Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-06-18
Packer Explains
Recent Drop in
y Cattle Prices

In review on the live cattle and
dressed beef situation since Jan. l,
! Swift G. Co. set forth facts and con-
ditions of extreme interest to produce
ers, consumers and. the country at
!, large, in view Of the peculiar Gondi-
lions which have existed in that period,
and especially of late.
Referring to the period of high prices
and the last two months sharp de-
statement goes into explanations,
! which are printed in full, viz:
| The decline resulted from an over
supply and under demand in the mar
ket for dressed beef. more extensive
| and of longer duration than any here
to fore experienced In the trade.
Because of this condition the pack
ers have been able to move beef into
! consumption only thru reductions in
price. A.
1T will be well to bear in mind that
from January to April, 1919, live cattle
prices were the highest in the history
| of the business. the record being made
| during the week ending March 90,
when choice corn-fed steers sold for
5000 per hundred pounds at Chica-
go. gLssT -.
During this time the receipts of live
cattle at ten principal western mar
kets show decrease OF 1882 head.
or rs per cent, compared with same
period last year, while May, 1919, re-
aty,$e, 4 Nn~f Sar hov
May, 1918. @tr ..
What has happened in May is de-
scribed by the United States bureau
Of markets. which announced on May
81 that choice steers which sold for
$500 to s20.40 per hundred pounds in
march brought only STATS to $117.0o
in May. They show also that the cor
| responding wholesale price of dressed
beef was $500 to S29 per hundred
POUNDS in March,, and only $3.50 to
s24.00 in May The fall in live cattle
prices was from 1925 to $40 per hum
bred pounds: in dressed beef values
$3.50 to $500 ssls :.
Live and Dressed Beef Declines.
Swift & Co.'S records show SIM
liar decline in the company's average
selling price on dressed beef Gall
grades) in the principal cities during
the past ten weeks-this decrease
ranging from 1899 to $5.31 per hun
dred pounds, as shown in the following
| table: ...a
| Week E Philadel-
ending New York Boston phia
April 5, 1919 ....224s $22.22 s23.oa
June IA, 1919, ...-17.40 1888 1874
| Decline 10 weeks $500 1899 1871
! "a more recent report issued by tho
bureau on June 10 shows that during
| the period from May q to June s.
dressed beef prices dropped more rap
idly than the prices of live cattle. This
report shows that the drop in prices of
all grades Of live cattle was from 10
cents to 1915 per cwt., while dressed
beef of all grades dropped from $500
| to $500 per cwt on eastern markets.
! Reasons For Changes.
The two principal reasons for the
decline in live cattle and wholesale
beef prices are % the increase in the
supply of dressed beef caused by the
discontinuance of the outlets that were
formerly provided by supplying the
| -. ~ oo'Si bhiShb GNU IiiO eAAiACSo, aiN
! CD a decrease in domestic demand as
an outgro With of conservation propa-
| ganda.
Considerable quantities of the beef
from cattle slaughtered during the
first few months of 1918 were frozen
! for shipment overseas. or chilled for
the environments in the United States,
/ and commencing about Mag, 1913. and
continuing monthly throat the year.
/ the United States food administration
| placed orders with American packers
J for from 60,O00,O 900 to 10O, 900 lbs OF
beef per month, which was whipped
| for the use of the United States and
1 the allies
But owing to the ending Of the war,
/ practically all dressed beef from this
| years killing has been sold on the
domestic market, resulting, SO far as
Swift & Co. Is concerned, in approx
mately 100000 pounds more beef to
be sold thru domestic channels dur
ing May this year than last. Taking
all .packersj this wou1d> probably
amount to 60,000,000 to 100000. 600
i pounds increase in supply for May this
year ter aoIneseic7consus,.'ttii"
Surplus for June Also.
Prospects for June are about the
same. Therefore until the domestic
demand can be increased there will be
a surplus of dressed beet on the Unit
ed States market.
Swift & Company's shipments Of
dressed beef for domestic trade during
the past four weeks show an increase
OF "a to AZ per cent over tie same Pc
,Eriod year ago, as shown In the fol-
lowing table: s}G ~
| Total United States shipments, Swift
/ & Company.
i Week ending Week ending
May 24 May 81
1918 ......... .... II, 564, 0O0 . 12,O42,00t
1919 ........ 5,1S2.0O0 1888, 900
Increase, amt. NJ. 3,62S,00o s,6S1,000
Inc. per cent 80. s2 81 80
Week ending Week ending
;f; June n June IA
u 1918 w. $1,000 ~ = .oott