Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-03-24

stock and butcher cattle has had the
! erect of boosting cost Of medium ano
light weight stuff. also the grade that
goes to trade most affected by indus
trial depression. The advance in cost
or coarse cuts has been marked, which
). dispells the illusion that the public de-
mands porterhouse and srloin.
Eastern Markets Loaded.
' Beer market reports were no more
encourag ing than earlier in the week
New York being reported to be loaded
up with beef outlet, for which is worst
! Of the season, while interior points
show almost as bad a situation, and
locally there has been great difficulty
IN cashing stuff from coolers, the pre-
vailing high wholesale and retail prices
which are not in line with current re-
duced hoof costs, compared with high
point In the trade two weeks ago, being
chief factor in preventing a free move
ment Of carcasses.
Although the New York market has
a surplus of Argentina chilled beef on
+ its hands this week. kosher stuff Is
! none too abundant and domestic cattle
only can be utilized for that trade. Or
ders came yesterday for some $500
kosher cattle and filling them made a
healthy market above $3.50. About 80
per cent Of the cattle now being killed
at New York for the kosher market is
being purchased here and that demand
is a stout prop under prices for better
grades
Beef distributors are still eloquent
on the subject Of sluggish beef con-
sumption. They say trade is dullest in
manufacturing sections owing to lack
OF employment. 1t SO happens that this
industrial depression finds cattle values
on lofty basis whereas when unem-
ployed army literature was exploited
IN the newspapers heretofore cattle
were cheap and beef available at much
less money than now. Naturally the
higher the price, more severe is con-
traction Of consumption.
A lot Of Argentina beef is hanging in
coolers in the eastern cities and this
stun unquestionably is factor re-
straining the demand in local trade. 1t
has been bought by butchers at cheap
er cost than relative quality home
grown product and there is the rub. If
the butcher can work this stuff off to
his customers at the same price he gets
for corn-belt beef then he is going to-
encourage packers, whom the govern
ment's latest report says, own five of
the nine big houses in Argentina, to
ship 1t more freely this way. Time has
really passed when the beef trade can
consistently claim that Argentina i'm
ports are not going to be a real factor
in the American market.
The greater portion of this seasons
corn belt supplies of short fed and
warmed-up steers match up in carcass
condition not much different than the
Argentina chilled product, though the
frozen meats from there are Of kind
that cannot compete against our me-
dunn to good steers. They, however, go
into eastern shop trade, where the
cheaper priced stuff is vended, and in
this manner are factor in cutting
1ry 49, 60 %l,I
supply Of the plain grade steers.
Argentina beef, Of which arrival in
Chicago was noted on Tuesday, is on
sale at retail shops, but is being pur-
Veyed more as curiosity than a |
staple article. But the price Is exactly
the same as that Of domestic beef of
similar quality. which means the prod
uct Of SS@S4O cattle.
March Receipts Light.
March hog receipts are running !
somewhat behind those of a year ago !
and the shortage is not as pronounced
as much Of the dope on the subject
would have 1t appear The six western
markets have received 4,163,O00 since
January 1, against 4,415.00O a year ago.
All the talk coming from the country
is of scarcity, however, and unless it Is !
wrong the April and May movement |
will be light.
Chicago packers are complaining
lot about how high hogs are compared
with the product and the figures gener-
ally carry out their version.
While the average price of hogs is
only 10c lower than a year ago. pork
loins are nc per lb lower, Boston
butts lAc lower, pork trimmings. nc
lower, leaf lard &c lower and green
and picked hams 11ac lower than
year ago.
l., a
SC basis. growers will not be respon-
sible. By way of emphasizing the Sc
curity Of their position and protesting
against the 25c decline earlier in the
week they contributed a mere handful
yesterday, and even on a 10@15c ad-
vance the big packers were not able to
get many. In buying freely last Monday
killers displayed good judgment. Grow
ers are insistent on $3.50 at home, and
supply is considered possible. Some of
the hogs reaching Chicago this week
have cost as much as $3.50 at interior
loading points, and these are being held
in first hands with the. assurance Of a
higher market later, Spectators also
nut hogs under lock and key with the
same assurance. and packer buyers
empty handed, although they needed
hogs. While there is no prediction Of
much higher prices, the trade believes
the market is on a stable basis, and as
the season works along, fresh meat de-
mand may take care Of the light end
of the crop at $969.25. The present
policy of the country is to hold back on
breaks, which is likely to cause an err
ratio market
No marked change in the prices of
hogs have occurred this week. The tops
Of 50, made last Saturday for one load
of mixed was not duplicated this week.
the top being $685. for the week.
Unofficial receipts this week were
$4,000 against 1882 last week and
1875 for the same period a year ago,
Compared with 100000 estimated to ar
rive this week. The extreme tops a
year ago was 1925 and two years ago
$7.75. The best demand this week came
from spectators and shippers while
packers have been out Of the market
entirely at times.
Sheep Change Little.
There appears few facts in the sheep
and lamb market for this week on
which to reach a conclusion. No
oh pricaa IF sippifrapoo hoc a.