Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-04-16
OUR DOMESTIC TRADE.

LII SoAluSICe COuQlClOQS IN Ln6
United States in the month of Febru-
airy, as indicated by the movements of
the great articles of merchandise, are
presented by the department of COM
merce and labor, through it's bureau
OF statistics, as follows:
Weather conditions dominated trade
movements in internal commerce to
an unusual extent. during February.
rms was one of the chief influences
in lowering records Of traffic opera.
tons, and accounts partly for the
months unfavorable showing in the
earnings of commerce. Thirty-four
car-service associations report 1884
8S3 cars handled during February, 1904,
and 2,OOS,3S8 cars for the correspond
ing associations in February, 1903. For
the two months ending with February,
1904, 3,964,484 cars were reported as
handled, against 4,192,403 for the cor
responding period in the preceding
year.
The western livestock movement,
however, does not appear to have suf-
fered 80 much as other branches of
trade. For the two months ending with
February, 1904, 113,146 cars of stock
were reported as received at five west
ern markets, in contrast with 1O1 ,695
cars in 1903 and 100,655 cars in 1902.
At Chicago yards alone 55,563 cars
were received during two months in
1904, compared with 50,S10 cars in
1903 and 52,11S cars in 1902. Ship
ments show corresponding increase.
At Kansas City traffic receipts of live
stock for two months were 19,435 cars
to the end of February, 1904, against
1854 cars in 1903 and 1854 cars in
1902. Omaha, St. Joseph, st. Louis,
st. Paul and Sioux City report similar
gains In cars of livestock receipts Ex-
ports of live stock for the calendar
year to the end of February number
165, 1873 head, and imports 1896 head,
resulting in net loss of 160,847 head,
of which 1859 head entered into the
transatlantic shipments.
Receipts of wheat at eighty primary
markets to March for the current
crop year were 18O,9O6.524 bushels, in
contrast with 202,471 ,O62 bushels last
year and 1856 ,32O,746 bushels in the pre-
ceding year.
Domestic lake trade for February
reported freight tonnage of less than
half that of February, 1908, receipts
being only 112,S28 tons, in contrast
with 237,333 tons a year ago. Receipts
for two months ending with February
were 338,670 tons, 416,352 tons for last
year against 363,515 tons for the pre-
ceding year. Grain and flaxseed, how
ever, were received in increased
amounts, 2,532,371 bushels having been
reported for the first two months of
the current season, compared with L.
989,336 bushels in 1903 and 1,309,567
bushels in 1902.
At eight principal seaboard cities re-
ceipts of grain for the first two months
of the year were 3S,619,758 bushels, in
Guiding flour and meal reduced to
bushels. A year ago the corresponding
total was 6O,270,106 bushels At Port
land, Maine, the current years receipts
were 1,149,095 bushels, all of which,
except 34,918 bushels came from Ca
madam sources. A year ago the cor
responding receipts were 3,014,951
bushels. At Boston this years receipts
were 4,147,355 bushels, in contrast
with 6,216,710 bushels last year; at
New York, 1O.656,571 bushels, against
,16,S10,225 bushels last year; at Phila-
delphia, 5;241,S23 bushels, against g.
976,629 bushels last-year; at Baltimore.
6,640,389 bushels, compared with $685.
004 bushels last year.