Evening star., 1931-12-14
LIVE STOCK PRICES
SEEK LOWER LEVEL
Hou Quotations at Minimum
for 81 Years-Steers
Also Drop.
BY FRANK I. WELLER.
Associated Press Farm Editor.

The live stock and meat trade for the
last week has been marked by probably
the lowest dressed pork prices within
the memory of the present generation.
The movement Of live hogs at the
lowest levels in 80 years saw pork loins
so cents to 81 below already low quo
tations at Chicago. After midweek a
market hardly prevailed in any sense
of the word Loins were priced whole
sale at 81 to SO, the latter Being paid
only in isolated instances. Shoulders
went at $6, spareribs at $6 and Boston
butts at ST per 100 pounds. At New
York pork loins we're barely steady to
81 lower.
Although hog receipts were only
100000 head for the II principal mar
kets, compared with almost 1000, 900
week ago, the weather was too
slid of Is to 25 cents at Chicago.
Pigs were Is cents lower and pack.
ing sows 10 to Is cents lower Ship
per outlet was narrow, although local
butchers bought well. Whereas the
weeks top was $4.45, the closing peak
was $4.25, the lowest since 1899, and
the bulk went at $4lO to 1920 late in
the week, while lights averaged as low
as $3.75 to SAILS.
Analysis Of Movement.
Hogs declined unevenly 10 to Is
cents at Kansas City, for a top of S4.
new low for the year and the lowest
price since November, 1907 Trade was
active on the decline The bulk sold
for $3.50 to 81, the narrowest spread
in years.
The hog price movement was narrow
of Hy,oo loo Until ~E Il
spots off mostly IS cents. Thursday
topped at $500. The bulk of good to
choice offerings went at s3.65 to $3.50.
Prices were off 10 to IS cents at East
st. Louis. Being farther East and the
freight charges consequently higher,
East st. Louis paid top of S4 435 and
from s420 to $425 for the bulk
The demand for beef was improved
at Chicago, but even with several thou
sand fewer receipts the supply was too
heavy and most dressed prices moved
so cents TO ST. lower, choice steers and
yearlings lost so cents. medium and
good, so to IS cents and stockers and
feeders, so cents in dull market.
The bulk of offerings was short
feds, which sold from $3.50 down to
$3.50. The extreme top was sl225 on
heavies and sl2 on yearlings, while
common killing steers sold down as
low as $3.50 At Kansas City the de-
mand for medium weights and heavles
| was fairly urgent and prices moved UP
rs to so cents as supplies became lin
! tied Light steers and yearlings were
| plentiful, with final prices steady to
weak. The market had no strictly
choice grade and the top stopped at
| $40. which theoretically was not the
! real top of the market.
Omaha saw some improvement in
| the action on fed steers and yearllngs
but very little price improvement. Fat
steers and yearlings were steady. Lonf
| yearlings sold up to sll,65 and medium
| weights to $l2.
St. Louis Prices
Steers were steady to IS cents lower
| at East ST Louis The top on yearling:
( The kinds that bring top prices usually
| are scarce on this market.
| Dressed lamb and mutton was steady
| at Chicago and lamb steady to 81
lower at New York.
Killing classes of lamb were unevenll
steady to 25 cents higher at Chicago
| The bulk of good and choice native!
! and FED Westerns sold at $3.50 to s6
with the weeks top at S6.25 There wa!
| fairly broad demand at Kansas City
and fat lambs were steady to 10 cent!
higher. Fed lambs sold to s5.65 anc
the bulk for s5.25 to $3.50.
| Uneven distribution Of supplies a.
| Omaha forced a two-way market. with
strength disappearing at the end Of th'
week. Prices were generally steady II
all classes The bulk of lamb made
s5.25 to $3.50 and the top was $3.50
Fat lambs lost their early advance a.
East st Louis. but were about steady
with week ago, the bulk at $5.25 t
| $3.50 and the top at Sc.