The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-04-28
OUR DOMESTIC TRADE.
&C of The Tribune.

Special Correspondence of The Tribune.
Washington, April e..
~ OMEsrIC trade movements for the frst
quarter of 1902 compared with those for
L the corresponding period in 1901 are re-.
ported in the March summary Of i'll
ternal commerce by the treasury bureau OF sta
tistics. Those figures seem to indicate Il con-
timued increase in the Volume OF representative
branches of commerce. The receipts of wheat
at eight markets in the interior for the year 1901
up to April l amounted to 1Sl, 1S3,0G5 bushels,
compared with 106, .766 bushels for the corrc-
spending period of 1902. There is thus gain Of
81 per cent to the credit OF the current quarter
The live stock movements exhibit the same gen
cral tendency, with some exceptions. For the
first quarter Of 1900 the receipts of five kinds OF
stock at the five leading markets of the in.
terror were 7,4la,7o3 head; for the fist quarter
of 1901 the receipts totaled 7,6i6,572 head, for
1902 totaled 7,S3l,0S2 head. The greatest per-
centage OF gain among the five classes OF stock
was made in the receipts Of calves. A compari-
son of receipts shipments and consumption Of
calves brings to light the fact that the primary
markets are cutting deeper than usual into tho
younger classes of stock on the western farms, ard
other areas OF supply. The average weight OF
hogs at Chicago was pounds less than during
March, 1901; at St. Joseph, pounds less; at
Omaha, II pounds less. and at Kansas CITY, 10
pounds less. The carload receipts OF stock zen
orally show an increase, except at Kansas City,
where there was decrease of 81 per cent. in the
number of cars, compard with March, 1901. For
the three months ending March 81 OF this year
Chicago received 75,sl4 cars OF stock, and G9, 56S
for the corresponding quarter OF the preceding
year; showing gain of 6,25l cars, indicating
that the Chicago supply is being kept up by the
central west and northwest. Traffic in live stock
compared for the first quarter of three success
i've years showed that for the first quarter OF 1909
four markets received l22, ,3ya cars; for 1901, the
corresponding figure o. .9SS cars, and Tor 1902
1o7,2l9 cars. There is, therefore, a material gain
TO the credit of the western live stock traffic
thus far this year over either OF the preceding
two years, despite the southwestern shortage Of
supply.
The commercial years report on the pork
packing industry confirms those figures OF the in
crease OF live stock traffic The Cincinnati Price
Current gives 2jill 676 head as the total of hogs
packed in the western centers during the year
ending March l, compared with 2S,60O67i head
for the preceding year. The receipts OF hogs at
New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, how.
ever, during the l2 months ending March l were
The lowest in seven years.
Tragic on the Great Lakes for March was
marked by the opening OF local operations on
The lower lakes and the clearing OF a few eargoes
OF ore and wheat from the upper lake ports during
the last week OF the month. Receipts for March
were 25l,293 tons Of freight compared with 1sS,
9ls tons in March, 1901. The March lake ship
ment further shows that the domestic shipments
of hard coal during the season Of 1901 amounted
to 3,3l0323 tons; soft coal 5,07623l tons and that
l.75s, ,23S tons OF coal were loaded for vessels
consumption at l2l lake ports by l2G diferen:
firms. The exports Of coal from northern lake
districts in 1901 amounted TO 4,4la,2s5 tons, com
pared with 5,05i.l5s tons during the calendar
year 1900 The total shipments OF coal on the
lake, including coastwise and foreign for 1901
amounted to 15,i57,07 tons, compared with l2-
026, 81 tons in 1900
At the North Atlantic seaboard the receipts OF
-four and grain at New York for March amounted