Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-16
LIVE STOCK PRICES
AT HIGHER LEVEL
Further Gain Depends on
Extent of Shipments
This Week.
BY FRANK /. WELLER,
Associated Press Farm Editor.

Last weeks typical storm market
gave live stock a set of values all cate
gorieS may have to work hard to hold
If this week starts with heavy run,
The momentum earned light steers
% to so cents higher, fat cows so to rs
cents and added so cents to 81 on
heifers and mixed yearlings. Light
hogs gained IS to IS cents over the pre-
cedlng week and heaVies 35 to so. Pack
ing sows were up IS to 40 cents. Even
shoop and lambs advanced IS cents.
1t was one OF the most unusual price
periods OF the season and came in the
wake of two weeks of steadily advancing
values.
Most of the upturns. however, came
with the blizzard and heavy snow, which
materially contracted early receipts
That naturally brings forth the oues-
ton whether they will endure and, If
not how much of the advance can be
maintained in the face of larger runs2
Seasonal Demand.
Some believe that the seasonal de-
mand for lightweight carcasses is at
hand and will keep the spread between
medium light cattle and well finished
heavieS relatively narrow All light cat
tie, whether steers, yearlings or she
stock, came in for robust demand last
week and moved with a CELEBRITY that
was in sharp contrast with the peddling
closing market on well finished heavy
bullocks.
The COW run was very small and
relatively few butcher heifers showed
up, which may account, in a measure,
for killers concentrating on either
lower grade weighty bullocks or light
steers and yearlings to the detriment
OF good and choice weighty steers.
Shippers combed the yards to fill ex-
listing orders. Naturally, low-priced
steers shot up, carrying stocker and
feeder values with them.
Since killers had to go short. the
trade anticipates a good market for
the low-bracket stock this week, even
though receipts expand as a result of
current advances.
In the event of 2000O-head run
To-Day, which Is not unusual, the trade
expects weighty steers to continue un-
der pressure. Medium grade heavies
also may sag, and while lightweight.
loW-prlced offerings may slow down, it
PROBABLY VIII take a few DAYS to de-
press prices in line with the way well
finished heavieS now are having to sell.
Dressed-Beef Market.
The fact that the dressed-beef mar
ket cooled of after prices had been
plain the closing sIowness on better
grade weighty steers. They had started
the week sharply higher. Too, while
the storm cut down the early run. re-
celpts increased later, making the
weeks total larger than a week earlier.
How much of the supply abridgment
In hogs can be attributed to the bliz-
zard and how much to the depletion
OF supplies is problematical, but it gen.
orally is conceded that the storm was
mostly responsible. Supply at IL prin-
cipal markets was 10000 head smaller
than the previous week and II per cent
under the same period year ago.
Live prices were helped by the fact
that supply Shr1nkage and storm con-
d1tlonS pushed the fresh pork market
higher, loinS advancing SO to 81 or more
for the highest point since last Novem-
Der; Shippers were aggressive buyers,
taking $4,000 head at Chicago COM
pared with $4,000 for the first four
days Of the week before.
The weeks top on hogs was equal
to the previous high mark of the year,
while the higest adverage cost was 81
above that Of the low time of the year.
Lamb Market.
Fat lambs at Chicago were sensitive
to demand rather than supply and
worked steadily higher, while early re-
ceipts were strong, then eased of when
thsre was but a comparative handful
of choice stuff left. Strictly choice
lights sold within 10 cents of the sea-
sons high and there was a bright side
to the closing trade.
The slump in demand for feeding and
shearing lambs had probable cause in
the narrow feeding margins, seasonally
nigh death losses, nearness of the
Spring lamb season and, to a certain
extent, the undetermined outlook of
fat lamb prices.