Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-03-06
FIGURES Of COMMERCE
Statistical Bureau Finds BUSH
ness Not So Bad AS Many
Think
LIVESTOCK AND GRAINS GAIN
Idle Cars Do Not Show as Bad a Per-
centase as Feared - Stasnation
Seems to Be in Manufacturing Re-
gions = Lumber Much Less, and
Mild Winter Reduces Coal Movement

Washington, March 6.-Leading in
ternal- commerce movements for the
month of January, as reported by the
bureau of statistics of the department
OF commerce and labor. show that the
grain movements for the month We're
slightly larger than a year ago. and
that livestock receipts at leading
western markets We're exceptionally
high, while the movements Of iron.
coal. and lumber show material re-
duction.
Idle Cars Not So Very Bad.
The number Of cars handled during
the month by thirty-siX reporting
car service associations was 2,161,127,
against 2,715,436 in January, 1907, and
2,7O4,3S6 in January, 1906. While the
operations reported. in all cases except
two, were uniformly smaller than for
January, 1907. the decrease appears to
have been especially heavy in the ter
ritory covered by the Pittsburg Car
Service association, which reports the
number of cars handled during the
month as 1921 100, or As per cent be-
low the January, 1907, operations.
Another large decrease is reported from
Philadelphia, the January. 1908, fig
ures, 1851 cars handled, being about
80 per cent below the corresponding
January, 1907, figures. The Alabama
Car Service association likewise reports
a heavy shrinkage of operations, the
January, 1908, total. 47,546 cars, be-
1907, figure.
Figures compiled by the committee
on car efficiency of the American
Railway association at Chicago, indi-
cate a similar situation. According
to the latest bulletin of the commits
tee. the number of idle cars of all
classes, on 153 reporting roads. was
3S9.O53 on January 90 of the present
year, compared with 1916 idle cars
reported at the end of October. 1907.
AS against this surplus, q. shortage was
reported Of 90,757 cars under that date
while the shortages under date of jan
uary 90 totaled only 73S cars. The
largest number Of idle cars for the lat
ter date is reported by roads in the
eastern and middle states, and over
As per cent Of the surplus cars reported
from these sections were Of the coal,
gondola, and hopper type e., such
as are used mainly in the transporta-
ton Of coal, coke, ore and pig iron. The
situation in central and western sec
lions of the country, to judge by the
decrease in the number of idle cars
.1,0 s<1,t
provement, tho for the more industrial
sections Of the country, including New
England, New York and Pennsyl-
vania, there are as yet no signs Of in
creasing activity in the transportation
field.
Livestock Shipments Increase.
Receipts of live stock at seven In
terror primary markets during Janu-
airy, 4.529,S3S head, show considerable
increase over the figures for the pre-
ceding month, as we'll as the corre-
spending 1907 and 1906 receipts of 81
S64,445 and 3.8S6,358 head. All the
markets in question show larger re-
ceipts for the month than year ago.
the increase, however, being due eX-
clusively to the larger receipts of hogs.
the receipts of other classes of ami
mails being lower than a year ago. OF
the total receipts for the month. cattle
constituted 761,s35 head, calves. 49,
$50, hogs 2,sss,26o, sheep 691,95S, and
horses and mules 1885 head.
Grain Movement Exceeds Last Year.
Grain receipts during January at IA
interior primary markets, 66,441,132
bushels, were slightly in excess of the
January, 1907, receipts of 63.s77975
bushels, tho below the January, 1906.
figure of 7O,ss5,Ss6 bushels Increased
receipts as compared with the 1907
figures are reported, among others. for
Chicago. Minneapolis, Duluth and Kan
sas City, while smaller arrivals are re-
ported by st. Louis, Milwaukee and
Omaha. The total grain receipts were
made up of 17.451.996 bushels of wheat,
25,321,125 bushels of corn, 16.259.225
bushels of oats. 6,45s.7s9 bushels of
barley. and 949,997 bushels of rye, be-
sides 2.066,696 bushels Of flaxseed which
did not enter the grand total stated
above.
More Hides Than Year Ago.
Shipments Of packing house products