Evening star., 1933-03-26
LIVE STOCK PRICES
LOWER FOR WEEK
Cheaper Grades of Cattle in
Demand-Hog Values
Fairly Steady.
BY FRANK I. WELLER,
Associated Press Farm Editor.

Associated PreSS farm ECltOT
Bank holiday prices have disappeared
from the live stock markets, leaving oil
values matter of supply and demand.
The extreme top of $3.50 for cattle
settled back to ST. this week at Chi
cago Most offerings at $50 upward
were comparable with kinds selling at
81 upward a week ago. Prices in the
main divisions were 25 to 20 cents lower
as q general thing Hogs wound up
practically steady with a week earlier
but the average cost of packer and
shipper droves was S4.16 whereas last
weeks top of S435 was within cents
of the highest price in six months. "A
downward trend in dressed prices kept
a shorter supply of lambs steady with
week ago.
Low-Priced Cattle in Demand.
A feature of the market is the way
killers scramble for low-priced. thlnly
fieshed cattle which dress with mini
mum waste. 1t is a seasonal develop
ment but scarcity is the main stimulat-
ing factor, Just as a slightly excessive
supply Of in-between grade now provloes
killers with the means OF depressing
the market on light steers OF value to
sell at S475 up to 81. Lageing activity
on the better grades while So-called
Cheap" Light steers get fair demand
has tended to create a two-way market
and place common light steers relatively
high in comparison with good to choice
offerings.
Prime kinds Of heavy steers are more
or less absent. although buyers indicate
a willingness to pay a premium for out
standing quality Most weighty bullocks
are of unpopular weights and have to
sell as low as $425 to $3.50 compared
to 81 to S425 for common light steers.
The supply continues excessive. sug-
costing the country still Is well sup
c!ied with longfed steers scaling over
1900 pounds. Most of the heav1es
showing up have been fed six months
to a year. Many in the trade expect
larger runs to come because cattle have
been held back recently due to dis
turbed credit conditions. In between
grade list kinds are expected to pre-
dominate but unofficial reports indi-
cate an excessive supply Of weighty
bullocks including old crop offerings
which have been nursed along In antici-
patton Of better markets.
Despite the fact that the Chicago
average of S4.16 for hogs was the high
est there since September 9 most classes
finished the week about steady, light
lights and pigs closing weak to Is cents
lower. The weeks top dipped to 1920
compared with s435 for the previous
marketing period.
Increase in Receipts.
There was considerable increase In
receipts which a week ago were the
smallest on record but the pressure was
erased in large part by revived ship
ping Some in the trade were Of the
opinion countrymen were holding their
hogs back for finishing in anticipation
of improved prices. Quality has i'm
proved greatly in recent weeks and the
average weight of droves has jumped
up. The average weight at Chicago
for the first week Of the month was
236 pounds compared with 249 last
week .....
Most lambs closed steady, compared
with last week, but kinds suited for
special orders retained 10 to IS cent
gains. As q rule better grade lambs
runs appeared. The principal source
dressed prices which to some extent
was offset by killers at no time having
access to very many finished lambs.
The source of supply covered more
territory than q week earlier. Shipments
of fed lambs came from Wyoming,
Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Colorado, Nebraska and various corn
belt States, Nearby fed lambs averag-
ing "a pounds scored $6.25 at Chicago,
the highest price paid there since March
Z. The practical top, however. finally
was lowered to s5.s5.