Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-07-14
EVEN PR OSPE RITY
THIS is INDICATED BY REPORT
OF INTERNAL COMMERCE
- CONDITIONS.
New Department Of Commerce and La
Dor Under Secretary cortelyou, Is
sues Statement Covering Movement
Of Livestock, Grain, Ore, Etc.

commerce conditions. as shown by the
Monthly report of the department of
commerce and labor through it's east
Urn bureau Of statistics compare fav-
Drably with the corresponding period
Df last year. For the month of May
receipts of live stock at five western
markets have been larger than either
of the two preceding months, a total
of 2,512,501 head having arrived, COM
pared with 2,461,s6S head in April, and
2,346,410 head in March of the current
year. The usual course Of trade is in
the other direction and these larger re-
ceipts may be partly accounted for by
the excellent condition of pasturage
throughout the producing sections, ow-
ing to the prolonged period Of rain
fall. For five months ending with May
this year, 1881 100 head of stock
had been received at Chicago, Kansas
City, Omaha, st. Louis and st. Joseph.
For the corresponding period in 1902
q total of 12,502,506 head were report
ed, showing that this season is fully up
to that Of 1902 in this branch OF trade.
/ In 1901 the receipts amounted to 49,
213,926 head.
Prosperous Conditions.
If the livestock trade be taken as an
index to economic conditions generally
1t would seem that a firm and even lev
ell of prosperity had been maintained
with at least fair prospects Of continu-
ance. This view is confirmed by COM
parison of the movement of livestock
from Kansas City and St. Joseph for
feeder and country demand. During
the five months under consideration
306,974 head were sent, and in 1901,
272,196 head. These figures indicate
that the feeding fiocks of the stock
raising sections tributary to the large
Strengthening centers are steadily being
rehabilitated.
The Wheat Crop.
For the crop year up to June 2, the
total receipts of wheat at eight mar
kets were $22S,519,561 bushels, COM
pared with 211 ,656,605 bushels in 1902,
and 213, 0S3,037 bushels in 1901. These
figures cover ten months Of the crop
year in spring wheat section and IL
months in winter wheat section. They
show, however, that for the full crop
year, the volume of receipts will I'M
doubtedly exceed those of either 1901
or 1902.
The weekly average shipments of
flour from Minneapolis for the first
twenty-five weeks Of the current year
was 325,561 barrels, compared with
229,65S barrels in 1902, and 273,285 bar,
rels in 1901. For the week ending
with May 9, Minneapolis shipped 209,.
$50 barrels and 440505 barrels during
the next week.
Shipments of grain from elevators
at Buffalo for five months ending with
{ May were 31,941,y00 bushels compared
with 28,162,S04 bushels last year, and
24,133,824 bushels in 1901. Shipments
of grain by canal up to the end of May
were 2,070,193 bushels, compared with
2,508,4S6 bushels last season.
On the great lakes 139 ports report
7,112,S14 net tons of freight received
Z and for the season to the end of May
1O639;517 net tons compared with TO-.
692,996 net tons in 1902. The volume
of traffic is, therefore, practically as
large as last years in spite of the
somewhat later opening of navigation
( this year.
Shipments of iron ore to the end Of
May were 4,014,103 tons, compared
with 5,113979 tons in 1902. Traffic
through the Saulte Ste Marie canals
reached total of 6.S39,856 net tons te
May 81 this year, as compared with 6,
764,S93 net tons to May 81 this year
compared with 6,764,s93 net tone ir
1902.
Gain Reported.
At the North Atlantic seaboard the
four ports of Boston, New York, Phil
adelphia and Baltimore report 106,250,
OH bushels of grain received, includ
ing flour and meal reduced to bushels
for five months ending with May.
Last years receipts were 80,34S,431
bushels, being a gain of 25,S11,5S(
bushels.
Inspected receipts of grain at Port
land, Me-, for five months were 5,
890,756 bushels, of which 1,37S,S6s
bushels came from American sources
and 4,511,S91 bushels from Canadian
sources.
Coastwise coal shipments from five
seaboard points to coastwise destina
lions show that 9,9S2,435 tons were
carried during the four months end
ing with April, April only contribut
HTcENI@N I'M