Arizona republican., 1909-07-05
INLAND TRADE
 FALLS SHORT In Comparison With the Last
 and the Previous Year SOME FEW EXCEPTIONS
From Railroad Reports There Has Been Little Improvement in Trans portation Over the Ear Her Months of This Year.

Washington, uly 4.-Comparative May figures of leading commercial movements, as reported to the bureau of statistics of the department of commerce and labor. indicate an inn proved condition in transportation, manufactures and building activities. The volume Of live stock and grain movements is below that reported for May of the preceding two years, and there appears also a slight check in the upward trend of the coal and lumber traffic, the May figures in some cases being below those recorded for the earlier months of the year. The coke output and shipments show a continuous improvement in answer to the larger demand of the iron furnaces. Increased takings of cot ton and wool indicate a greater ac- tivity in the textile industry, while larger shipments of boots and shoes from the chief distributing centers may serve as an index of more reg ular industrial employment The building activity in the larger cities of the country was unusually heavy. Traffic operations of the railroads, to judge by the total number of freight cars handled and the number of idle cars reported, are not yet up to the high record of 1907, though comparisons with May, 1908, figures show,R considerable Improvement for practically all sections of the coun try.
 Live stock arrivals at seven lead ing primary markets during the month of May totaled 2,S96. 767 head, compared with 3,292, ,S09 and 3,232, ,066 head received at the same markets during May. 1907 and 1908. Of the total receipts 591, ,36S head were cat tle;; 75,575 calves; 1.69S,919 hogs; 50g199 sheep. and 21, roc head horses and mules The total number of cars used in handling this inbound move ment was 51,927, compared with 6O,- 356 and 52, ,990 cars reported for May 1907 and 1908, respectively. The total inbound livestock movement for the first five months of the year, 16,- 12S.9Ol head was below the core spending 1907 and 1908 totals of l6,- S5O2O9 and 17,5Gl, ,S32 head, the larg- est reduction being shown in the re- ceipts of hogs With the exception of St Louis all the large markets show losses in receipts for the first five months, as compared with core spending figures for the preceding year.
 Live stock receipts at four princi pal Atlantic seabOard cities for the month, GIT s2s head were also below the like total for May, 1908, 7O76 head, the loss being due, however, exclusively to the smaller number of hogs received. The total receipts for the five months of the current year, 3,6s5, S59 head, were likewise below the 1908 total of 3,9S1,l26 head, both cattle and hog figures being lower for the five month period than a year ago.
 The shipments of packing house products from Chicago, 176,S75,044 pounds, show but slight change for the May. 1908, record, but were II per cent below the May, 1907 total As compared with the May, 1908, figures, large decreases are shown in the shipments of fresh beef, canned meats and lard, while the quantities of cured meats, pickled beef and pork shipped were larger than a year ago. The total shipments for the cumula- tive period ending May, S33, ,120,S6O pounds. were about 200 million and l5O million pounds short of the core spending 1907 and 1908 figures, main ly because of the smaller shipments of fresh beef and lard The ship ments of canned meats, 1l6,Ss3, l5 pounds, owing partly to the smaller export demand, show a decrease of almost 50 per cent as compared with the corresponding 1908 figures.
 Grain receipts during the month at 15 leading interior markets, 4OS5b,l lSl bushels. fell short of the May, 1907 and 1908, receipts at these markets of 57,S46.956 and 44,142,5s1 bushels, losses appearing in the receipts or wheat and oats. The grain receipts for the nine months of the crop sea son beginning September l, 5S7,256, 13l bushels were smaller than like re- ceipts for corresponding periods Of the 190e-7 and 1907-S crop seasons, G53, 757, ,I47 and 5sS, ,sO4, 173 bushels. The wheat and barley receipts. 2O2,OT1,O25 and 73,IO4,195 bushels. respectively, were in excess of the figures for the two preceding crop periods, while the season receipts of corn, oats and rye show smaller totals.
 The May receipts of grain at the four principal Atlantic seaports. 1O,- S96.329 bushels, were considerably be- low the corresponding 1907 and 1908 figures of 22.132,371 and 15,190,394 bushels Of the total, 3.O5S. 491 bushels was wheat, a quantity almost 45 per cent below that received at these ports in May. 1908. The receipts of corn and flour during the month also