The Washington times., 1912-06-02

the sources are open TO inspection, bu,
the bureau chief and suborGinates dc
not care, In a controversial matter, 70
so beyond these figures,
The information received from union
stock yards is supplemented by the in
formation given by various commercial
organizations.
Explains Heavy Shipment.
Whenever an unusual situation is sug-
gested by the reports the matter is i'm
mediately taken up by letter. Some
tim ago great increase in sheep ship.
mnts out of st. Joseph was shown.
letter inquiry was made at once, and
In reply It was stated that the extraor-
dinary shipments resulted from high
water and the necessity of getting the
sheep out of the pens.
In the face of INCREASING receipts al
the markets. of increased stores or
hand, Of decreasing exports and oi
stationary imports, negligible at the
The normal effect of supply and de-
mand on price has ben avoided and the
price Is going in exactly the direction
1t should not 60.
The receipts of cattle and calves at
1912, were 6S7,O22 head. an increase over
April, 1911, and April. 1910.
Exports Decrease.
During the first four months of 1910
the receipts of cattle and calves were
2,7Oo362 head; in 1911. 2,742.3S2 head; and
In 1912. 2,626,64s head.
In April, 1910 there was a stock of
meat In the five principal centers of
1880. 492 pounds; in April, 1911. Of 2ss,-
1oe.4s5 pounds; and in April. 1872 $780,
427,N7 pounds.
The average top price of native steers
IN Chicago IN April 1919 Vas ,oss ssee X N
The range of prices during the month
was from $3.50 to 1915 in 1910, from SO. IS
to $40 in 1911, and from $50 to $3.50
in 1912. On May 25 the price of beef in
The prices are furnished by the editor
OF the Shoe and Leather Reporter to
the Bureau of Statistics.
During the last three years the ex-
ports Of ca cattle sd have steadily decreased ed
April, 1910, to ss4s2,4o6 In the ten
months ended with April, 1912.
During similar periods the imports Of
cattle have risen from $2,o47, ,309 to $3.50. :
400 for the ten months ended with
Our exports of fresh beef, during syn
rhronous ten-month periods, have fallen
from S7,O9s,924 pounds In 1910 to A,4S7,5 ,574
pounds dnrin gthe ten months ending
with April. 1912.
Dur.ng the last two years every
agency has apparently contributed to q
giutted market; yet in the face Of al
most equal cattle receipts, OF stores
OF n,itchered beef twice as large as two
years ago, with imports increasing and
the exports of both cattle end fresh
beef decreasing, the price has marched
steadily up to the highest mark In
thirty years.
The principal meat storage cities Of
the country are Chicago, st. Louis,
Omaha. Kansas City. and Mtlwaukee.
mho Bureau of Statistics does not re-
ceive figures from the stock Yards
showing the weight of receipts. There
is a varie tion in weight from year to
wear. bUt the variation Is comparatively
small. The weight of hoes marketed
this year is shown in figures on file IN
the bureau, but which are not ordinar-
ily 10 be found there. AS compared
with last April, the hogs marketed are
lighter. Tho average weight in Chi
ctgo in April, 1911, was 2H pounds; this
Anri!, o?I. In other markets a similar
falling off Is shown except in st. Paul.
where the average hog marketed In
April. 1911, weighed ZIG pounds ana this
year 22o.
SmaM Decrease.
A few figures on cattle received in st.
Paul in April, 1911. show an average
weight, Of 796 pounds. this year Of 766, a
decrease of practically 4 per cent.
TIE packers are each year holding
greater stocks of meat. The average
OF the principal store centers for the