Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-03-31
ADVANCE SCORED IN SHEEP MARKET;
SHORN LAMBS MAKING BEST CAIN
rs calves were worth up to $7.50mS.
Stockers and Feeders Improve.

! ms calves were worth up to $7.50MS.
Stockers and Feeders Improve.
A little Improvement Is also noted in
| stockers and feeders for the week in
quality stocker stuff. Other grades
however, are on basis Of last week
Prime feeders have sold up to $S.25,
| but they were a kind which normally
would 20 into killing channels. The
| legitimate limit Of the feeder market Is
| considered SO. and a choice grade of
feeders is selling at $7.75@7.S5. Quail
fed calves, yearlings and choice light
stockers are best sellers being quot
able up to SIS and being very scarce.
Stock heifers Of good quality are
scarce and 1901 hieher for the
week.
The eastern industrial situation Is
showing some Improvement and that
| is the crux of the dstributive situation.
Labor union figures at New York
show gradual resumption Of construc-
| ton work, The unemployed army In
that city, recently estimated by union
officials at $4,000. having been reduced
| by $4,000 recently with practical GER
tainty that most Of the remainder will
, be active by May 1. The strike microbe
is busy, however, and this is likely tc
cause more or less inactivity during
the next 80 days. In Chicago brick
yard strike is already affecting building
and disputes over jurisdiction between
different crafts promises to result In
sea sonabie tieup Around May 1 labor
controversies are usually aired and the
beef market invariably suffers. A coal
strike is threat tened. but may be avert
! ed. Coal miners are heavy beef con-
sumers and even a brief tieup Of that
industry would affect the cattle market
adversely. How dependent beef trade is
on Industrial activity is not generally
realized. New York distributors assert
that had conditions in that territory
been normal and pay rolls been OF
usual length, imports Of Argentina
beef would have been absorbed without
creating ripple on the surface Of the
| market pound, whereas, the stuff has
accumulated. necessitating distribution
over large area to work It off.
The run Of Texas cattle from below
the quarantine line promises to be
late in starting. Feed is still abundant
and growers are naturally DESTROYS OF
putting on every possible pound OF
weight. All winter weeds have been
plentiful and if grass comes strong az
this feed dies out the tendency will be
to hold cattle back. The first trainload
has ben started and the reception 1t
gets will depend on how cars are order
ed. The Texas run promises to be well
distributed between Southwestern
| markets and its numerical strength is
variously estimated at 100000 to $780,
900 head. Many Of these are young cat
tie, susceptible Of making considerable
growth. and unless prices are attrac
tive and they may be retained, espec-
tally If feed continues abundant. Texas
growers are very bullish in their ideas
concerning the future and not disposed
| to sacrifice anything.
Argentina beef. heavy supplies OF
which are in New York and much of il
being transhipped to other eastern
points, is crowding the demand for do
nestle product. This killers freely ad-
| mit but since the big American houses
own most Of it they are in position tc
hold the lid down on the market fol-
the domestic product. A sour faced LOT
| Of buyers Of domestic goods are the
killers. They point to the poor outlet
for beef as cause for their Indifference
toward corn-belt goods and at the
same time they are importing greater
quantities or Argentina chilled and
frozen beef quarters each week, and
two weeks hence, when the record
shipments from Buenos Aires land al
New York, flooded market again will
be in prospect.
Free Meats Bear Market.
It is a grand opportunity the free
meats proposition gives killers tc
clamp the lid down on bullish pros
poets for the spring and summer trade
About the only chance for higher
price basis now appears in the market
for the strictly choice to prime quality
corn-fed steers These have an outlet
all their own, because Of scarcity OF
that kind Of goods, and Argentina beef
| cannot compete against them. The
trade generally Is looking for still
higher rates for prime steers, now that
tops have bounded back to a basis
close up with previous high point this
year. and there Is some revival OF SIC
predictions. but on rank and file OF
plain and medium to good short fec
steers the prospect is anything but
bullish. Situation affecting these
classes will naturally be governed tc
no small extent by the Argentina i'm
! ports. and In event that these grades
! hold at current rates, or go still lower
those who so strongly favored free
meats before the tariff bill went into
effect and who claimed that Argentina
twas too short Of beef to hurt American
Nprices, will have opportunity to ex-
plain a lot Of Inconsistencies in their
arguments.
Higher Here Than West.
/! Chicago Is showing relatively bet
ter price situation than west, how