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Show LLrveStOClc jSitu at ioix, J i Los Angeles Union Stock Yards, June 10 With the single exception excep-tion of calves, livestock slaughter under federal inspection in the United States was larger from January through April of 1940 than for the corresponding period the preceding year. There were 3,037,000 head of cattle slaughtered slaughter-ed during this four month period in 1940, compared to 2,865,000 head last year. Calves were slightly under last year, there being 1,714,000 head killed in the first four months of 1940, as against 1,735,000 head last year. Hog slaughter showed an increase of more than 1,000,000 head a month over last year. There were 17,224,000 hogs killed under federal fed-eral inspection from January through April of this year, while this figure in 1939 was 13,094,000 head. Sheep and lamb slaughter amounted Ho 5,531,000 head for 1940, as compared with 5,514,000 last year from January through June. In comparing the prices of livestock live-stock now with those of a year ago, cattle and sheep are about the same, while hogs are lower at the present time. Top prices, for hogs last week at the Los Angeles Union Stock yards was $6.30 per cwt., while last year, hogs sold as high as $7.50 per cwt. However, How-ever, a burdensome number of hogs are being reduced, so that the hog market is on a comparatively compara-tively firm basis. Likewise, numbers num-bers of cattle are above normal. A good many of our stockmen are asking themselves what effect ef-fect the war will have on livestock live-stock markets. This is a question to which the answer is uncertain, depending on a good many factors. Our livestock markets are the result re-sult of the supply and demand. Demand is greatly influenced by the industrial activity in this country, and should there be a sharp expansion in production among our factories, there would be more payroll money to be be spent for meat. In view of the uncertainty ahead, a good many of our livestock live-stock leaders- are counseling operations on a conservative basis Cattle prices are higher than for a good many years, and cattlemen are being urged to clean up their debts so that they can meet the future v.-ith a gTeater sense of security. It seems logical that a time of high prices and unsettled conditions is a time to put any business in order. M |