The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-21
TAXES CAR SERVICE
VOLUME OF TRADE KEEPS RAIL
ROADS BUSY SUPPLYlNG
FACILITIES
TRANSPORTATION A PROBLEM

Fran, Nearly All Parts Of the Coun-
fry Come Complaints of Car
Scarcity - Congestion Partly Due
tn Diversion of Water Route Bus
mess to Already Overcrowded
Railroads.
NEW YORK, Oct. 2O.-Bradstreet to-
morrow will say: More nearly, perhaps
than ever before does the volume OF gen
elal trade and industry tax existing
transportation facilities handling the
same From nearly all parts of the coun-
Try. but particularly from the West and
South. come reports of car scarcity. Some
of This congestion seems to be the re
suit of diversion of the traffic ordinarl-
~ carried on by water routes 10 already
crowded railroads. AS an example OF
this might be instanCed the east bound
tonnage movement from Chicago last
week, which exceeded by two and half
times thar carried in the corresponding
week a wear ago. The inability of present
transportation facilities to cope with the
existing situation is, however, not con-
fired 10 domestic trade lines From BON
coasts of this country come reports Of in
sufficient tonnage offering to handle goods
seeking a foreign outlet and freight rates
are considered higher ;han they were
year or more ago. This latter feature,
in fact. is one which may have important
effect upon our foreign trade during the
balance of the year.
with few notable exceptions prices
continue strong. A number of lines have
advanced quotations. while the great body
Of staple articles manifest all their old
fImness. Some weakness in wheat prices
Is directly traceable to higher freight
rates. because of the partial closing of
the door to relief from growing domestic
stocks Touching the wheat situation,
however, it may be said that while pres
ent statistics of stocks of domestic and
European are bearish, estimates of the
years crop continue to afford strength
to the bulls position. An average of five
leading European estimates points to
worlds crop this year not far from $780,
coo. Geo bushels, and a falling off of 325GG0,-
O06 to 375090O00 bushels from last year is
indicated. against which, Of course. is to
be reckoned increased supplies, visible and
invisible, OF at least two-thirds of that
amount Corn IS not IS depressed as
wheat. mainly because of lighter receipts.
but it is to be noted current receipts of
wheat are also smaller than they were
year ago The weakness in prices of cop
per and of copper mine stocks is attrib-
1ted to production gradually overtaking
demand. and tin is also considerably low
er y renewal of strength is noted IN
cotton though foreign buying is reported
still Indifferent. domestic speculative con-
fdence and good conditions IN the MANU-
featured goods branch furnishing an i'm
petus this week.
Last among the leading staples to feel
the wave Of prosperity-coffee-ha of late
DISPLAYED marked strength and an in
creased speculative interest is noticeable.
Sole leather has been more actively dealt
in and is higher this week. Cheese has
slightly advanced, and, though demand
has been to some extent checked the
situation of this staple is claimed to be
III strongest for fifteen years past. In iron
and steel maintained strength is still a
feature at all markets, with steel pro-
duets. particularly rails, wire rods and
hillets all higher on the week, and struc-
tUral material showing sympathy. Bes-
semer iron quotations have slightly adj
yanced. indicating confidence in present
OF higher quotations FOR at least nine
months to come. Pig iron production ex-
pands as new and old furnaces go into
commission, and the probability favors
total production this year OF not far from
- 100000 tons. a gain &c per cent over
last year. Hardware, both light and
heavy, is reported moving actively, but
orders ahead are in most cases rejected
by conservative jobbers. Raw wool is
flmer and even higher, on better demand
at the East. some heavy speculative
transactions being reported. The strength
Of lumber is apparently undiminished,
though supplies are reported more liberal
at some markets, but lumber mills are
very generally reported rushed with or
ders.
Returns of export trade do not as yet
reflect the effect of recent advances in
freight rates, and show the movement
Of merchandise abroad during September
to have been the best recorded for that
month, being % per cent larger than
year ago and Sc per cent larger than Sep
TENDER two years ago. For the nine
months our exports exceed those of 1888
by 4 per cent, a maintenance of which
Gain would indicate a total export for
he calendar year 1899 of $1,3OO OOO, 900.
which total, however, may be still fur
TIER exceeded if the freight situation i'm
proves
Wheat, including -four, shipments for
the week aggregate 416061S bushels
against. 5,2G3, 634 bushels last week. 1882. IA
bushels in the corresponding week Of
1888, 5552,1n bushels in 1897, 4,067, 21 bush
els in 1896 and 2,6JS554 bushels in 1895.
since July this season the exports of
wheat aggregate 65, 125, $50 bushels against
81 ,5lO,SS9 bushels last year and Y. 472. 3O3
bushels in 1898. Corn exports for the
week aggregate 5,05S, 597 bushels, against
1856, 79S bushels last Week, 2,597, I91 bushels
In this week year ago, LII, 54S bushels
in 1851, 2979,9S4 bushels in 1896 and 1,343 5l9
bushels in 1885 Since July l this season
corr exports aggregate 69S12,S56 bushels,
against 44,963,4 31 bushels during the same
1878 III
Business failures for the week numbar
III, as compared with 1874 last week 2t2
IN TINS week year ago, 225 in 1897 2q2
IN 1896 and 259 in 1855. Business failures in
Inc Dominion of Canada for the week MN
per ~, as compared with 10 last week d
IN this week year ago, q in 1897 az in
1886 and Sc in 1885," - AZ