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"TAE. MARINE. REVIEW 21 IMPROVEMENT OF WATERWAYS. Four hundred business men, members of the Chamber of Commerce and Merchants and Manufacturers Associa- tion of Greater Pittsburg, gathered at the Hotel Annex, Pittsburg, on Tuesday evening of this week and expressed themselves in no uncertain terms as favoring larger con- gressional appropriations for river ments. and harbor improve- In a ringing speech Congressman Jos. E. Rans- dell of Louisiana, chairman of the executive committee of the national rivers and harbors congress referred to the improvement of waterways, as a national necessity, pointed out that during the past ten years the commerce of Sault Ste. Marie had increased 300 per cent and said that there was no criterion of the future except the figures of the past. On the returns gained by waterways improvements Mr. Ransdell said that on an investment of $70,000,000 the returns of one year on the lakes had been the $116,000,000 in freights. He urged in asking the help of his hearers in making the golden age of water- ways, predicted that this was surely coming and then took up the question of vital interest to Pittsburgers, the improvement of the Ohio river to Cairo. "We are now spending as a nation, two, three, four-- nobody knows how many million dollars making the great Panama canal, and we hope you of Pittsburg, will get the benefit of it but. you will not unless you get nine feet of water at Cairo." This statement was greeted with pro- longed cheers. - "Give Col. Siebert, in charge of this district, five or six million dollars a year for the next ten years and he will give it to you," concluded the speaker amid another burst of cheers, "and adopt our slogan of an annual national appropriation of $50,000,000 for improved waterways." Congressman Landis, of Indiana, said of Pittsburg that it was the busiest, wealthiest, most hospitable and smoki- est city in the world, but that the smoke was its badge of business. He said he was in favor of any measure which would increase the United States navy, give the country better waterways or in any way add to the prestige of the country. . Congressman E. F. Acheson, of Pennsylvania, reviewed the resources of the Pittsburg district, its enormous coal deposits and favored river improvements. Congressman B. G. Humphreys, of Mississippi, said it was a matter of necessity, not choice, that the waterways be improved, and insisted upon the people demanding larger appropriations for that purpose, saying that $24,- 000,000 a year was not adequate but that congress should be made to see that money enough is provided and that each project get that share to which it is entitled. H. D. W. English, president of the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce, was chairman of the-meeting and F. R. Babcock, president of the Merchants and Manufacturers Association, toastmaster. land, and Congressman J. Adam Bede, who were to speak were detained at Washington and were not present. IRON ORE MOVEMENT. The movement of ore up to June I, 1905 was 10,814,- c54 tons. The movement during June of last year was 4,999,- 2e6 tons, Lhe movement up to June 1 of the present year was 5,752,342 tons. The movement during the present month is expected to reach 5,500,000 tons, so that the movement up to July 1, 1906, will be about 11,250,000 tons or half a million tons greater than the corresponding movement. for last year. The set-back, therefore, of the earlier months of this season, has been overcome. The banner month last year was July when 5,224,620 tons Harvey D. Goulder, of Cleve-. were moved. It is expected that the flow of ore during July of this year will be. over 6,000,000 tons afd there is no doubt whatever, unless' unforéseen conditions' arise, that' the vessels will readily 'handle -- it: Ore is being rushed forward at a rapid rate and. little delay has been experienced all along the line, as weather has been. favor- able and shipments from mines have been much 'better since the rains have ceased. To handle 6,000,000 tons of ore in a single month, however, means that the mines must send forward 200,000 tons a day. In fact, if the total ore movement is to reach 38,000,000 tons as predicted, 200,000 tons a day must continue to be a daily per- formance for some time to come. Coal is also moving more freely than formerly so that the bulk carrier on the lakes is actively employed. None of them is likely. to have any spare time during the balance of the season. The grain trade continues unattractive owing to the low rate caused by the limited supply of that commodity. 'Vessels will not secure it until better rates have been obtained. OBITUARY. Capt. Fhomas Jones, grand presi- dent of thé Ship Masters' Associa- tion and one of the best known mas- ters on the lakes, died at his home, 36 Grace® avenie, Cleveland, on Tues- - day ofthis week. Capt, Jones. had been ashore for the past ten years as M. A. Bradley's repre- sentative. His ca- reer .on the . lakes has been long and honorable. Lh e last boat which he sailed was fh e steamer: Iroquois of t he -- Ricnandson fleet. Prior to that he was master of the steamer Na- hamp of which he was part owner. He was a prominent figure in the Ship Masters' Association, being treasurer of the local lodge for the past fifteen years. CAPT. THOMAS JONES, Mr. Joseph Berholzheim, general manager of the Mani- tou Steamship Co., Chicago, has just issued a hanger descriptive of their service between Chicago and Mack- inac island. It is illustrated with a fine lithograph of the steamship. Manitou, and also a map of the route tra- versed by the steamers of the fleet. The new steamer Brittania, of the Detroit, Belle Isle & Windsor Ferry Co., will go into commission about July 1 and will entail the following changes in the per- sonnel of the fleet: Capt. Robert E. Ferguson, of the Pleasure, will sail the Brittania; Capt. John Denstead, now on the Sappho, will sail the Pleasure; Capt. Archie Baines, of the Excelsior, will sail the Sappho and Capt. Wm. Ferby will sail the Excelsior; Hugh McAlpine, who has been chief engineer of the Pleasure will become chief engineer of the Brittanta.