The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-11-28
AMERICAN BUSINESS ACTIVITY.

AMERICAN BUSINESS ACTIVITY.
The phenomenal activity of the who'll
country is illustrated by some figures
just prepared by the Treasury Bureau
of Statistics, showing the commerce ol
the Great Lakes during the month o
July and the seven months ending will
July The chain of Great Lakes which
stretches from New York at the cas-
to Minnesota at the west transports Z
large proportion of the products of {
dozen States in which are included tbs
principal agricultural, mining, and for
estry sections of the country. The
measurement of the commerce of the
lakes, therefore, is an important ex-
ponent of the business activities of the
country. This is accomplished by the
figures of the Treasury Bureau OF
Statistics which show that the total
freight receipts at 144 receiving ports
on the lakes were 25,71S,s26 net tons in
the first seven months of the year, COM
pared with 1881, 257 net tons in the
corresponding months of last year.
:. The statistical measurement of trade
en- the Great Lakes has been greatly
deveIo;ed by the Bureau of Statistics
within the past few years Under the
system of reporting cargo by masters
of vessels, which ft-established in i tRass. the
year 1900. an average of-from $500 to-
5000 supplementary manifests is re-
ceived at the bureau each month during
the season. These manifests are imme-
diately tabulated in such manner as
to show the amount of business done by
each lake port throughout the month
and year. July is the latest month for
which figures have been published in
the Summary of Internal Commerce.
IA receiving ports and 217 shipping
ports being represented.
The end of July usually marks the
navigation. This year, however, an
earlier opening brought out a much
heavier tonnage movement than last
season. The total freight receipts for
y 1
25,71ss26 net tons, as against 1881, PSI |
net tons to the corresponding date last
season. This increase is at the rate of ,
3O.6 per cent. over the received tonnage
last season. Shipments thus far this !
season have amounted to 26,S76.0 net
tons, those of last season being 1868, 1874
net tons The most conspicuous gains
have been made in the shipment of ore
and minerals not including coal, this
seasons total amounting to 13,377,912
gross tons, against only 9,0S3,sS2 gross
tons in 1901-a gain of 47.3 per cent.
Coal shipments increased from 3,670,S71
net tons last season 70 4,652,323 net tons
this season. Slightly less than half of
the total freight tonnage on the lakes
consists ofairon ore.
The movement of registered tonnage
of vessels on these inland waters is re-
ported for the first time this year. In
these reports of internal commerce only
the vessel movement between American
ports is included. In seven months
81 ,41o vessels arrived with q tonnage Oh
Sc, 0S7 ,S76 tons registry, and 37.79S vessels
cleared, of IS. 1861 01 tons registry. This
is more than twice the registered ton
mage of both foreign and American YES
sells engaged in the foreign trade of
the country. for the same period of
time. The foreign trade engaged
2.174.954 tons of sail, and 1904 1867 tons
of steamships of all nationalities to July
81, 1902, making a total of 16, 269, 921 TONS
The combined registered tonnage in the
foreign trade at New York, Boston,
Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans,
San Francisco, and Puget Sound for the |
entire year 1901 was 1865, sos tons en-
tered. and 1S,4S7,246 tons cleared, or
somewhat more than half the total ton
mage reported for the Great Lakes dur
ing the seven months of 1902
Further analysis of this enormous
total shows that fourteen ports each |
report arrivals and clearances of a mil |
lion tons and over. Five ports-Chica- |
go, Milwaukee, Duluth, Cleveland, and
Buffalo-each show clearances of two
million tons and over. The combined
arrivals at these five ports was II, 421,- |
099 tons, and the clearances II, 455, 544
tons.
a.