Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-03
MOVEMENT OF TRADE
GENERAL IMPROVEMENT OVER
LAST YEARS CONDITIONS.
Increase in the Receipts Of Live Stock
and Wheat-Greater Importation
Of Coal-Cotton, Lumber, &c.


in the February Summary Of Internal
| Commerce, issued by the treasury bureau
of statistics, show a general Improvement
| over conditions at the corresponding date
| last year. In live stock, in movements
| of wheat and -four, in movements of corn
and in traffic on the great lakes the fig
| ures showing present conditions indicate
| a decided advance over those of the cor
| responding date last year.
In live stock the traffic operations at
| five western centers amounted during
February to 47,151 cars, having advanced
from Il ,3S7 cars in February, 1902, and
Al, 1888 cars in February, 1901. For the
| two months ending with February this
year H9,2O2 cars were reported, compared
with SS,237 cars to the end of February,
1902, and IS ,497 cars for the first two
months Of 1901.
Receipts of wheat at eight markets to
the end of February for the current crop
year are reported as amounting to 2O1,-
J09.2SS bushels. year ago the receipts
were 1S5 800, 746 bushels, and for an equal
period in 1901 a total of 1913, 1885, 400 bushels.
There has therefore been a progressive in
crease during these three seasons in the
volume of grain received at these interior
centers.
The -four trade at Minneapolis during
1903 has thus far averaged much higher
than during the preceding two years. The
weekly production for the first nine weeks
of 1903 averaged 300, 046 barrels, compared
with 2S9, 4O1 barrels in 1902 and 1888
barrels for like period in 1901. Ship
ments show an equally marked enlarge
ment.
On the Great Lakes.
On the great lakes traffic during February
was still subject to winter conditions, and
confined to translate operations on Lake
Michigan. Nevertheless, the receipts at
ports reporting for February were 237 1913
tons, compared with 170,508 tons in Feb
ruary, 1902, and 16S,332 tons in February,
1901. For the two months ending with
February, 1903, 1,49O arrivals Of vessels
were reported, with a registered tonnage OF
1878, 1856 net TONS compared with 1925 ar
rivals in the first two months OF 1SU2, ana
1853 800 registered net tons.
At the north Atlantic seaboard, receipts
of grain, including flour reduced to bushels,
at Boston, New York, Philadelphia and
Baltimore, are reported as amounting to
49, 172 $50 bushels in February, 1903, COM
pared with 10, $50, 7S0 bushels in February,
1902, making gain of S,421, 759 bushels.
Coal Imports.
The coastwise coal trade reports receipts
at Boston during February Of an extraordi-
nary amount Of foreign coal by sea. Out OF
a total Of 644,915 tons arriving from all
sources 246,641 tons were foreign coal by
sea and 39s, ga tons domestic, Of which only
80, 595 tons came by rail. The amount OF
foreign coal received during February
1902, which was a normal month was 5S,9o4
tons out of total Of 2S7, 1872 tons. For the
two months ending with February, Boston
coal receipts were / ,239, 243 tons this year.
compared with 857, 746 tons last year.
Port Receipts Of Cotton.
In southern territory, port receipts of cot
ton to the end of February this year
amounted to 6 500 $50 bales in contrast with
GAGS SIC bales last season and 5.s65,O63 bales
in the preceding season. The overland
movement is credited with S47 s57 bales this
season, S77, AT bales last season and S92,-
927 bales in the preceding season. Southern
mill takings, net. were 1,19O,5O0 bales this
season, compared with 1892 bales last
season, and S72,619 bales in the preceding
season. Port receipts and southern mill
takings appear to constitute a growing pro-
portion of the cotton crop. while overland
receipts show a tendency to reduction in
favor of local demands and shipments by
water.
On the Pacific coast the lumber trade
Shows no signs Of abatement. From upper
California 42,174,63S feet of redwood lum-
Der were shipped during the first two
months of the current year. For the cor
responding period in 1902 the shipments
were 36,992 40, and in 1901, 35,577 .o36 feet
February was characterized by light river
generally. On the Monongahela river how
ever, 89O,268 net tons of freight were re-
ported moved during February, 1903. as
against 316,362 net tons in February, 1902.
Shipments Of Coal and Coke.
Shipments Of anthracite coal in February
are reported as amounting to 5,O7O,GOS net
tons. and for January 1854 $50 tons. making
a grand total of II ,O35,95S tons for the first
two months of this year. For the CORE
spending months of 1902 there were ship
ped S279. 1871 tons and of 1901 9,3O6994 TONS
Shipments of coke from the Connesville
region for eight weeks ending with Febr1l-
airy were 1872 cars this year, compared
with S4.252 cars in 1902 and 81, 497 cars in
1901. At st. Louis, February receipts of
coal were 512, 991 tons, compared with 49,
232 tons in February, 1902. For the two
months ending with February, 1,O50,932 tons
were received this year, and ,O20, S18 tons
last year. At Chicago, coal and coke re-
ceipts for two months were 2215,361 tons
this year, compared with 1868, 444 tons last