Grand Forks herald., 1916-09-04
THE MARKET WORLDN
WEEKS
CATTLE MARKET
Business in this Department
Affected by Threatened
Strike-Run 81, 100.

Strike-Run "a, 100.
South st. Paul, Sept. 4.-There
never has been week in the live
stock trade just like the one closed
Saturday. Business was under the in
fluence of abnormal circumstances
throughout the period and September
opened in an inauspicious manner.
Everybody was nervous about the
result that some spectacular stunts
have been pulled off by buyers and
sellers, in their efforts to find a soft
lighting place in the event the crash
materialized.
Lifting of some embargoes Satur-
day morning and the fact that pack
ers' killing crews will BE idle today
owing to the Labor day recess gave
the deal a new aspect and undid
practically all that sellers had accom-
plished in working rates up earlier in
the week.
Cattle supplies here during the
week have been of about the same
volume as the run here the preceding
week but not quite up to the figures
for the corresponding period last
year. When a strike was declared
today there was a scramble on the
part Of buyers to stock up as part OF
a ''preparedness' program to meet
emergencies which q walk-out Of rail-
road employees might bring.
When the embargo on acceptance
Of live stock shipments for delivery
after Saturday or Sunday was placed
territory there was q further scurry-
ing for beef material which quickly
shot values up 25 to 40 cents and in
places further above the weeks OPEN
ing rates and those ruling at the
close Of the week before following the
severe price pounding Of the last
mentioned period.
The trading was at its best on
Thursday when maximum improve
ment was shown by killers and every
thing was grabbed up greedily by
buyers at the elevated terms. Reac-
ton came Friday when a rift in the
strike clouds let little ray Of hope
through and dissipated some of the
gloom which had gathered. A feeling
that the trouble would blow over
gained currency in the yards and out
elsewhere with the result that pack
ers Friday set out to cut cost down
as near as possible to the basis that
had been in force before the artificial
bulge started. A quarter was Clipped
off rates generally and trading at
best was not more than Is to 25
cents better than close the previous
pear to go any better than at that
time. Worse break came Saturday.
During the week there has been q
generous representation Of western
and Canadian steers and these have
monopolized the price pegs between
1925 and So although the palmer
stuff Of such origin has had to sell on
native grass beeves which have rarely
had the quality to land them higher
than the Sc to 81 spread even when
the weeks advances were in full
force. Stocker and feeder buyers
have been out of the deal to a con-
siderable extent the past few days so
that packers have had to take even
a larger percentage of the half-fat to
trashy steers, she stock and bulls and
on closing sessions outlet for such
material has been on catch-as-
catch-can basis.
Several lots of western, Dakota and
Canadian she stock cashed the last
few days around $3.50 but the 81
mark has been an elusive one and
few offerings approximated it al
though the best stun on the crest Of
Guilty in making it. Much Of the COW
and heifer stuff has been a plain to
fair native sort and at the worst stage
1t was a pretty decent sort that So
took while $4.75 to $5.75 caught a
class that merged at the lower end
with cutters. A Gamer variety ranged
on down to 81 or 1915. Bologna bulls
cashed mainly from $3.50 down while
butcher bulls worth moro were few
and far hofween
No corp-fed cattle were offered here
last week. Ordinarily state fair week
would bring in generous supplies with
many countrymen making the trip a
combination business and pleasure
excursion.
Veal calves most Of last week NOV
ed along on about a steady basis and
until Saturday top has held at $11.25
although on the opening session there
was a weak to half dollar lower deal
for seconds and culls and no improve
ment for those sorts has since devel-
oped. In fact there was fresh loss
Saturday.
Bids on fat cattle early were a
quarter under Fridays but with ad-
been knocked in the head by develop
ments at Washington trade was very
slow in getting under way. Whatever
advance scored earlier in the week
that was not forfeited Friday was
slashed off. A train or two of Cana
dams on through billing swelled the
count. Veal calves were hit hard Sat-
urday and top sagged half a dollar to
a $1O.75 summit while sorting was
very close and seconds and culls were
even further reduced than best stuff.
Estimated receipts were 1000 cat
tie and 100 calves, making total for
the week about $4,000 cattle and L..
100 calves against 22,0S0 cattle and
4,719 calves the week before. and
23,491 cattle and 3,733 calves the
same days last year.