Arizona republican., 1900-09-12
GREAT LAKE TRADE.
A High and Elaborate Record
 for 1900
Hitherto Indefinite Sources of Infor- nation Regarding Its Extent. What Has Been Done ill the Month of July.

Washington. Sept. H. Especially The commerce. cf the great lakes is making it's highest and most elaborate record in the year 19C0 Not only is he business carried on the lakes great er during the present season than on any other occasion. but for the first time its details arc being accurately measured and the fac,s presented from month to month to those interested in those details.
 The very rapid growth i'll the com merce of the great lakes which has been measured only at one or two points. and that in a fragmentary way, has for many years suggested the in- purtance of some method by which the details of this enormous commerce coulG be measured and th- shipments to anG from each Of the great ports f these lakes recorded. For several years the war departmeT, ufficiai at the Sault Ste. Maris canal has made an accurate record of the shipments through that passageway which con meets Lake Superior with the lower lakes. and statements have been made from time to time of the tonnage of vessels passing that point.
 But aside from this no definite in formation has been had regarding the commerce of the lakes as whole or Of the business of the various ports in the various articles entering into the business of that great high way of commerce which con rects the producing with the manu- featuring and consuming sections of our country. In 1899 the matter was seriously taken up by the bureau of statistics Of the treasury department and d system davis.d by which this in furma ton could be obtained, showing the receipts and shipments of every port in all of the important articles entering into the commerce of the lakes and at th- beginning of the pres ent season this system was put into operation and is proving effective and satisfactory to all interests.
 The statistics j1sj compiled. and which form a part of the July sum mary of commerce and finance. show that during the month of July ,, 3S5 vessels arriv at the thirty-seven principal ports on the great lakes, and from the ops ming of navigation up 10 August 1 the total number of arrivals ! was l5,94l- The pr portions O1 the water transportation interests of some of the cities on the great lakl is also strikingly Illustrated. For instance. ;here entered the port of Chicago dur ing the month of July. HOS vessels per ! cay. From the opening of navigation in April to August 1 the vessel arrivals at Chicago aggregated 3.5lS. In the | July record Cleveland ranked next to Chicago. there having been 533 arrivals | during the interim, but for the season to date both Milwaukee and Buffalo : oUtciass Cleveland. the total arrivals at Milwaukee being 1859 and at Buff
 falo 1855. as compared with 1886 ar
 rivals at Cleveland. The port of De- troit was entered by 275 vessels during
 July and there were 944 arrivals at
 Duluth. Wis, and 43g at West Su- perior, Mich, her sister city at the head i of the lakes.
 l There has been considerable discus ! sion of late of the report that the rail- roads were taking from the lake car ricrs a greater proportion of northwest
 ern grain shipments than ever before.
 T would appear. however, from the i latest statistics. that thl inroads are i less serious than supposed. The re- 1 ceipts of breadstuffs at the principal ports on the lakes are as follows
 { Articles. July, 1900. Season. 1900