Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-05
LIVE STOCK PRICES
ARE SHOWING GAIN
Cooler Weather Brings In
creased Demand for U. S.
Meat Trade.
BY FRANK /. WELLER,

Cooler weather, bringing a better
dressed meat trade, has helped almost
all live stock prices.
Fat lambs led the upturn, gaining so
to rs cents at East st. Louis, Is to IS
cents at Omaha, Is to so cents at Chi
cago. and IS to IS cents at Kansas City.
Scarcity of choice stock, both native
and Western, has considerable inf1u-
formly shared in the advance.
Chicago killers and shippers were lit
orally lamb hungry until near the end
of the week. AS prices rose, the larg-
est receipts of the season broke upon
the market, and there was sharp set
back. Despite late reverses, it was a
satisfactory market to sellers, taking
the week as whole.
Hogs Higher.
Hogssstruggled from new lows TO fin
ish higher than week ago. They
gained 10 to Is cents at Kansas City
after selling the cheapest in % years.
The top at the extreme low was $50,
but at the close of the week was Up to
$3.50. East st. Louis paid a top Of
$3.50 after advancing 10 to Is cents
over last week. heavy hogs making most
Of the rise. The undertone at Omaha
was the healthieSt in some time.
After top of $3.50, the lowest of the
season and unmatched since early 1908,
Chicago paid $50. the same as a week
ago. The fresh pork market was fairly
active, with the result that hog prices
did not sink as rapidly as is customary
with an increased run. Receipts were
25 per cent larger for the first four
days than for the same period q week
ago.
Light and underweight hogs again
comprised the big end of the run, while
heavy butchers and packing sows, which
closed strong to IS cents higher, ar
rived in dwindling numbers. Light
lights were particularly plentiful early
| in the week. and prices dropped abrut-
! ly, but reduced quota arrived after
the price slash. and values were built
up quite rapidly.
Lard prices regained the previous
week losses
Heavy-fed steers turned the tables
again on yearlings, good to choice Of
ferings gaining IS to 40 cents at Chi
| cago under short run and wide de-
mand. They were up so cents at Kan
sas City, shared the fullest advance at
| Omaha and were steady at East st.
| Louis.
The 5000 top on heavies at Chicago
was cents above any time this season,
while the rough heavies at $S25, as
SS.OU
standing at practically new high for
the season.
Steers Set Price.
| Grade steers weighing 1900 pounds
are setting the price pace because of
increasing scarcity and very healthy
dressed beef trade, both on kosher and
regular account. The general beef
market remains healthy, and aside from
the seasonal tonnage of grassy and
short-fed beef there is no cooler sur
| plus. Even grass beef holdings are not
sufficiently large to materially weaken
| that branch.
The better market on heavies is
! forced. while numbers give buyers the
( leverage on long yearlings. They have
I held the best of the latter down to So
Whether this twist will continue is a
/ guess, but the trade seems to believe
finished weighty bullocks will become
even scarcer, and that the excess of
long yearlings, the origin of which is
perplexing, stands good chance of
! thinning down
/ If true some say heavies will con-
tlnue to lead and gradually work to a
! top of perhaps s11. while the kinds of
/ long-fed high qualified yearlings now
selling at $3.50 to $40 may follow but
not top the bullocks. The trade is
making the prediction on the fact that
all classes of cattle are relatively high
compared with other live stock and
agricultural commodities in general
So far the principal reason for the
advance in cattle has been a snappy
dressed beef market. 1t is not to be
overlooked that cooler weather improves
the demand for other meats, and that
| it could send the public to the rela-
lively cheap pork counter and weaken
the call for the more expensive COM
modify.