The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-08-25
DROP IN BEEF !.
PRICE DUE ON
RETAIL MARKET
Average Price Offered for
Cattle Falls at Every Point
Last Week.
By WILLIAM r. sAN1oRN

Last VCCh.
BY WILLIAM r. SANBoRN
Due to the large number of off-grade
offerings the general average price OF
good beef cattle at Chicago last week
dropped to $685.. This was $1.75 be-
low the average Of the previous week
and but 35 cents per hundred above
the price ruling during the same week
in 1913. For the same week In 1917
cattle averaged only $12.60 in that
market.
Based on the recent declines in
cattle there should now be an appre-
cable drop in beef at retail. This
drop in cattle costs is general; 1t has
affected all markets, and cheapened
beef to the packer. everywhere.
That the retail distributors have
been considerably benefited there can
| be no doubt, for the Independent
packers, Of which there are many, can
always be counted on to lower prices,
in order to break in on some OF the
business of the Big Five The big
fellows are not slow In meeting this
competition and therefore the oonsum-
er should be correspondingly bene-
| fitted.
So far as cheap stuff. such as can
ming COWS. etc.. is concerned, the hide
| is now the most valuable Of the pur-
| chase. Hides are now bringing such
outside prices that one hesttAtes to
call them by-product; they come
pretty near being the essential part
fof the cheapest animals.
Hogs FIuctuate Rapidly
| During the first half Of the week
hogs ran rapidly down the scale. The
break was SO bad that the weeks av.
erage price was cut to 1850 against
$21.25 for the week preceding. When
the break was checked the advances
were rapid and by Saturday heavy
with light butchers at $2190.
Did any consumer get a benefit?
Probably not one copper cents worth.
Nor did the shipper. Before the pork
killed on Monday, Tuesday and We'd
nesday could be gotten out Of the cool
ers, hogs were back to almost the pre-
vious weeks level. and viii be mar
keted accordingly.
That break was worth at least
100000 to the various packers, in
Chicago alone. It made them money
IN every central market, and SO far as
we can see no one else was benefited.
In the case of cattle the decline was
nearly continuous. It held, and the
whole cost level was lowered This
explains why We should have cheap per
beef.
No Cattle Sold Locally
Rome Shurley says that he did not
ship a single beef animal last week.
He said 1t was impossible to meet
the views of those who would ship
end then get out whole. He instanced
an offering Of a lot of fair steers,
where the price asked would have net
ted the yards a loss of nearly 81 per
hundred weight.
John Flattley, Of Webster, town
ship, was the lucky man to get the
biggest check at Glen Miller yards
last week. He delivered 1O2 hogs for
which he received $5,153. Will Crow
made fine showing with 81 hogs
and banked a check for $2,952, while
another customer received but $2,964
for 80 head of lighter weight.
Receipts of lambs and calves were
fair. The 104 head Of spring lambs
brought about $1,000, and "a veal cal
yes sold for $3.50. Calves sold at
SO and SIG per hundred and lambs
at $40 to $12, according to quality.
The top on hogs at Glen Miller on
Saturday was $40. The break on
cattle, generally, at the various mark
ct centers was from 81 to So for the
week.
Hog Prices and Prospects
1t is noteworthy that the average
weight of hogs received at Chicago
last, week was the highest since Octo-
Der, 1910, at 257 pounds. This was
pounds heavier than a year ago, but
$4,000 hogs were received at Chicago
owing to the early break. or only about
two-thirds as in the previous week.
which ran also below the averaze-in
numbers.
1t is thought that most Of the finish
ed old-corn hogs have been marketed.
and that the balance are In the hands
Of men who can hold them for their
price. With the advent Of hogs finish
ed on new corn lower prices are auttci-
pated, according to Mr.. Shurley, who
cites this as the general rule. II IL
admitted. however, that this is an ex.
ceptional time and that ''alI signs.fail
at times, in dry weather."
The following are among the men
who got the money at the Richmond
stock yards last week: William Erik,
A. S. Parent. o. A. Gaar, D. Conway,
John Flatley, Worth Hill, Harry
Crome, Clarence Martin, J. P. Bishop.
Will Brown, Harvey Osborn, T. B.
Fox, Rufus Moore, Everett Gradner,
Howard Middleton, Bert Hodgin, c.
O. Wise, Ed. Barton. Bert Skinner,
Ed. Dietmeyer. c. e. Thorne, w. s.
Johnson, E. Morton. Ira johnson, B.
Frazier and Mitchell Hinshaw.
Scientists in New Zealand are stu.
dying the possibility Of producing pig
iron on large scale.