Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-03-17
INCREASE IN RECEIPTS Of CATTLE
CAUSES SEVERE DECLINE IN PRICES

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I Hight steers sold at $74o67.70. The
| choice bred light cattle are now show
/ ing much decline in some cases, year
lings Of best quality being hardly more
than 15c down. Bulk Of decent to good
| light stockers and plain and medium
grade feedrS were cashed around $7@
100 and there was a fair crop Of com
mon light cattle feeders down to $6.75
and lower, with the poorer grade thin
| off -colored stock steers down to $3.50
$50. Stock heifers and cows have been
| lowered 15m25c in value recently, In
| fluenced by the decline for steers, and
a small country outlet prevailed Tor
these grades. Prospects favored con-
siderable crop Of medium to pretty
good stock and feeder steers going over
for next weeks market.
showed flat csc decline and bulk of
common and medium were 500 40c
lower than early last Monday, when
sales showed a little higher basis. Inc
big end of the Monday crop, however,
did not go especially better than high
point late last week. and thus 1t Is
mainly a 25c cut from week ago for
good to choice, with the bulk OF me-
dunn and plain stuff 300 4Oc lower.
This weeks experience indicates that
sharp advances will start run at any
time, while such breaks as occurred on
Monday will have the effect of checking
loading operations in the country. I'M
proved condition shows that cattle now
available have been cornfed longer
than those coming a month ago, but
feeders are averse to running into long
feeds. Scarcity Of fat cattle at Missouri
river points is still conspicuous and
probably will continue to be, as winter
beef making has been mainly in Chi
cago territory.
The eastern situation shows no i'm
provement and demands from that
source Is more likely to weaken than
change for the better as the season
works along, as each week will IN.
crease Pennsylvania marketing and
winter beef making has been on lib
eral scale below the Ohio river, A To-
cal railroad official went east last week
to investigate the cause Of diminished
car orders here and was enlightened TO
the extent that he discovered Ohio and
the Virginias were sending fat cattle
to Baltimore, Washington and Ph1la-
delphia at period when none OF these
states were factors in beef trade In re-
cent years.
While the Texas grasser movement
is destined to assume larger proper
lions during the next Monday, word
comes from San Antonio that Mexican
officials have placed q prohloltlve eX-
port tax on cattle, creating probabil-
ity that the movement across the Rlo
Grande will be checked If not sus-
pended The export tax was recently
RAISED. to a level that eliminated young
cattle from the movement At present
the tax is general SO per head in gold,
but at Laredo it has been raised to
$40 Der head in Mexican money, which
practically stops the movement. Inc
federal authorities have been collecting
$11.3O per head in gold, but the in
crease is prohabitive. UnlessS conces,
sions are made few Mexican cattle Will
be imported hereafter.
Neither Kansas nor Missouri 10
serious contributor to the beef supply
at present, while Nebraska's contribu-
ton is small. Chicago is practically the
only market on the map where any
considerable rumber Of fat cattle are
available and even here that kind Is
not numerous. Chicago misses the Ne
bra ska delegation and were 1t not TOR
Iowa's contribution killers would ma
picking at the Stock Yards even hard
er than at present. Chicago is actually
sending dressed beef westward and the
long yellow caravans loaded with that
that formerly left Kansas
CITY and Omaha daily for the Atlantic
seaboard have disappeared from rail-
road schedules. Current scarcity is due
in no small measure to last summers
drought, which put a large part OF the
beef making era in the Missouri valley
ont Of the business. A year ago this
territory was full Of cattle in the fin
tshine stage. Killers are 1mpatiently
awaiting promised swelling Of the
movement of Texas grass
ers. which Is expected to afford some
relief. Word comes from Montana that
Puget Sound butchers are using Aus
tralian imports as an argument TOT
lower prices on hay fed cattle and that
the entire winter made crop in the Big
Horn basin will be routed to Chicago
unless they change their tactics.
Beef Trade is Stasnant.
Buyers laid strong emphasis on the
demoralized Situation which prevails
in beef trade and blamed their bearish
raid to this cause. Eastward 1t was
claimed to be one of the most stagnant
situations in beef channels noted In
many weeks past, despite small COM
petition from the Argentina, A lot OF
kilograms went east Wednesday advis-
ing killers there Of the cheapness Of
costs, but failed bring back orders for
seaboard slaughterers, an indication
that cheapness in costs is not an indie
ducement when the beef already on
hand connot be moved.
Locally the larger supply than last
week has put killers in very indiffer-
ent position. Their coolers are we'll fill
ed, according to current reports, and
there Is very little beef moving out Of
them. LET the present demoralized
state Of affairs prevail until next Mon
day." said a buyers. and Wen be just
as bearish then as now, even though
the run falls to volume half as large
as came last Monday. When the beef
cannot be moved 1T is dear at any
price these days. and poor dressing
condition of a big share Of the crop
now coming makes a bearish attitude
only logical"
Such a situation should serve to
warn country shippers that a light run
at best next Monday can at best meet
only a meager demand from the kill
ers. However, the beef trade is subject
to spasmodic changes these days, and
one of them has been witnessed only
the past week. A week ago it was
good acting deal and buyers were fore