Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-23
LIVE STOCK PRICES
MAY HOLD STEADY
Slump of Last Week Likely
to Result in Smaller
Shipments.
BY FRANK I. WELLER,
Associated Press Farm Editor.

Most live stock prices are back about
where they were before the recent sharp
upturn. Excessive Monday runs last
week erased the gain and set the stage
Tor continued liberal receipts to give
buyers their opportunity to force this
weeks prices right back to last Mon
days levels, In some instances about as
low as any time this season.
If true to form, however. the week
following price slump will bring supply
abridgement and the next rnarkefty11
period may see little change in the price
situation.
Medium Steers
Scarcity of and the expanding de-
mand for common and medium steers
is expected to hold such kinds more
stable than the better grades. OF out
standing interest as result Of activity
on lower grades and the uneven TO
untnterested trend in better grades is
the narrow price range between them.
Common and mediurn stock has been
bringing $6.75 to $3.50, while good and
choice kinds which have been on feed,
some as long as six months or more,
brought no better than $3.50 to $3.50.
The narrowed spread shows how rela-
lively high Cheap" steers are as COM
pared with good and choice offerings
and explains why no one in the country
apparently cares to compete with killers
for the heavy, habitat feeders. There
is little incentive to feed steers when
fattened stock sells so near the price
paid for range stuff. At the low time
on last Monday good and choice steers
were about as low as any time this sea-
son, while since late February plain
light cattle have advanced so cents
to 81.
The market was saved on a rather
liberal crop Of yearling heifers by the
wide demand for common and medium
offerings that would yield lightweight
carcass. The bulk Of the predominant
good to choice fed steers came from
Iowa and Nebraska.
Closing TOVe Dull.
The closing undertone in the cattle
market was dull, the adverse influence
OF a tired dressed trade finally assert
ing itself, and showed no inclination
Tor another Monday run such as that
which put about $4,000 head more cat
tie on the market this week than last.
Due to the scramble for light cattle.
feeder dealers have had a tough time,
picking here and there, to maintain
prices anywhere near what the country
wants to pay for replacement stock.
There Is growing demand for little
steers suitable for short stocking pc
Rod and then run on grass Each
successive week recently has seen re-
placement cattle working higher, a
seasonal characteristic all the more
marked by the scarcity of thin-feshed
cattle following an open Winter.
An increase over of around 10000
head in hog receipts promptly erased
the recent sharp price advance and de-
spite some subsequent strength the
market ruled lower at the close. Slow
ness in the Eastern fresh pork market
was held responsible for the narrow
ness of shipping demand. Packing sows
have held up best, with q good demand
ceipts.
Sheep and Lambs.
Thirty-three thousand fewer sheep
and lambs saw the market work to the
highest point of the season only to
drop back sharply at the close. About
the time activity reached its height,
killers, quickly followed by shippers,
stepped out of the market to leave it
lacking worthwhile support.
Inherent strength is indicated, how
ever, in the fact that no matter how
high prices went, loadings were at no
time greatly expanded. With. the Cali
fornia Spring lamb crop still several
weeks away, killers might easily run
into a shortage should country ship
ping continue in the same direction.
On the other hand, heavy move
ment OF grass-fat yearlings and weth-
erS out of Texas is In prospect. In
addition, fed lambs will be coming from
Colorado, Western Nebraska. Michigan
and Ohio and from the commercial feed
lots near Middle Western markets dur
ing April and May.