Omaha daily bee., 1915-04-24
MEAT PRICES ARE
A PUZZLE TO ALL
Hogs Are Selling for Less to Packers
and Yet Retailers and Consum-
ers Must Pay More.
MORE STOCK AT THE YARDS

p, Just why meat prices should be
soaring is unexplainable when the
fact is taken into consideration that
receipts of both cattle and hogs arc
heavier than a year ago and prices
paid for the animals are lower. How
ever, notwithstanding the large re-
ceipts and the lower prices at witch
the animals are bought by the pack
ers over the block, all grades of meat
are up, 8, and s cents higher than
on the corresponding dates Of last
year.
The records Of the South Omaha pack
ing houses show that one year ago Thurs
day the receipts of cattle were less than
yesterday. For the four days of this
week ending last night. cattle receipts
at the South Omaha yards were 9o,76i, or
5000 more than for the corresponding days
Of one year ago.
Cattle lat South Omaha Thursday sold
as high as $500 to $3.50 for choice. Tho
report Of the market for that day shows
that "common to fair cornfeds," the kind
OF animals generally slaughtered for local
hundreweight, with the top Of this class
ct $50, while good TO choice" sold at
1915
In the matter Of hogs the assertion Is
made that the scarcity Of the animals has
something to do with the enormous ad-
vance in the price Of pork. In contradic-
tion OF the claim, the records OF the
South Omaha stock yards show that
Thursday the receipts were 10000 head.
For the four days Of the week they were
S7,969. or 1910 more than for the corre-
spending days OF one year ago and that
the prices paid to the farmer shippers
were about cent per pound less than the
same date of 1914.
Thursday the top hog prices paid by the
packers was T.2sk per 100 pounds, as
against $s23Ik on the corresponding date
of last year and SS.6S on the same date
OF two years ago. s'-
Regardless of the fact that Thursday
top hogs sold for almost 81 less per 100
pounds and more than $125 less than on
the same date OF two years ago, prices
TO the consumer are much higher than
or either of these past dates and for
loins and other choice cuts Of both beef
and pork higher than at any time in
recent years in this market.
Can't See the Reason.
II am at a loss to understand why my
meat market man tells me that the prices
he has to pay the packers for meats
have been advanced materially and the
market quotations advise me that on the
same day l was talking to him the prices
paid by the packers at the yards were
lower than the day before, and also
lower than the same day last year," re-
marked a householder, discussing the
present meat situation.
This woman was correct, because prices
quoted Thursday OF the sales o. the day
before show that cattle and hogs sSt the
stock yards brought 81 or more less than
the same day last year and on the aver
age the prices ranged 10 cents per 100 less
than the day before.
A further canvass OF the situation con
firms the first reports that the packing
houses have this week advanced their
prices to the retailers. The manager of
large downtown market states as one
instance that he is now charging 121
cents a pound for pot roasts he charged
10 cents for last week, an advance Of Is
per cent. On round steaks he has made
an advance from 17lk to 20 cents a pound
although some OF the smaller outside
markets are quoting as high as % cent
I a pound for round steaks.
1T Is to wonder" IS the comment oil
another householder who likes a round
steak now and then.