Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-02-10

poor markets of late, particularly In the
| face Of such bullish prospects at the
! close of 1913. However. with more
settled consumptive demand the market
MANY vet show considerable strength
although most traders are not looking
forward to any Immediate up-turn
Most Of the fat grades stand 40@5 SOC
lower than at the finish last week and
sales showing 6O@75c decline were
sometimes noted. some Of the deprecia-
ton showing only in the sort. Feeding
classes were 10@15c lower than the
high spot.
Montreal has shipped considerable
stuff to Boston this week. The Cana
dian market shows a relapsing dispo-
sition. Under new conditions 1T Is more
susceptible to the influence of United
States markets and must naturally
continue on a parity. Toronto is quoting
good steers at $S.306S.65 against $40
1870 a year ago, the difference being
due to the outlet afforded by free trade.
Canadian dealer in Chicago recently
stated that at conservative estimate
admission to the American market had
raised the average value of Canadian
cattle 81 per cwt. A year ago good cat
tie were on a $6.50@7 basis at Montreal
whereas it is now an $S@.25 market
there and several loads of steers were
shipped from Montreal to Boston on
Monday because they could not be sold
at $780, At Winnipeg decent killing
steers are on S7@750 basis and 1913
an is taking most of the stuff local kill
ers are getting at Calgary. Western
Canadian live stock growers are COM
planning strenously Of probabitive rail-
road rates claiming that railroads in
that country are trying to prevent the
development of live stock trade with
the United States.
Eastern cattle are still running free
ly. Lancaster, Pa, had full crop on
Monday and butchers down that way
are getting access to all the cattle they
can use locally. A man who was on
the Lancaster market last week asserts
that Canadian stockers with which
estern Pennsylvania filled up last fall
have done remarkably well and stuff In
feeders hands will be. dislodged in con-
siderable numbers right along. Many
Of these cattle went in carrying con-
siderable flesh and with few exceptions
they have been pound makers. 1t is evil
dent that the western feeder must
reckon with a decided increase in east
ern competition this season and every
pound of beef produced in that quarter
serves to appease eastern hunger.
Somewhat generous receipts OF for
eign beef fare in sight for the next few
weeks. Since January l. shipments dl-
rect from the River Platte aggregate
AZ, 900 quarters of mutton, most of
which is vet to arrive. Should eastern
cattle continue to run freely difficulty
may be experienced in holding present
cattle prices.
Beef Call at Low Ebb.
This decline in face Of the break in
corn prices, makes holding of steers ap-
pear a wise policy. That the market
will mend as soon as beef trade shows
betterment is general impression ex-
listing among traders, but beef sales can
hardly improve until temperatures as
sumo normal again. Packer beef sales
men say that they have not witnessed
a meaner midwinter carcass demand in
some years past, and they lay part of
the blame for it to the imports OF
South American beef in the east but
, there are other factors aplenty, viz:
free early season shipping of short feds
from eastern territory and a general
desire in the corn belt to get rid of
many siXty-day cattle and replace them
with feeders. though the current feeder
costs are right up close with selling
prices for a lot of warmed up and
short-fed steers
1t is this desire to cash in which has
! been a strong factor in breaking the
market from January high spot, but at
that no very generous supplies of beef
have come into any Of the western
markets the past two weeks, and thus
far this week it is very moderate crop
locally as we'll as in the west.
Lambs are worth S909.25 at Toronto
against $S@S.75 year ago. Receipts for
the week, unofficially, are $4,000
against $4,000 estimated and compared
with 1o7, last week and 91,376 a year