Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-14
LIVE STOCK PRICES
TURN IRREGULAR
ln.BetWeen Grades Sell Off,
UnsettIing Market for
Steers.
BY FRANK I. WELLER,
Associated Press Farm Editor.

Yn-between grades of beef animals
heavy In numbers and of indifferent
killing quality. seem temporarily to
have unsettled cattle values.
A weeg ago heavy. well finished
steers sold near the top of the season
and promised a merry clip right along
until Winter They looked even better
than yearlings. Now they are Is ID
so cents lower in some instances more,
around the entire market circuit and
yearlings are back in the saddle.
The about-face is credited to too
much heavy beef of the in-between-
grade character, being attracted by the
more or less mushroom advance on
Weighty bullocks Much of the range
stock, now arriving in large numbers,
is of the heavy beef type that sells
at prices between those quoted for
standard grades.
Prices Forced Down.
At Kansas City, where western
slaughter stock is plentiful, the top
on heavies was forced down to $9,4u,
while choice yearlings chalked up
S975 East st. Louis and Omaha gave
yearlings a top of So compared with
1925 and $685., respectively. for
heavies.
Some in the trade say current con-
ditions likely do not reflect the long
pull ahead and that weighty steers
again may bring premium over COM
parable kinds. Yearling beef has been
moving and they do not discount the
ability of both little and long yearlings
to sell relatively high, but the fact
that even when the demand for heavies
was almost at standstill the strictly
choice kinds got action indicates to
them that the slump may be only
temporary.
The less desirable slaughter quality
of the last weeks run might be taken
as a suggestion that the crop is be-
coming short so far as toppy kinds of
heavy beef are concerned.
Furthermore, the run was largely a
beef steer affair and increased the
meat tonnage of that type simulta-
neously with heat wave which did the
general beef market no good in the
face of an already sluggish trade.
The better grades of steer meat de-
clined so cents in New York and the
lower grades as much as 81. Post
holiday trade was much weaker than
anticipated at Chicago. Re-opening of
schools and the return of vacationists
could not stimulate the demand for
more than 50-cent increase in steer
and COW meat.
Hog Values Improve.
Hog values pulled up somewhat at
the close of the week, after an early
decline but were generally lower than
a week ago, the heavier kinds suffering
most. Lights came back at Kansas
City and Omaha for top of $616,
while East st. Louis paid $685. and
Chicago $50. Top prices, however,
are very little indication of the broad
we're steady to Is cents lower at
Omaha and heavies strong to Is cents
higher, but 200-pound shoats topped
the market
The upturn in underweights was oc-
casioned by decrease in the market
ings of such descriptions and an in
crease in the demand. while heavies
dropped mainly because of a narrow
outlet.
While the Labor day holiday dc
not help the sheep and lamb market
from a price standpoint. improved
shipper and country demand gave it
a healthy undertone Stocker and
feeder demand for thin range lambs
strengthened prices at Chicago, de-
spite an adverse fat lamb market.
incidentally. lower grade lamb meat
advanced 81 to So at Chicago, while
the better grades declined 81.
1n-between grades of lambs lost the
most, IS to Is cents, while sheep were
rather steady because of scarcity.