The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-08-02
OUR INTERNAL ooMMrRcr.
Special to the Scranton Tribune.
Washington, Aug. /.

is, nevertheless, in the data collected by
the treasury bureau of statistics, on IN
ternal commerce up to the end Of June,
an opportunity for half-year compare
sons of commercial movements. sich as
those of live stock, grain, provisions and
produce. The five western livestock
markets of Chicago, Kansas City, Omaha,
st. Louis and st. Joseph, taken as an
index of the trade generally report total
receipts of meat-producing stock includ-
ing cattle, hogs and sheep between Jan.
! and June 30, inclusive, of HI66.s5o head.
This was 7O9,2S3 head less than for the
corresponding period of 1901, and 34LUo2
head less than for 1900.
Taking the Chicago market as typical,
the monthly average weight of cattle has
begun to recover from the lower level of
9iO pounds per head In April. In May the
average weight rose to 9oT pounds, and
in June to 96i pounds per head. The
average weight of hogs is likewise recov-
ering, but the numerical supply is still
nearly a million short of the receipts for
the first half of 1901.
A rough guage of the increase In the
consuming demand for meats is found in
the trunk line shipments of provisions
from Chicago and Chicago points These
shipments 60 primarily eastward from
the centers of production in the interior,
and secondarily southwark For the
1lTSu JWenty-Slx weeks OIL tIllS year Us,-lt
tons of provisions entered into this move
ment, compared with 572.S15 tons last
year The gain OF 1873 per cent over
last year amounted to an average of 1904
tons per week more than the weekly
demand for 1901. The five markets re-
porting stocks for cut meats had. In
round numbers, 2i5,OOO.0O0 pounds of cut
meats in stock at the end of June. 1902,
against 311,00O.O00 pounds for the cores
.1,,xo i,, fe, q
of 21.2 per cent. At Chicago the stocks
were over 100000 pounds below the
level of a year ago. At the four other
packing ccnters reporting, there was a
reduction of 81 100000 pounds, or 20l per
cent. from the basis of supply available
at the end of June. 1901.
Domestic freight receipts at 155 ports,
reporting in June were 7,442,9S2 tons,
compared with 7,e52.5n tons in June, 1901.
Shipments from 224 ports in June. this
year, amounted to 7.747.S71 tons, against
1901, ,2OS tons in June, 1901. For the first
six months OF 1901 and 1902 the freight
receipts at lake ports aggregated 11,SS6572
tons, and 1S.13597S tons respectively. Iron
ore shipments to the end of June, this
year, totalled s127,21 tons, compared
with 4,457,276 tons.
COAsTwIsE COMMERCE OF THE AT
IIANTIC AND GULF PORTS.
Shipping operations at New York for
the first six months this year, give the
total number Of vessels arriving as 5,91o.
of which $40 vessels were engaged In
the coasting trade, and 2,145 in the for
eign trade. At Philadelphia there were
2,441 arrivals, OF which 1923 were en-
gagged in the coasting trade, and 61s in
foreign trade. At Baltimore the total
arrivals for five months only were LOIS
vessels, of which 1884 were credited to
the coasting trade, and 81 to foreign
trade. New Orleans reports 649 vessels
arriving during this year to the end of
June, of which 1913 vessels were engaged
in coastwise trade, and 4o6 in foreign
trade.
The three ports of New York, Phila-
delphia and Baltimore together sent out
S15,25O tons of coal by water to coastwise
destinations during the month of May.
and for the five months ending with May.
5.a52 l35 tons, as reported by the leading
coal carriers and shippers at the princi-
pal points of trans shipment. Coal re-
ceipts at Boston during the first six
months ending with June totalled 1885,
O04 tons. compared with 2,311,703 tons in
1901 Ordinarily these receipts are about
equally divided between anthracite and
bituminous, but thus far this year there
has been a loss of 40 per cent. in anthra-
cite tonnage, while bituminous receipts
increased 10 per cent. over those of the
first six months of 1901.
COMMERCIAL MOVEMENTS IN
SOUTHERN TERRITORY.
The first ten months of the cotton year
in Southern territory show receipts of 10,-
O2l,473 bales, of which 7,4S5,O1S bales ar
rived at seaboard points; 1,04S.425 bales
entered into overland shipments, and l.
100000 bales were taken by Southern
mills. The cotton manufacturing indus
try of the cotton states has. therefore,
reached a point where it takes approXi-
matey Is per cent. of the American cot
ton yield. The yearly consumption of the
entire United States up to 1S77-78 had
never reached the dimensions of the
southern consumption during the past ten
months. Iron shipments in southern ter
ritory in the past six months reported a
gain of 10 per cent. over those of the
same length of time in 1901. Six produce
ing districts shipped 9S7,7l6 tons of pig
and pipe irch, compared with S9O,OF tons
for the corresponding period of last year.
Yellow pine shipments from southwest
ern territory shows that 744,036957 feet
We're marketed in the first six months of
1900; 932 2.421 ,O41 feet in six months of 1901,
or gain of % per cent. and 1.10S. 276
feet in the first half of 1902, being an ad-
vance of 40 per cent. over the output of
1900.
COMMERCE ON THE PACIFIC COAST.
Redwood, pine and fir arrivals at Cali
fornia coast points for the past six
months amounted to 414,926,S54 feet, COM
pared with 81, ,53O9S7 feet during the first
half of 1901. Cargo lumber shipments
from the state of Washington for six
months, as reported by leading mills,
were 64,6l1 1886 feet foreign. and 197,644OS2
feet to domestic points. Orange and LEM
on shipments from California have de-
creased 26.6 per cent. from Nov. to July
l of this fruit year, compared with the
corresponding period of last year, the
average weekly shipment declining from
GAO cars to 470 cars. For June. the first
month of the deciduous fruit season in
California, l.l66 cars were sent III 1901,
and $50 cars in June. 1902. being a reduc-
tion of 4l,6 per cent. Flour shipments
from Columbia river points for the fiscal
year ending June 80, amounted to S23 S48
barrels. of which 637,79a barrels, or ia
per cent, went to foreign destinations,
and 1S6,055 barrels to domestic ports. Ia
coma sent 5lS,406 bayrels abroad and
Seattle 347,S67 barrels in approximately
the same period.
COAL, COKE. PETROLEUM AND
PHOSPHATE.
June coal traffic in the east shows a
contraction of anthracite shipments, and
an expansion of bituminous and coke
shipments. Pennsylvania railroad ship
ments east of Pittsburg and Erie amount
ed to 3046i tons of anthracite this June,
compared with 365,S23 tons in June 1901,
and 4e414 tons in June. 1900. Bituminous
shipments in June of this year were
2,272,727 tons, compared with 1900, $40 tons
in June, 1901, and 1,4aS,O5O tons in June,
1900 Total shipments of coal and coke
q. .tc-