Evening star., 1932-05-23
LIVE STOCK PRICES
IN HIGHER RANGE
Decrease in Receipts During
Week Proves Aid to
Market.
BY FRANK 1. WELLER,

The about-face of the cattle market
has brought some hope for further de-
pressed sheep and hog prices, but it still
Is question whether the upturn re-
fleets buyer belief that live stock values
are low enough or merely some vagary
Of the trade.
In the face of reports that dressed
beef was not holding even the low levels
to which it sank last week, practically
all weights and grades of steers and
] long yearlings worked nearly so cents
| above the Chicago close of week ago.
Receipts Reduced.
Usually the live market follows tides
In the dressed trade, but all buying
interests seemed TO take a hand as
| receipts at the II principal markets
were cut to 117,900 head, compared
with 900 the previous week and
LAT 400 for the same period last year.
In ordinary times the reduction might
not mean much, but right now 1t ap-
pears to have as much stimulating
effect as a similar increase in receipts
has proved its ability to break the
market.
Also, there was a little more variety
this week, not too many of any one
| weight or grade being included There
was not the beef tonnage represented,
either, and buyers had to delve into
the lightweight group for poundage and
numbers as the comparatively small
supply of medium and heavyweight
beeves cleared shortly after the noon
hour each day.
On Wednesday of last week the steer
and yearling market hit the lowest level
it had reached in probably 25 years.
and there was talk that reaction was
overdue
For the most part the bulk of the run
cashed at S525 to S675, Chicago. and
the first Texas grasserS of the season
brought s475 to s490. Light mixed
and heifer yearlings backed down un-
to 25 cents higher, while the beef COW
run shut down to a minimum for a
sharp 50-cent increase.
A 40.000-head reduction in hog re-
ceipts did not stop the parade into new
low levels for the century, as prices
slipped another 10 to Is cents at Chi
cago. and packing sows lost mostly 25
cents The top ranged from 1910 on
Monday to S355 on Thursday. COM
pared with last years top OF 81. The
average cost for the week at around
1925 was just half that at this time a
year ago. At $500 last week the top
AaQ gone DacK TO 1895 LOT an eQuIFaleut.
Decrease in Orders.
The dearth of shipping orders was
traced to the slow fresh-pork trade at
most of the Eastern consuming centers.
Pork provisions followed course near
! the low of the year
1t was noticeable that the sharp in
crease in packing sows has started a
| week or two earlier than last year.
| Heavy butchers seem to be dwindling
| and as the end of the old-crop move
ment comes in sight buyers are willing
to take the better medium weights
nearer the top.
Unsatisfactory dressed outlet cut the
lamb market 81 under the previous
| week for a second consecutive time
despite 47,00O fewer head of sheep and
lambs around the circuit. Old-crop
lambs were under pressure because of
age and weight, but Springers, too, were
punished for earlier out-of- f-lineness
A siZable quota of Spring lambs ar
rived from Missouri, Illinois and other
corn belt States. along with direct
shipments from Kentucky and Ten
nessee. and the late practical top al
Chicago fell to s6.25, as against So a
week earlier.