Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-05-19
PACKERS eEARIsH IDEAS HAVE
LITTLE EFFECT AGAINST Sell
LERs DEMANDS.
HOGS AGAIN LOWER
Buyers Of Swine Refuse to Give Any
Encouragements Towards an ad-
vance; Shippers Main
Support.

Sellers Of sheep ard lambs have had
another week of easy sailing with
substa ntial gains for all classes OF NUT
ton. Values have assumed the high
est levels of the year and the produc-
ers have reason to become jub1lant
though the consumer bemoans the size
, Of "chops" quqarter will buy. Wool
skin lambs, though gradually dimin-
ishing. came in for a full fifty per cent
advance this week, and shorn STOCK
40@60c better than week ago. Year
lings and aged muttons, while meet
ing firm market all week, bulk OF
offerings show a gain Of 15@25c, and
in spots soc over a week ago.
Killers continue to rule supreme In
have been steady to 10000 under the
close Of a week ago. Market senti-
ment is anything but bullish, although
no serious break is anticipated. Re-
ceipts have been a few thousand more
than needed and helped to give the
packers an edge on the market.
Action of the cattle market is almost
identical with that of 3 week ago.
The strongest market was Monday and
a disappointment thereafter. The bulk
of the crop shows a~decline OF 100 15c
from week ago, stockers and feeders
excepted.
Movement Of winter-fcd steers In the
east and from Kentucky, as well as
from Ontario, is handicapping demand
In the local market. although the east
ern trade is not burdened with Argen-
tine beef. A local packer is reported
to have contracted for 1000 stillers IN
Ontario to be delivered in June at
cost around $500 and with the Can
adian stuff continuing to run with
some freedom for several weeks. boost
ircp haoF cfo VOL RI their .aI9fiVa
levels as against current feeder steer
costs is likely to prove difficult task
for sellers unless supplies fell short
of recent volume. which has appeared
to be fully enough to afford killers
ell the beef thay need.
It is not surplus beef crop in COOL
ers-s anywhere, but still the demands
are running low. High retail prices
are blamed for this. as well as the con-
normal volume. due to the business
lethargy in many quarters.
Beeves Under q Week Ago.
Though $9.45 was paid for prime
heeves on Mondays market trades
after "wednesday for that class took
1O@15c less. as against $3.50 a week
ago. Prime grade yearlings, while
called steady, some at least arc 10c un-
der Mondays market. f..s $50, ,
All the good to choice grades Of she
stock are now selling relatively higher
than medium to good beef steers and
killers are keen to force declines, but
cow and heifer supplies are running
too short to enable them to effect de-
clines such as have been forced in beef
steer trade of late. In tho west it is
p very meager picking now and there
are likewise small runs southwest.
While uneven in the extreme, tho de-
clines enforced since carly in the week
have offset the advances then noted.
On the medium and best grades steady
prices rule as compared with week
ago, and some stuff still looks point
higher, but all phice changes noted on
the more common classes, including
Gamer and cutter stuff, are In buyers
good fat class especially are being
taken by killers as last resort, heavy
post mortem COMBINATIONS keeping
sour on such goods. Light receipts Of
butcher cattle throughout tho week
have held this branch Of the trade in
much better shape than the fat steer
market, but prices current on cows and
heifers look dangerously high relative
ly to the steer trade and it would take
little swelling Of the supply to cause
reaction to lower levels.
Bull trade, while rather active early
in the week, has slowed up with
prices not materially different, possibly
due to light run moving direct to
packers. Closing limits are mainly 1Oc
higher than Monday and 1O@15c over
a week ago. the advance applying in
particular to good bolognas and handy
weight butcher grades. All the fat
beef bulls and best bolognas are now
bringing best prices Of the season and
demand continuing on present broad
scale there appears small chance Of
reaction in values being forced.
Heavy Calves at Record Price.
A good demand east and slowing
up in supplies is the chief force back
Of the veal calf market. Current costs