The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-02-24

a top OF 1913 last Saturday and that
market is not figured in above aver
ages. All classes of stockyard men
are looking for an upturn in the hog
markets of the country, if the market
papers are correct in their conclus-
ions.
X. Y. You are right as to the
price, but it was in July, 1919, and
not in June, that hogs made the rec
ord top of $3.50 at Chicago.
! Exporters bought 1000 head of
sheep and lambs at Chicago last week
also a few punches of cattle. all of
which were consigned to Scotland.
The English government has been
controlling all meats for long time
but is to let the meat trade take it's
natural course from March II. This
is expected to result in competitive
buying and to broaden the demand for
our packing house products.
REGARDLESS of this there seems is be
not great supplies of chilled or smok-
ed meats at any packing center.
Twenty-four head of 932 pound steers
and heifers were bought by Armour at
the weekend at $1,000. This was the
highest price paid for yeariings since
January Is. Thin and common cattle
have been too plentiful for the de-
mand at all western points, while the
better grades have been comparatively
scarce One might imagine that the
cattle in weak hands should be almost
cleaned up, in view OF the quantity
and character of the receipts since
December /.
Regardless of what the Federal Re-
serve banks have done, should have
done, or could have done to assist the
cattle men, it is an undeniable fact
that hundreds of thousands of cattle
have been forced to market for lack
of ability to pay or to renew loans,
or even to get the cash to buy feed
to finish them.
The markets have all been glutted
with cattle, and this in the face OF
a comparatively slack demand. A
careful study of wholesale beef prices
,, during the past several months shows
that the packers have followed the
downward trend of cattle on the hoof
in their prices of meats from their
/ coolers Of this there can be no
question, and but for the slump in
hides and other byproducts carcass
/ beef would have sold even lower.
Despite the general hue and cry
! against the packers, not single con-
Germ among them claims to have made
a dollar in 1920 but, to the contrary.
/ show losses running into millions in
many instances. Every important
packer marketed a lot of short time
/ paper last year, most of it convertible
into stock at the option of the holder.
! They needed the money.
The Butchers Opportunity.
| 1t has been a long time since the
| country butcher has had chance to
make so much money over the coun'
ter, or such small investments in live
stock The capital needed to do home
! killing has been cut in two. compared
with the high times in our markets
This is a decided advantage in any
business. and especially so when
money is scarce and interest rates
| high Our farmers have been taking
what they could get" for stock on the
! hoof for quite long time. and our
/ local butchers have had wide choice
! on which they have been practically
! able to name their own figures in the
farm feed lots. This has been bad
medicine for the farmer but has been
of benefit to the butcher and must
! have made a big dent in the H. c. l..
on the family tables, in Richmond and
! bo