1t was a steady to sc
higher market. This was wiped out
today. leaving prices a little lower
than last week Lighter receipts are
attributed to resentment at the Mon
day break Provisions have been
working steadily lower and have
touched 2 sac hog basis. There IS
no optimism to be detected in trade
circles and no one viii be surprised
to see still lower prices.
Conditions surrounding the prcvi-
sion market point to Il struggle be-
tweent the longs and the shorts later
in the season. The longs are said to
control a large line OF May ribs and
as they are known to be fighters they
are likely to make an effort to force
the shorts to cover. ON the other
hand the shorts are now on 'velvc,."
and with ribs coming from the coun-
Try in goodly quantities there Is
likelihood Of a stubborn stand being
made by the bears The bulls have
been figuring all along on the heavy
hog run being cut Town to normal
conditions, because OF muddy roads,
coupled with spring seeding but tho
mud and the farm work have had TO
effect on the big receipts, and the
situation as viewed from an impartial
standpoint Is as bearjsh as ever.
A provision specialist predicts that
there Will be a choppy market for
some time to come. He expects that
the leading holders will be slow sellers
at any lower level.
Combined receipts of hogs at eleven
markets Friday totaled $500. or $500
more than week ago, 27.,oO more than
responding Friday two years ago. Chi
cago had 5000 less than a week ago
and 5000 more than year ago. Kan
sas City had 1000 more than a week
ago and 1000 moro than a year ago.
Omaha had 1900 more than a week ago
and 1000 more than a year ago. st.
Louis had 1900 more than week ago
and 1000 more than year ago. ST. Jo-
seph had only 500 more than week
and a year ago. Sioux City had 1900
more than week go and 1000 more
than a year ago. Total thus far this
week. 393. 900. or $1,000 less than same
time last week. $4,000 more than like
period last year and $1,000 more than
corresponding Ave day. two years ago
Total for 1911 to date, e577n0o or
1,2eoooo more than same period 1910.
but $4,000 less than corresponding
time IN 1909.
Cattle.
Cattle were nominal and steady. there
being no market. Trade Is in bad
shape. There Is no demand from pack
ers on which sellers can base hopes
Of higher prices.
The manner IN which the market has
acted demonstrates that the presence
OF few thousand head more would
have PLAYED havoc with the price list.
It confines to be a super-sensitive
market. and the presence Of few head
more than are actually needed TO fill
Urgent orders gives prices a set back
Packers insist that eastern demand for
heef shows no Improvement. but a con-
trary belief exists There has been
little beef at the Missouri river this
week and trade has acted here in a
manner calculated 20 confirm the i'm
preston that about $4,000 cattle week
tiy is the limit CT the digestive capacity
Of the market under present consump-
tive conditions.
Recurrence Of Jewish holidays the
latter part Of next week promises to
eliminate demand for heavy Kosher
cattle AT least until Thursday. when
sumed. A word to the wise shipper is
sufficient. Heavy cattle ought to be
few on Monday as hey are always bad
actors when eastern Kosher demand is
out.
| Country a.ivices indicate that feed
| lets all over the corn belt are still
populous with cattle that are ready to
| come whenever owners nave incentive
| to ship. What proportion Of the avail
| able supply carries excessive weight
remains to be seen. Fed is abundant,
| weather OF exactly the right brand for
making gains and an impression exists
| that for the next sixty DAYS there will
be no scarcity of 140o01500 10 steers
| Optimism is decidedly lacking in mar
ket circles and most traders on the SELL
ing side will consider themselves lu.lsy
II they are able to hold prices in tn.
present notch.
| Buyers say they have been In leash
all week. having explicit instructions
not to take a single steer in excess of
urgent orders. Beef trade during Hoy
week is invariably bad, as the religious
ly inclined element OF the population
Invariably observe the last period of the
Lenten season, consequently killers
have planned to have bare shelves next
week. A hope exists that with Lent of
the calendar beef demand will pick up.
Usually the last week Of Lent wit
nesses revival OF activity. but absence
Of Kosher demand will be an abnormal
| adverse influence this season.
Supply and price conditions this
week are radically different from
the Sc of a year ago. The run OK the
corresponding weel. OF 1910 was the