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10 MARINE REVIEW. MARINE REVIEW. DEVOTED TO THE LAKE MARINE AND KINDRED INTERESTS. JoHN M. MULROONEY, F. M. BARrTOon, i hati g tees Bares 1h Acme eee ERE STA te HOMER J. CARR, Associate Editor and Manager Chicago Office, Western Union Building, 110 LaSalle Street. PROPRIETORS. 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 tons 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. DUCA CSSCIGI st sacs ecasessechuestanetnudcadence 1,592 756,751 -53 MMII VESSCLS. ns disesdsckes eo iipereitastisaresclnce 1,243 325,131.06 Canal boats rises. Ae Pe Sick eetiices ob eos 703 72,515-42 NST Eee ae eeeaeueeetece: os naaimaclatesehian: scncnions 62 20,472.37 * POA emetic ota sptesecseeaanask occ uncon > 3,600 1,154,870.38 Tonnage built on the lakes during the past five years, according to the reports of the United States commissioner of navigation, is as follows: No. of boats. Net Tonnage, MG 7 ene sieesesasar Meesiiae ss esis. chit det osencit s 152 56,488.32 MSGS ced eee San eak na meae aaaoe ene Ree 222 IOI, 102.87 TOGO seater tecawet ews nds aw idseaden somies stone tte 225 107,080.30 BOQ OR sec wscsi ssa ssckhetts hi vthlae. dncesaanedeeens 218 108,515.00 MOO ec caewss voccdunaniecsccsssncccossetnee 204 111,856.45 MOLAR toe ass tastes oske teceaseea ok 1,021 485,042.94 St. Mary's Falls and Suez canal traffic: Number of boats through St. Mary's Falls canal in 1890, 228 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. Number of boats through St. Mary's Falls canal in 1891, 225 days of navigation, Io,191; ton- nage, net registered, 8,400,685. Number of boats through Suez canal dur- ing 1891, full year, 4,207 ; tonnage, net registered, 8,698,777. Lintered at Cleveland Post Office as Second-class Mail Matter. A FEW days ago Secretary Foster of the state department called for a conference of representatives of lake shipping inter- ests on the canal toll question, and, although it was not gener- ally known, the delegates from different lake districts were called together for the purpose of determining whether the col- lection of tolls on freight bound through the St. Mary's Falls canal to Canadian ports might seriously interfere with the inter- ests of United States vessels in carrying such freight. Certain representatives in the conference who sought statistical infor- mation bearing upon this phase of the canal tolls question were forced to go to Washington without it, and itis certainly not complimentary to the system governing commercial statistics on the lakes to have the fact known that even had the state depart- ment done its utmost to obtain this information it could not be had. Grain is carried in American vessels through the canal from Duluth to Canadian ports below Lake Ontario; it is also carried exclusively in Canadian vessels from Fort William and Port Arthur to the same ports, and in American vessels from Port William and Port Arthur to Buffalo. 'There is also an ex- tensive movement of coal from American ports on Lake Erie to Canadian ports on Lake Superior. The officers of the canal keep full and reliable reports of this traffic as far as it refers to the business of the canal, but on aecount of the port system of laws governing the arrival and departure of vessels from Ameri- can lake ports, there was no way in which the information sought in this case could be obtained. Fortunately the extent of this traffic could be estimated and it was not absolutely ne- cessary to have the required information at hand, but the case again serves to show the need of regulations that will give defi- nite figures on the extent of lake commerce. In the Fifty-first congress and in the first session of the present congress bills with this end in view have been introduced, but they did not have full support from lake vessel owners. The necessity of of such legislation is admitted on all hands, and now that lake shipping interests are fully represented in the reorganized Lake Carriers' Association a measure covering this subject should be prepared and presented at the next session. A law protecting all branches of the lake trade from undue annoyance can be framed. 'The next session of congress will not be a busy one for the officers of the association and this duty rests with them. For information of a reliable character, so far as ship owning and ship building is concerned, Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping holds a very high position. 'This register, issued annually, has contained for several years past statistics regarding ship building that are, however, misleading as regards | the United States. The register for 1892, from which statistics are now being printed in all parts of the world, contains for in- stance tables that credit the United States with having built in 1891 only 13 steam vessels, and only 169 vessels of all kinds over 100 tons register. It is probable that the great English in- stitution of underwriters takes account only of vessels built for ocean service, but if such is the case it should be so stated, at least by American newspapers that print these statements. 'The annual reports of the commissioner of navigation show that there was built on the lakes in 1888, 222 vessels of 101,102 net tons; 1889, 225 vessels of 107,080 tons; 1890, 218 vessels of 108,515 tons; 1891, 204 vessels of 111,856 tons. This summary includes, of course, vessels of all sizes, but the figures show that for the four years they will average about 500 net tons. A large number of the steel vessels that make up the new tonnage here referred to is insured at Lloyd's, and yet no account is taken of it in presenting a statement of the world's tonnage, or of vessels built by the different nations. No country in the world has an inland water commerce or an inland ship building industry that compares with that of the great lakes, and such statements from Lloyd's and other foreign shipping agencies should be taken with allowances in this regard, EVERY day brings evidences of acentralization of power and a reduction of operating expenses in the different branches of lake business, brought on by increasing competition. The his- tory of all great commercial lines of trade throughout the coun- try is repeating itself on the lakes. Just nowa forcible reminder in this regard is the announcement that through a consolidation or close business arrangement the steamship lines of the Great Northern and Lehigh Valley, or Reading, companies are to be placed under oné management. 'The vessels of these lines, now running between Buffalo, Duluth and Chicago, number seven- teen and have a combined registered tonnage of 23,310. They are valued at $2,900,000. "The two passenger boats to be built for the line will add another million to the value of its floating property. Sealed proposals will be received at the United States en- gineer office, Burlington, Vt., until Sept. 8 for the following work: Removing 2,000 cubic yards slate rock from a ledge in Otter creek, Vt ; for dredging 21,000 cubic yards ftom Great Chazy river, N. Y.; for furnishing 9,000 cubic yards stone and constructing 135 feet breakwater at Rouse's point, N. Y.. tor blasting and dredging 92,000 cubic yards from Ogdensburg har- bor, N. Y._ Proposals will also be received at the United States engineer office, Grand Rapids, Mich., until August 27 for dredg- ing Frankfort Harbor, Mich. 'The United States engineer 'office of Detroit, Mich., will receive proposals for dredging Black river at mouth and at Port Huron; also for dredging bar at mouth of Saginaw river, west channel above and below Bay City. Harbor improvement proposals will be received until Sept. 12 by United States engineer, Milwaukee, for the follow- ing: Green Bay, dredging 120,000 yards; Sheboygan, Wis., 200 feet pier; Port Washington, Wis., 200 feet pier; extending Mil- waukee breakwater 500 feet; pier and pile work, Milwaukee har- bors 250; 150 and 326 feet of pier at Racine, Kenosha and Wat- kegan, Wis.