Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

EXECUTIVE

ON FINANCE

ON REAL ESTATE

ON RULES

ON LEGAL ADVICE

ON ROOMS

ON MEMBERSHIP..

ON WAREHOUSES

ON CLEARING HOUSE

ON MARKET REPORTS.

ON VIOLATION OF RULES

ON TRANSPORTATION

ON WEIGHING.

ON CLAIMS.

[blocks in formation]

ON METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATION.

ON PROVISION INSPECTION

ON FLOUR INSPECTION

ON FLAXSEED INSPECTION.

ON OTHER INSPECTION.

ON ARBITRATION ON GRASS AND FIELD
SEEDS......

GRAY, BOGERT AND STONE.

CROCKER, MITCHELL AND BODMAN.

PARKER, NICOL AND MACMILLAN.
MITCHELL, STONE AND BODM AN.
ECKHARDT, NICOL AND MACMILLAN.
NICOL, PARKER AND BODMAN.
BARRETT, GRAY AND WATERS.
BOGERT, PARKER AND BARRETT.

(FISH, LYON, W. J. POPE, H. F. DOUSMAN,
D. E. RICHARDSON, H. W. ROGERS, M.
ROSENBAUM, J. C. HATELY AND E. S.
JONES.

MACMILLAN, ECKHARDT AND CARTER.
ZEISS,SMITH, FISH,WATERS AND BODMAN.
BODMAN, ZEISS AND CROCKER.

J STONE, ZEISS, H. BOTSFORD, A. S. WHITE.
AND W. C. HATELY.

) CROCKER, G. MONTAGUE, JACOB MANSAR,
C. REIFSNIDER, AND ISAAC HORNER.
ECKHARDT, F. E. WINANS, A. RHEIN-
STROM, C. F. HILLS AND J. M. WANZER.
WATERS, FISH AND SMITH.

JW. S. SEAVERNS, A. EDDY, T. M. HUNTER,
ALEX. RODGERS AND C. W. HEATH.

[blocks in formation]

EDWARD S. ADAMS.

CHAS. W. BUCKLEY, ALBERT L. SOMERS. GEORGE T. SIDWELL, FRANK A. MAURER, CHAS. L. DOUGHERTY, ALEXANDER RODGERS.

JOHN J. LINDMAN, OLE A. THORPE, CHAS. A. DAVIES.

[blocks in formation]

In Memoriam.

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRADE WHO DIED DURING 1896.

ISAAC N. ASH, JANUARY 3.

CHARLES M. HENDERSON, JANUARY 23.

C. GRANVILLE HAMMOND, MARCH 19.

S. G. ROSEKRANS, MARCH 31.

WILLIAM C. POTTER, APRIL 5.

DANIEL W. GALE, APRIL 13.

ADOLPH SECKEL, APRIL 16.

EDWIN PARDRIDGE, APRIL 17.

ISAAC T. MORRIS, MAY 12.

ANDREW M. HENDERSON, JUNE 2.

DANIEL BUTTERS, AUGUST 12.

WILLIAM T. TEMPLETON, AUGUST 17.

RANSOM W. DUNHAM, AUGUST 19.

FRANK J. WRAY, SEPTEMBER 8.

EDSON KEITH, SEPTEMBER 21.

FRANK H. JOHNSON, SEPTEMBER 23.

NELSON J. RULISON, OCTOBER 7.

GEORGE W. PHILLIPS, OCTOBER 16.
WASHINGTON BULLARD, OCTOBER 30.
PEYTON R. CHANDLER, NOVEMBER 10.

HENRY S. UPDIKE, DECEMBER 1.

LEWIS M. PRENTISS, DECEMBER 2.

GENERAL REVIEW.

HON. WILLIAM T. BAKER, President, Board of Trade of the City of Chicago:

I have the honor to submit herewith the thirty-ninth annual report of the Board of Trade of the City of Chicago.

The year just closed has been, both in its commercial and political features, one of uncertainties fraught with extreme apprehensions. Uncertainties which involve no serious issues are of small moment, but when, as during the year last past, they wait upon exceedingly grave commercial interests, commerce-alert, cautious vigilant and intense-is full of solicitude. The history of business for the last few years has prompted, if not compelled, merchants in every department of trade and in all markets to conduct their business along ultra conservative lines; and even upon such a basis the world of traffic and finance, startled by repeated.surprises, has not only had its confidence shaken by foreseen dangers, but has been filled with apprehension of unknown calamities. It is most assuredly a cause of congratulation, when so many misfortunes and disasters accentuate the year in the great world of business, that no failure has occurred in the membership of this association—at least not any of consequence. You may look elsewhere in vain for an equally favorable record. Fortunate it is indeed that such important interests as are included in the boundless agricultural resources of our country, are managed and handled by such sagacious conservatism. In no other department of business are there so few risks and so short and economical a distance between the producer and consumer, the seller and buyer as in marketing the great food products of the United States. In no other department of business is there so close an approach to an actual cash basis; indeed, by far the majority of transactions is absolutely upon a cash basis. In no other department of business is there so general and thorough a dissemination of reliable commercial intelligence in the interest of both buyer and seller-intelligence from all parts of the world, and promptly distributed with

out any expense either to producer or consumer-as with regard to the chief crops of the country. No man, no market, no syndicate of merchants or money lenders, can withhold or monopolize information concerning the chief grain crops and the meat supplies of the country; and thus, all, from the farmer sowing the seed, to the humblest laborer enjoying its fruits, may know of prices, supplies and demand, in every quarter of the globe. No business is more frankly, promptly, safely, honorably and economically conducted than is the business in grain and provisions, upon which the advantageous conduct of all other branches of business, to a very large extent, depends. It constructs territories and states; it builds railroads and spans rivers; it creates and maintains a vast lake marine and establishes great seaports; it loads canal boats and barges, and great steamers that plough the ocean; it erects warehouses and packing-houses along its wonderful pathway from prairie to port, and sets in motion the complex but harmonious machinery of countless employments that make up our expanding and beneficent national commercial life.

The annual average exports of agricultural products for the last five years constitute 72.60 per cent. of the total domestic exports. As the general prosperity depends absolutely upon agricultural prosperity, the business of the members of this board is vitally related to that of the manufacturer, artisan, mechanic, laborer, tradesman and to all wage earners, and consequently is of the greatest commercial importance and significance.

The crop of wheat raised in the United States during 1896, aggregated 427,684,346 bushels, as compared with 467,103,000 bushels during 1895, and 460,267,000 bushels during 1894; the crop of corn aggregated 2,283,875,165 bushels, as compared with 2,151,138,580 bushels raised during 1895, and 1,212,770,052 during 1894. The crop of last year was by far the largest ever raised, though its farm value was $63,712,195 less than that of the year

1894.

The crop of oats aggregated 707,346,404 bushels, as against 824,443,537 bushels produced during 1895 and 662,036, 928 bushels during 1894.

The crop of barley aggregated 69,695,223 bushels, as against 87,072,744 bushels during 1895. The crop of rye aggregated 24,369,047 bushels as against 27,210,047 bushels during 1895. The

crop of hay aggregated 59,282,158 tons, valued at $388,145,614 as against 47,078,541 tons valued at $393,185,615 produced during 1895. The crop of potatoes aggregated during the year 252,234,540 bushels, valued at $72,182,350, as against 297,237,370 bushels produced during 1895, valued at $78,984,901.

The estimated farm value of these chief crops, comprising wheat, corn, oats, barley, rye, hay and potatoes, as ascertained by the United States Agricultural Department, was $1,426,874,513.

The estimated value of the crops of wheat, corn, oats, rye and barley, aggregated $966,546,549 as compared with $987,856,839 in 1895.

The following is a statement of the great wheat-producing portions of the world and of the months of their respective harvests:

January-Australia, Argentine, Chili and New Zealand.

February and March-East India and Upper Egypt.

April-Asia Minor, Cuba, Cyprus, India, Lower Egypt, Mexico, Persia and Syria.

May-Algeria, Central Asia, China, Florida, Japan, Morocco and Texas.

June-Alabama, Arkansas, California, Carolina, Colorado, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oregon, Portugal, South of France, Spain, Tennessee, Turkey, Utah and Virginia.

July-Austro-Hungary, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Nebraska, Ohio, Roumania, South of Russia, Switzerland, South of England, Upper Canada and New England.

August-Belgium, Columbia, Denmark, Great Britain, Holland, Lower Canada, Manitoba, Poland, North and South Dakota.

September and October-Norway, North of Russia, Scotland and Sweden.

November-Peru and South Africa.

December-Burmah.

The following is a review by the United States Department of Agriculture of the chief crops during the periods of germination, giving conditions from time to time, also yield and various percentages, affording reliable data for purposes of comparison; all conducing to an intelligent judgment of market values and agricultural and industrial prospects.

« AnteriorContinuar »