Evening star., 1932-04-24
LIVE STOCK PRICES
EXPECTED TO GAIN
Trade Experts Predict Better
Undertone Will Follow Re-
cent Declines.
BY FRANK 1. WELLER,
Associated Press Farm Editor.

Trade prediction OF a fairly healthy
undertone in the dressed beef market
next week fell like mama among be-
wildered cattlemen, who in the last two
days lost about all the ground they had
gained in the previous Is
The intrusion of Jewish holidays
punctured the broad consumer demand
Of the last fortnight on Thursday, and
by Friday bidders were Offering so cents
less at Chicago than a week ago for
in-between grade steers and long year
llngs. Owners promptly took them OF
the scales on the theory that unsettling
influences have been discounted despite
holidays next Wednesday and Thurs
day.
BY and large the market on heavier
offerings of all classes and grades was
able to hold and unevenly steady TO
25-cent lower close, and while there
was no reliable market for light heifers
and mixed yearlings on Friday, they
maintained most Of their early 5O-cent
upturn. A spread of $3.50 to $6.25 took
the weeks crop Of cattle at Chicago,
where buyers are beginning to turn
their activity from common steers to
little heifers. which are far superior
and only so to rs cents higher. Weighty
steers continued TO get 50-cent pre-
MUM.
The most bullish factor is the con-
tlnued small supply Of dressed beef, rel
atively light receipts and Federal esti-
mates Of Is per cent reduction in the
number Of cattle on feed April /. The
run at the principal markets for the
frSt four days Of the week was $4,000
head smaller than last week and $4,000
smaller than a year ago.
AS limited aS the dap1opd iu fov tav,-,v
cattle. the supply is even more limited,
and this is the support that country
men are leaning on to keep the top on
steers working higher and hold up the
value OF common and medium grades.
Balanced against this, however, Is the
fact that cattle are high compared with
hogs. Pork had very weakening effect
on beef until top hogs jumped to IS,
but now top hogs are back close TO the
low point. of the century and falling
pork and provisions prices are beginning
to influence beef again.
Fridays peak of s415 on hogs at
Chicago was the lowest since February,
while the week brought new lows for the
season on pork provision and lard. The
average cost of hogs slipped to $3.75,
equal to the lowest Of the year, as hogs
sank Is to 25 cents below last week and
PoNAA4AS oOHS 4OSb 90 W 90 CeILS.
Lower prices and heavier supplies at
some Of the Eastern markets largely
accounted for Chicago shippers taking
about 5000 head less this week than
last and about 1000 less than for the
same period year ago. The supply
Of plain underweights became large
enough to invite neglect from ell inter
ests, many going into the holdover Sec
ton each evening.
Sheep and lambs closed about steady
with the Thursday decline, the market
finding some support after about so
cents had been clipped from the values.
Better grade woolskins dropped below
the 81 mark at Chicago for the first
time since early March. The bottom
literally fell out OF the eve trade.
The break impended largely because
Of declining wholesale markets and the
big way in which Southwestern sheep
and lambs are finding their way into
the coolers. An increase is expected in
the California Spring lamb movement,
the Government estimating $4,000 head
en- route East through Ogden, Utah.