Arizona republican., 1909-08-02
GAIN OVER 4 YEAR AGO
An Approach to Phenome- nal Record For the Same Month in 1907-The In crease Is Found Largely in the Wheat Trade.

Washington. Aug. Lake Traffic figures for the month of June, as re ported to the bureau of statistics of the department of commerce and la bor, indicate considerable improve ment in the business situation as compared with conditions prevailing a year ago. The domestic shipments from lake ports of leading classes of commodities totaled 10.179,633 net tons, compared with 7.427,6l6 net tons shipped during June 1908. and 1890, 6S2 net tons shipped during June. 1907. The domestic shipments for the current season, to the end of June 19,5S9,552 net tons. snow a total about 65 per cent in excess of the total domestic shipments for the corre- spending period in 1908. though even this larger total falls much below the 1907 figures. The volume of move ment for the current season may be said to stand halfway between the extraordinarily heavy movement dur ing the earlier part of 1907 and the abnormally light movement which prevailed during the greater part of the 1908 season. This is particularly true of the iron ore movement, which normally supplies about one-haf Of the entire lake tonnage of merchan- disc.
 The iron ore shipments for the month, 5.250,657 gross tons, were more than double those shipped during June, 1908. Over 5 per cent of the months total proceeded from the ports of Duluth and Superior The iron ore shipments for the season to June 3O. S.552, ,S33 gross tons. com pare even more favorably with the corresponding 1908 shipments for the reason that ore shipments on a large scale began last year only in June The destinations of these shipments were mainly to Lake Erie ports, though the combined quantity receiv- ed at Chicago and the neighboring plants at Gary and Indiana Harbor, is larger than the quantity landed at any other lake port during the month and the current season.
 The June shipments of soft coal, 1 .767 ,09S net tons, on the other hand, were about r per cent below the June, 1908, figures. The decrease af- fected the shipments from Cleveland, Lorain, Erie and Huron mainly. Several of the Lake Erie ports-Ash tabula, Sanducky and Toledo-shOw higher figures than a year ago. The season shipments of soft coal, 3,36S, 262 net tons. were nearly IS per cent higher than last year, Cleveland and Huron being the only important ports which show smaller figures The shipments of hard coal during June, mainly from the three Lake Erie ports-Buffalo, Erie and Oswego -536.4 4O1 net tons, also proceeded at a lower rate than during June, 1908. These totals are exclusive of quanti- ties of coal supplied for their own use to vessels in the domestic trade, which were 229.137 net tons for June, 190S The amount of bunker coal furnished to vessels in the foreign trade, 34.072 net tons. was somewhat below the like quantity supplied dur ing June, 1908.
 Lumber shipments during the month, 151. .347 M feet, were largely in excess of like shipments during June. 19OS-92, ,32O NJ feet. The large ly increased receipts at Chicago, North Tonawanda, Detroit and Buff falo indicate improved conditions in the building trade.
 The wheat shipments during the month, practically all from Chicago, Duluth and Superior, 3,095,97S bush els. compare favorably with the quan- tity shipped during June, 1908, 2,210,- sos bushels, though the total shipped fn 10 nf June. S.3TO,674 bushels, was nearly 20 per cent below the corresponding 1908 total. Corn shipments, mainly from Chicago. both for the month and the season, 4,654,OS and 10,366,953 bush els, respectively, were likewise larger than the corresponding 1908 totals. The season shipments of barley were higher, while those of oats and rye were lower than during June, 1908. A heavy decrease both for the month and the season is shown in the ship ments of flaXseed, mainly from Du luth- Superior Larger shipments of iron manufactures and unclassed improved industrial conditions, as compared with those prevailing dur ing the summer of 1908.
 The monthly freight traffic through the Sault Ste Marie canal at Mich freight may serve as an index of igan and Ontario, Canada, 6,932,405 net tons, was about so per cent higher than during June, 1908, considerable gains being shown in the movement of iron ore, lumber, flour, and grain other than wheat The coal and wheat movements show smaller to- tals than for June, 1908. The break