Hesitated

Wednesday’s suspicions that a weeklong run-up in cash prices,which hesitated only on Monday before starting to climb again, wascoming to an end proved well founded Thursday. A sharply droppingscreen, the continued lack of any significant storm threat toproduction and mild weather in the major market areas of theMidwest and Northeast combined to pull down eastern quotes byamounts on either side of a dime. Declines tended to be smaller inthe West, ranging from flat at a few Rockies points to as much as 8cents in the Northern California market.