Evening star., 1932-02-08
EST0CK PRICES
/ IN SHARP DECLINE
Falling Off in Consumer De-
mand Results in Drop
of Values.
BY FRANK 1. WELLER,
Associated Press Farm Editor.

The dreariest trade in recent history
has thrown all killing classes OF cattle
for a general 5O-cent loss at Chicago
compared with week ago.
The downturn was much more, II
measured from the high time last We'd
nesdav Killers complained of almost
ruinous price margins, buyers received
orders each day to get live cattle at
lower prices and beef men were stlli
confronted by a very indifferent con-
suming public.
Advance Quickly Subsidies.
Last weeks fat steer advance sub
sided as quickly as it started ana oe-
clines assumed headline Importance IN
the trade. Strictly good and cholce
steers came under the hammer as en-
phatically as they advanced a WeeH
earlier. Feed-lot mates OF the slo.Io
steers last week sold at So so. Cattle
which sold at S8aS9 a week ago Weo-
nesday humbly took S7aS8.
Fat COWS. which steadily have been
depressed by a declining market on
loW-priced steers, slid off so cents Tor
a new low level of the century-con-
sidering the quality and condition. IL
now takes a strictly choice granted
COW with plenty Of weight to bfing 81.
The perpendicular cut naturally IN
cluded light heifers and mixed
yearlings, turning this class into very
Sluggish stream of little cattle. Com
mon killers sold down to $3.50. In az,
the average price of beef animals
promises to stand at around $6.2o per
100 pounds. .,-.-
Apparently the only answer to TINS
weeks about face IN the general cattle
trade is that the advance was unWar-
ranted by conditions within ard WITH
Ont the industry. Basic conditions eNl-
dently will have to improve before
permanent advance can be maintained
Too many qualified half-fat steers are
showing up. the consensus OF oplnloll
being that such cattle could be held to
advantage. At least, their absence
would tend to abridge numbers during
a period when the live market IS merely
marking time in response TO a SEMI
demoralizad dressed trade.
Low-priced pork is still the big fac-
tor initiating against beef Although
the dressed trade was stimulated some
what when fresh loins sold 90 cents TO
81 higher than a week ago, the very
disappointing demand for hogs reflects
a weaker trend in the fresh pniS market
Price Changes Increase.
More price f1uctuation entered the
hog market this week than for some
time due to storm conditions and NAL
adjustment of supplies. A >horo supply
at Chicago on Monday allowed prices
to advance sharply, the top there reach
ing the highest point in two weeks. But
demand lacked urgency and prices
dropped on moderate supplies until
Wednesday, when the average cost set
a new low for the season and the top
was equal to the previous low.
Colder weather and a SnoWStorm
prompted a 10 to 20 cent advance on
THURSDAY. which left prices steady to
10 cents higher than week ago, with
pigs and light lights Is to 25 cen1s S
higher and packing sows steady to 10
cents lower On Wednesday the aver
age cost had dropped to s3.75 per 100
hounds. or 5 cents below the previous
low of the season.
Fat lambs scored sharp price gains at
Chicago in the face of considerable
buying opposition this w9ek. Dwind-
ling receipts was the principal stlm-
ulant. The Midminter source liter
ally dried up. Finishers west Of the
Missouri River failed to supply the
market promptly and fed lambs from
Nebraska. Western Iowa and to lesser
extent Colorado, predominated.
Regardless of whether the current
swift price rise is justified. fat lambs
made the best Chicago prices since
mid October.