The Saint Paul globe., 1900-04-14

as measured by the few available meas
uring rods which the present rather I'M
satisfactory statistical system furnishes.
Yet the fact that navigation on the lakes
is about to open, and that the greatest
season" ever known Is confidently pre-
dicted by those familiar with the traffic
there, makes some facts which the treus-
ury bureau of statistics has just present
ed in one of It's monthly publications cs-
pecialiy interesting.
The single point at which accurate sta
tistical statements have been kept during
considerable term of years is at st.
Mary's Falls canal, which connects Lake
Superior with Michigan, Huron. Erie and
Ontario; and by study of these figures
1t is practicable to compare in some de-
gree the growth of internal commerce
on the great lakes with that of our for
eign commerce. AS already indicated, the
foreign commerce of the United States
has doubled since 1872, and the exports
have trebled during that period. During
the same time the tonnage of vessels en-
gagged in commerce passing through the
st. Mary's Falls canal increased from
914,755 registered tons in 1872 to q, ,95S,3H
tons in 1899, the increase having been
been over 1000 per cent, as against an In
crease of 100 per cent in total foreign
commerce and 200 per cent in exports.
The great articles entering into the
commerce on the lakes are wheat, flour
and other grains; COAL iron and lumber.
The statements of the quantities Of these
articles passing through the 500 canal
illustrate the growing utilization of this
great water route for transportation Of
these articles so readily transported in
bulk. In 1871 the number of bushels of
wheat passing through the canal was
1,376 705, while in 1899 the number OF BUSH
els was 5S, ,397, 1886, or more than forty times
as much as in 1871.
Meantime the receipts of wheat at Buf-
falo increased from 100000 bushels in
1872 to $4,000, 600 In 1885, while the total re-
ceipts of grain of all kinds Qncluding
wheat in the form Of dour) received at
Buffalo by lake increased from 62,0e0,o00
bushels in 1872 to 267,000,0O0 bushels In
1898. Meanwhile the expectation of wheat
and wheat flour increased from 80 900 900
bushels in 1872 to 222000,000 bushels i'll
1899, the increase in transportation by
lake thus being much greater. proper
tionately than the increase in exports
from the seaboard.
Transportation of -four through the
500 canal has increased with even great
er rapidity, growing from 1864 barrels
I'll
grain other than wheat increased from
445,774 bushels in 1879 to 3O.00O,Q00 bushels
in 1899.
In metals and minerals the growth Of
transportation on the lakes Is quite as
striking as in breadstuffs, the quantity
of coal carried on the 500 canal having
increased from S0,S15 tons in 1872 to $780,
8S7 tons in 1899. Coal from the Pennsyl-
is cd OF low
freight rates to the Lake Superior region,
where coal production is light and fuel
greatly in demand, as the vessels which
carry the iron ore, grain and flour from
the Lake Superior region carry coal on
their return trips at nominal freight
rates, and as a consequence the coal
passing through the 500 canal has, as al
ready indicated, increased from Se,S15 tons
in 1872 to S.94O,sS7 tons in 1899.
The product Of the Lake Superior re-
gion which is poured through the 500
canal In increasing quantities every year
is, after grain and flour, which have been
already mentioned, chiefly iron ore, cop
per and lumber. The iron ore shipments
through the canal increased from 3SS.105
tons in 1872 to Is, ,32S,240 tons in 1899; cop
per, from 4.591 tons in 1872 to 12O,090 tons
in 1899 and lumber, from 1,720.000 feet in
1872 to 1,OSS, ,057, 900 feet in 1899. The report
from which these figures were obtained
indicates that they also include the traffic
through the Canadian canal lying Just
alongside ST. Mary's Falls canal which
was opened to commerce Sept. 9, 1895.
Some additional and equally interesting
facts are shown for the period 1887 to 1923.
These relate to the proportion of freight
carried by American and Canadian YES
sells, value of American and Canadian
craft, and cost of transportation per mile
ton of freights passing through the ca
nal. It shows that the percentage of
freight carried by Canadian vessels which
in 1887 was per cent of the total, was in
1898 only 22 per cent. The value Of Ca
madam craft passing this point was IN
1887 $2,0S9.40 and in 1898 81, 491, 900; willie
that of American craft, which In 1887 was
SIT 6S4, $50, was in 1898 $45, 199, ,S00 the value
of Canadian craft having increased Jess
than 25 per cent. while that of American
craft had nearly trebled, and the total
registered tonnage, as already indicated,
having increased from 913, 1876 tons In 1S72
to q, 1855, ,947 tons in 1899. With this In
crease in tonnage and business comes an
equally striking decrease In freight rates,
the cost of transportation per ton per
mile having fallen from 2.3 mills In 1887
to 10 of 1 mill in 1898.
j. S. Van Antwerp.