The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-11
COMMERCE OF THE GREAT LAKES.
Treasury Bureau of Statistics Makes
. Report ON the Subject.

Washington, Feb. n-The commerce of
the Great Lakes in the navigation season
OF l*V mas exceeded that of any preceding
Year. The report Of the Treasury Bureau
VI STATISTICS covering the business OF he
PRINCIPAL ports. combined with the reports
VI the onicer IN charge of the Sau!t Sre
Marie Canal for the year endlng Decem5er
81. 49,, FUZZY Justifies this assertion. rse
work OF the Bureau OF Statistics during the
season lSU was the first attempt to classify
and study the movements in principal ar
Icies from port to port upon the Great
LAKES. ana. while it was not found prlc-
ucaoie In this experimental year 10 fncluue
IN TINS work some OF the minor ports or 10
cotain uata In all cases tor the opening
month OF the season the figures may be ac-
copied as presenting a fairly accurate view
OF the port-to-port of me ARTICLES
and Classes of articles which form the buik
OF the trafhc on this great internationai
According to the figures secured nv line
bureau OF Statistics. there were received
py vessels at the thirty-seven principal
ports on the Great Lakes between April l.,
lNc. and the close or the year. a total OF
l,zoo,ZSf tons OF flour: 52,&s4,z5s bushels "
wheat: ac.Soo.Sn bushels OF corn; %, 2so. 757
bushels OF oats; ll-525,5Ol bushels of barley
and 1,s4o,s?2 bushels OF rye. The figures re-
late purely to the movements between Unit
ed states ports. and do not. therefore, in
clude the shipments to or from ports en-
the Canadian side OF the canals or through
the Welland Canal. The great hulk of .ne
grain trafflc originatded at Chicago and Da-
e.as 49, -eo ~ "a u POII OF AcSIlH-
alton. So far as can be judged from the
discrepancy between the figures REPRESENT
stiVe OF shipments ana receipts, respective
ly, after making for the grain in
storage on vessels both at the beginning
and close OF the season and their ship
ments from small ports not included in
the season $ compilation. the movement of
grain via the Canadian water routes did
not reach the proportions which had been
predicted let for At; The receipts OF iron
the bureaus compilation reached a total of
16. 26S,07 tons, and this may be accepted
as about 80 per cent OF the entire move
ment OF Iron ore both by rail n water.
All the principal ore-receiving and shipping
ports are covered by the bureau statement.
OF the lc.2S.0H tons handled, Is. s43. 6Sl tons
are shown - have been shipped from the
aba, Ashland. Marquette and West Supe-
rior. and l3.623.6 % tons were received az
the six ports of Ashtabula, Cleveland, Con-
a remarkable exempliacation of the extent
to which the iron ore traffic is concen-
trated.
Many different classes of commodities,
such as provisions. dry goods and hard,
ware. are reported under the general mead
OF unclassifed freight. This moyement
at the principal lake ports during the past
In this traffic the city of Chicago led. with
$42,z2l tons. The receipts at other ports
were: Buffalo. 1881 tons: Cleveland, 27s.-
waukee, 325.l24 tons.
In view of the efforts being made by the
owners Of the understanding vessels on
with the purpose of maintaining rates. il
Is perhaps interesting as illustrating the
scope Of this branch of International COM
meIce 10 note tnat lumber shipments were
made during the season from thirty-two Of
the thfrty-seven ports. OF m of
which the Bureau Of Statistics kept record.
receipts being recorded at an equal num-
Der Of ports. The total receipts aggregated
liz 400 600 feet.