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Show Livestock producers just now are in a very satisfactory position. Cattle prices on Pacific Coast markets are stronger than they have been for some time and there appears to be a very healthy undertone in the trade. This season's grass cattle have boen selling at prices from two to three cents a pound higher than a year ago. Hog producers and feeders are resting much easier for the severe slump of recent months appears to be definitely at an end and the upward up-ward swing in values is well on its way. Pacific Coast markets have advanced more than two cents a pound since the "low" time three months ago. Wool growers have been fortunate in striking very satisfactory sat-isfactory markets and despite the increased production in most of the lamb growing sections, there has been sufficient demand for the product pro-duct to stimulate rather than deflate values and prices are even better than a year ago, both on the Pacifio Coast and in the East. It seems reasonable to presume that a continued period of satisfactory satisfac-tory prices are in sight for the producer pro-ducer for some time to come. The cattle situation is giving the feeders some concern, as "asking prices'' on thin, stock are relatively high in relation re-lation to prices on fat stock. However, How-ever, the old rule of supply and demand de-mand will take care of this situation and it is likely- that buyers and sellers sel-lers of stockers and feeders will be able to iron out their present differences dif-ferences in opinion. Many California cattlemen settled this problem to some extent by holding hold-ing back a considerable portion of their yearlings, which figure well compared with replacement values. Imperial Valley cattle feeders sensed a shortage in marketable beef on the Pacific Coast in the late summer and early fall and laid in a substantial supply of feeders which will move , market during the period of anticipated antic-ipated light supplies, just prior to the movement of Intermountain cattle. cat-tle. Actual slaughter of beef cattle at federally inspected plants over the entire country shows a decided decrease de-crease from a year ago and the total runs far below any normal year. However, it must be remembered thst when the price of cattle advances one cent a pound, the retail price of beef must advance from three to five cents a pound. This naturally eliminates a certain proportion of beef consi 1 mers, who turn to pork and lamb c i some other substitute for beef. Th shortage of beef and resultant high-I high-I er price scale undoubtedly have con-! con-! tributed much towards the recent increase in-crease in pork consumption and tl higher prices. No doubt, the scarcity ! of beef also is of much help to the lamb feeders. No food commodity can be considered consi-dered upon its own independent footing. foot-ing. With the shortage of beef and a higher price scale, it has been demonstrated dem-onstrated that many normal beef consumers con-sumers will turn to pork and lamb. It is another case of the laws of sup-and sup-and demand working. No group of men could, for instance, sit about a table and decide the price of cattle or beef. Not only must the supply of beef be considered, but the amount of money which the consumer can and will spend, also enters into the proposition. pro-position. And even then, there is no means of arbitrarily setting a price because of the competition with other meat food products. And after we deal with pork, veal, lamb and mutton, mut-ton, we must deal with poultry, rabbits, rab-bits, eggs and other foods. Just now, the laws of supply and demand, favor the producer of mert food animals. That condition will prevail as long as there is no overproduction. |