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8 MARINE REVIEW. MARINE REVIEW. DEVOTED TO THE LAKE MARINE AND KINDRED INTERESTS: ions Lae lee ie ae PROPRIETORS. .M. : HOMER J. CARR, " Associate Editor and Manager Chicago Office, Western Union Building, 110 LaSalle Street. Published every Thursday at No. 516 Perry-Payne Building, Cleveland, O. SUBSCRIPTION--$2.00 per year in advance. Convenient binders sent, post paid, 75 cents. Advertising rates on application. The books of the United States treasury department contain the names of 3,600 vessels, measuring 1,154,870.38 tons in the lake trade. In classification of this fleet the lakes have more steamboats of 1,000 to 2,500 tons than the combined ownership of this class of vessels in all other sections of the country. The number of vessels of 1,000 to 2,500 tous on the lakes on June 30, 1891, was 310 and their aggregate gross tonnage 512,- 787.58; in all other parts of the country the number of this class of ves- sels was, on the same date, 213 and their gross tonnage 319,750.84. The classification of the entire lake fleet is as follows: Class. Number. Tonnage. Steal: VESSEISy. crevoh i ohataierec ec deldebatl oh tkeiageste 1,592 756,751-53 Gailitt S VESSEIS..0.00500 secs desir cersratscrscctse ser 1,243 325,131.06 Canal DOats.......s.csscceeceeeeceeerecrevesssoeroes 703 72,515.42 TB} ULES) 75 saencocec panpeode. dau Mic openuNseecne Scot 62 20,472.37 eT Ot ale a. ce, tenuate maton. aaceuecaemee ts 3,600 1,154,870.38 Tonnage built on the lakes during the past five years, according to the report of the United States commissioner of navigation, is as follows: No. of boats. Net Tonnage, ROG 7 eereseeeects sect entenr cress ue aeskemers 152 56,488.32 TS Oide treme siie cseaencs suet cebecasecadeaehanseeee 222 IOI, 102.87 OSU eens terete eters oe caanceasveeeeeeren ee: 225 107,080.30 Hele Ons achsssoussemoanocnad essbo an Gooso64oR¢OC0 218 108,515.00 Teh lisee ee tcemeaetees srenane seer snelceasenghien 204 T11,856.45 MeOtalesrac cicslee teas toweaatenee 1,021 485,042.94 St. Mary's Falls and Suez canal traffic: Number of boats through St. Mary's Falls canal in 1890, 234 days of navigation, 10,557; tonnage, net registered, 8,454,435. Number of boats through Suez canal during 1890, full year, 3,389; tonnage, net registered, 6,890,014. Entered at Cleveland Post Office as Second-class Mail Matter. FuLLy three months ago the REVIEW printed a letter from Acting Secretary Wharton of the state department, in which it was said that, as a result of the reciprocity conference between representatives of the Canadian and United States goverhments, a settlement of the question of Welland and St. Lawrence canal tolls, as well as that of reciprocity in wrecking might be expect- ed shortly. The letter indicated that the department expected a settlement of the question of canal tolls in a manner favorable to the American interests now discriminated against through the system of rebates that reduces the cost of transportation on grain bound through the canals for Montreal as against grain bound for American ports. Such a settlement has not been reached, however,and although it was announced later that Pres- ident Harrison was considering the advisability of recommend- ing to Congress retaliatory measures at the St. Mary's Falls canal, notiing is now said of that phase of the discussion. It would seem that the legislative committee of the new Lake Car- riers' Association would be justified in again pressing this sub- ject at Washington. No one will question the right of the United States government to adopt regulations at the St. Mary's falls canal similar to those now in vogue on the Welland. If there is any violation of treaty stipulations in such action it would apply first to Canada's present canal regulations. Ar- range at the Sault caual a system of tolls and rebates on freights (not on vessels) that will discriminate against grain and other commodities bound through the canal to and from Canadian ports, just as the present Canadian canal tolls discriminate against freight bound to and from American ports. 'The claim that Canada will soon have a canal of her own at Sault Ste. is of little account. Even the Canadian authorities do not claim that more than a small corner of the St. Clair Flats canal . is in Dominion waters. -- In all the controversy over this canal toll question only one point made by the Canadian newspapers that have been discussing it is worthy of consideration. It has been said that Canadian vessels are not allowed to take cargo free through the Erie canal. This claim is, however, of little account, as it is a subterfuge, Canada having no use for the Erie canal. SENATOR MCMILLAN of Michigan has informed the man- agers of the Detroit wrecking companies, who are greatly inter- ested in the matter of reciprocal wrecking privileges to go into effect shortly between Canada and the United States, that he is informed by the state department that a letter has been addressed to the British minister in Canada asking for official information regarding the bill recently passed by the Canadian Parliament. It is to be hoped that the state department will exercise due haste in this matter, although it is a comfort to feel that the usual red tape attending correspondence of this kind is all that now delays a proclamation from President Harrison accepting on the part of the American Congress the reciprocal privileges granted by the Canadian Parliament. In all the appropriations for lake improvements contained in the river and harbor bill now awaiting consideration at the hands of a conference committee from both houses of Congress, just one item can be classed among the "steals" so often charg- ed up to the river and harbor measures as a whole. 'The ap- propriation of $10,000 for preliminary surveys for a ship-canal from Lake Erie to the Ohio river is a useless expenditure of money. It is not a lake measure, as no one connected with the lake marine recommended it. The position of lake vessel owners and shippers of iron ore and coal with reference to this scheme is fully understood. 'The canal would have no business if con- structed and the conference committee will do well by striking the appropriation from the bill. WHERE are the theorists who have been clamoring about the deepening of channels being the cause of low water through- out the lakes? Gen. Poe and other engineer officers of the gov- ernment have been compelled to give up a great deal of their time of late in trying to explain to these sensationalists the con- nection between official records of rainfall in the lake basin and the periodical rise and fall in the lake level. 'The usual increase in the depth of water at this season is reported from all parts of the lakes. Itisa very marked increase, and there is every reason to expect that the period of low water just passed is about to be followed by a reverse condition of affairs. MunicipPar, authorities at Duluth may continue their whole- sale practice of granting charters for bridges in the harbor if there is any pleasure in it for them, but the shipping interests will keep a close watch on anything that encroaches upon the authority of the war department in such matters. These bridge charters are of no use in the face of the determined policy of the general government to protect the water trans-_ portation interests. A vigorous policy will prevent the erec- tion of new obstructions, but the greatest difficulty may be found in removing two or three bridges at the head of the lakes that are already a great hindrance to navigation. THE trip of the steamer Wergeland, which arrived at Chicago last week with herring from Norway, was novel but unprofitable. It was unprofitable because the Canadian canals through the St. Lawrence would not admit of a passage without breaking cargo. No estimate can be made, however, of the wide proportions to which a business of this kind will be built up when Canada's canals below Lake Ontario are increased to even the present Welland canal dimensions. It is announced that William W. Bates, ex-commissioner of navigation will soon have his work on the shipping question ready for the printer. The book may contain some homely statements calculated to again prompt the remark that "its just like Bates," but we will venture the prediction that it will nevertheless be a very interesting work.