Arizona republican., 1903-07-17
Internal Commerce.

shown by the mOathly report of the de- partment of commerce and labor com pare favorably with the corresponding period of last year. For the month Of May receipts of live stock at five west ern markets have been larger than either of the two preceding months, Q total of 2,512.5O1 head having arrived. compared with 2:461, ,S6S head in April and 2.346. 40 head in March of the cur rent year. The usual course of trade is in the other direction, and these larger receipts may be partly account ed for by the excellent condition or pasturage throughout the producing sections, owing to the more prolonged period of rainfall.
 If the live stock trade be taken as an index to economic. conditions generally it would scent that a firm and even level of prosperity had been maintained with at least fair prospects of con tinuance. This view is confirmed by comparison of the movement of lTe stock from Kansas City and St. Joseph for feeder and country demand. Dur ing the five months under consideration 3O6, ,974 head were sent from these two markets, whereas in 1902 only 23I.58S head were sent, and in 1901, 272,19G head. These figures indicate that the feeding tlocks of the stock-raising sec tions tributary to the large slaughter ing centers are steadily being rehabili- tated.
 For the crop year up to June the total receipts of wheat at eight mar kets were 22S619, ,561 bushels, compared with 2l1.G56, 6O5 bushels in 1902, and 213,- 0S3O3 bushels in 1901. These figures coved ten months of the crop year in the spring wheat section, and eleven months in the winter wheat section. They show. however. that for the full crop year the volume of receipts will undoubtedly 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 299,- GUS barrels in 1902 and 273,2S5 barrels in 1901. For the week ending with May Minneapolis shipped 2O9.552 barrels and 44O.5O5 barrels during the next week.
 Shipments of grain from elevators at Buffalo for five months ending with May were 31,941 300 bushels. compared with 2S,l62SO4 bushels last year, and 24,133,S24 bushels in 1901.
 Shipments of grain by canal up to the end of May were 2,O7O, 1g3 bushels, compared with 2,5OS,496 bushels last season.
 On the Great Lakes 139 ports report 7,112,S14 net tons of freight received. and for the season to the end of May, 1O,629, ,517 net tons, compared with 10, 692, ,996 net tons in 1902. Fhe 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.O14, 1O3 tons, compared with 5.113.979 tons in 1902 Traffic through the Sault Ste. Marie canals reached a total of 5,S39,S net tons to May 31 this year. compared with 6.764,s9S net tons in 1902.
 Coastwise coal shipments from five seaboard points to coastwise destina- lions show that 9.9S2, ,435 tons were car ried during the four months ending with April, April alone contributing 2.954.614 tons. Receipts at Boston for five months this year were 2,6S3,Sl2 tons. compared with 1,951. .165 tons q year ago
 Lumber receipts at New York have fallen from 19O S69,694 feet for the first 21 weeks of 1902 to 166. .OG4,SS feet for the same period in 1903. This decline was due primarily to disturbed condi- tions of the building trades in New York market.
 The total available supply of cotton on May 31 this year was 1O,5G7 ,5OS bales. This exceeds receipts for the preceding year, which were 1o,3GO,6l7 bales. as well as 9,S15,G74 bales in 1901. The sources of receipts this season were as follows: 2.SO4 OS3 bales from Texas, 3.513, ,SO6 bales from the Gulf states and 4 .O34 ,545 bales from the Atlantic states.