New-York tribune., 1901-10-12
MEASURING INTERNAL COMMERCE..
VALUABLE WORK UNDERTAKEN BY THE
TREASURY BUREAU OF STATISTICS.

Washington. Oct. II (SpeciaD-The systematic
study of the internal commerce OF the United
States undertaken by the Treasury Bureau Of
Statistics is already making such progress as to
Justify predictions OF It's success and permanent
value TO the business. commercial and transporta-
ton interests of the country. Less than two years
ago a serious and systematic attempt was made
to establish system by which the movement of
great articles could be measured at certain points,
and thus some definite information obtained re-
gardng the great and hitherto unmeasured internal
commerce Of the United States. While 1t Is not. of
course. practicable TO record all or any consider
able proportion OF the transactions which enter
into internal commerce. a record OF the production
of few leading articles. such the various
classes of grain, provisions, cotton. coal, iron,
copper, mineral oils. lumber and certain manu-
factures. their concentration at certain great in
terror centres their transportation to the seaboard
and redistribution would prove extremely valuable.
The value of such a record would be materially
increased If the figures were systematically gath
cred year by year. and thus made available for
comparative purposes in measuring the growth of
internal commerce, Of which they are representa-
tive factors
| 1t is with this purpose that the Bureau Of Sta
tistcs has undertaken establish three distinct
systems by which these features Of internal COM
merce may be determined and examined:
First-The measurement Of the movement of the
| principal articles entering into the commerce Of
the Great Lakes at every port upon that great
| highway Of commerce.
ternaI centres of the corn, wheat. flour and other
grains provisions. live animals, cotton, coal iron
and other minerals and their redistribution from
those points
Third-The concentration at seaboard points of
certain great articles. and the coastwise move
ment between those points of principal articles
entering into domestic commerce.
In two of these three undertakings the work has
already made sufficient progress to give assurance
of the entire practicability of gathering and COM
milf inf
the commercial interests of the country. Accurate
| measurements of the movements into and out OF
every port on the Great Lakes of fifteen great
articles of internal commerce now being made
and presented in classified and tabulated form, and
| with them the total movement each month, and at
the close of the season the business of each port
and of the lakes whole for the entire season
These figures when published compared with
| those of the preceding year, thus measuring not
only the movement, but the growth. The cOncen-
tration dozen great interior points of the
leading articles already mentioned. showing quanti-
and in values is also being recorded
each month and where the figures for preceding
years be gathered comparative statements are
being presented and with them the records OF the
movements from those points 70 the seab9ard
commerce and the concentration at and distribu-
d1 qP pGeaeptes es n be menth pHbcaton of the
Bureau of Statistics The Monthly Summary of
cussion and standardization may serve TO in
crease their practical value to the general reader
TO thoroughly analyze these important features OF
our Internal commerce
The last of the three great undertakings in the
measurement OF internal commerce and its growth
Is that relating 70 the coastwlse movement Curl-
ousy. the United States has never had any system
bv which the cOastwise movements between the
great cities could be measured The population of
the States fronting the Atlantic Ocean and the
Gulf of Mexico is one-half the population of the
United States. Each section OF that great line of
States it's peculiar products-cOtton coal iron.
lumber fruits and other foodstufrs-and each Is de
pendent on the other for many of these great art
cles required in its daily life. AS the products OF
these sections concentrated at and redistrib-
ued from the coast cities; naturally a large pro
portion of the transportation of these sections is
by
1t is the attempt to measure this maritime coast
wise commerce between the cities fronting upon
that between the cities of the Pacific Coast. that
the Bureau of Statistics Is now entering upon as
erence to the measurement of internal commerce
The initial movement in this work was begun at
Ra timore. and has been met with cordial cooper
alton not only by the steamship lines centring
there but 1So gy 'hS bS he cy authortie The sS
appeal by Bureau of Statistics for information
regarding the coastwse commerce of Baltimore
ana of that city with other cities made the
steamship lines but this information coming to the
enterprising citizens and officials OF baltimore
they Immediately took steps to cooperate and ex-
tend the inquiries to many details Which, me me & n
the limited funds at it's disposal to undertake As
result steps nays Pesn ske OF Statistical ths brean
which shall gather data regarding the commerce
tjstics such data as 1t requires in It's COM
piIation of the coastwise commerce between the
chain OF cities and States of which Baltimore ana
Maryland form an important link. =, .
This action @ by by faoTed hs by similar Gn
on the part OF other cities Ii is by the e0-opera-
a6d a0d OF OF the the railroad and
the commercial bodies trade publications ana uaiiy
Bureau OF Statistic been able obtain the data
by which 1t now measures the movements in IN tngss 5
similar cooperation on the coast eauaI success
with reference to coastwise commerce Is assured
TPT1T OF NUEIY IN PROGRESS-