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a MARINE REVIEW AND MARINE RECORD. LAKE FREIGHT SITUATION. Somehow or other the vessels are kept going, but the mys- tery is how. Shippers continually represent that all they can do is to care for their contract vessels, and even this at times keeps them juggling. Brokers are having a hard time placing vessels for wild cargoes, and yet somehow or other they keep. going. They are reluctant to seek the dock as long as there remains the smell of a cargo. The lumber trade is the one luminous ray, but, of course, its irridescence falls upon but a small part of the ton- nage. Lumber shippers are willingly paying the advance in the association rates and in special instances it is reported that even -better rates have been obtained. Stress of weather has operated to stiffen this phase of the market. The seas have been unusually ugly, even for this time of year, and as the lumber craft are mostly small vessels' they have exercised reasonable caution in venturing out. But the rest of the trade lacks spirit. In fact, it is as dead as the proverbial door nail. The Steel Corporation | has notified those with whom it has contract tonnage that it will endeavor to stop shipments on Nov. 15 and to contrive to take all the ore that is coming to them before that date. As far as 'the furnaces are concerned, it is as though some strange epidemic has simultaneously seized upon their mental processes and in- duced in them a singular repugnance to iron ore. Théy are writ- ten in letters manifesting a willingness to, live up to their con- tracts, but requesting that orders, now unfilled, be carried over until next season. Coincident with this attitude of the furnaces some of the ore mines are shutting down and it is probably true that more will cease shipping on Nov. 1 than has characterized the industry for several years past. There is no change in rates nor thought of any. Instead of an ascending scale, as in former years, when the season is at its tail end, rates are merely hanging together because there is nothing to be gained by cutting them. The fall season, instead of being rampant with life, has degen- erated into a state of inocuous desuetude and the prediction which has been regularly made for thirty years past that there is too much tonnage on the lakes seems to have come true at last, at least temporarily so. APPLICATION FOR PILOTS' LICENSES, During the past week the newspapers have published an item of news to the effect that members of the Masters & Pilots' asso- ciation have determined not to sign the application of young men aspiring to become first and second officers until their organiza- tion, through some one of the local harbors, has approved the application. It is to be hoped, for the sake of the honor of the Masters & Pilots' association, that such is not seriously the pur- pose of the association. Putting it very plainly, it amounts to a conspiracy against the rights of an American citizen. It is a de- nial to others of privileges which they themselves have enjoyed --an attitude which is decidedly unAmerican. Nor is there the least reason to believe that such an attitude, if persisted in, would be tolerated for a moment by the federal government. The law pro- -vides that, if practicable, the applicant's petition must be signed by two first-class pilots and one engineer, or three first-class pilots without the engineer. The section reads: "And inspectors will, _before granting an original license to any person to act as an officer of steam vessels, require the applicant to make his written _ application upon the blank form authorized by the board of super- vising inspectors, which application shall be filed in the records of the inspector's office. Inspectors shall also, when practicable, require applicants for pilots' license, to have the written endorse- ment of the master and engineer of the vessel upon which he has served, and of one licensed pilot as to his qualifications. In the case of applicants for original engineer's license, they shall also, when practicable, have the endorsement of the master and engineer of a vessel on which they have served, together with one other licensed engineer." It will be noted at once that the saving words in this para- graph are "when practicable." If it is not practicable for the applicant to secure these endorsements he may obtain his license without them, and there are instances on record where such has been done. It is true that the Masters & Pilots' association has, at its annual session in Washington, recommended to the board of supervising inspectors, which usually meets at the same time, that these two words be stricken out of the section, but, of course, the act would then leave the inspectors without powers of discretion, and they quite naturally do not care to apply the shears to them- selves. Of course it is essential that every applicant for license 'should be competent and no one knows his competence better than the master and engineer with whom he has sailed. The law re- quires that he shall have sailed for three years, two of them in the pilot house, before a license can be given to him. Among the members of the Masters & Pilots' association [Oct. 22, 2 ie, RE LG re ETI) ~e re SASS GEM y Pr, }} $3 GZ U Yay there are many excellent men. Some of them are even part own- ers of the ships which they sail. They have communed with na- ture for years and have, like all men who live close to nature, broad, open and generous dispositions. It is inconceivable that these men could take such action, or be a party to such action, as has been outlined during the past few days in the newspapers. The law does not say that the local harbor board shall endorse appli- cations or that it shall sit in judgment upon them. In fact, in taking such action as the newspapers speak of it would very probably render itself, amenable to the law for conspiracy in re- straint of trade; and it is perfectly clear that the. federal govern- ment would take such immediate and drastic action as the asso- ciation would not forget. CHICAGO GRAIN REPORT. Chicago, Oct. 21.--The grain movement of the past week is somewhat under the previous week, but the up-freight trade has been so much slower that vessel offerings have been much re- duced and the general tone is considerably stronger. Rates have been held steady at 134-cent wheat, 134-cent_corn and_1)-cent oats to Buffalo, Port Huron and Georgian Bay, with Kingston nominally 3 cents corn and Montreal 45% cents. The eastern cash situation seems favorable, on account of the steady decline in corn prices, coupled with continued low cost of lake and ocean transportation. Aside from this, the next few weeks should be a natural period for heavy eastern shipping; and another feature of probable strength is the fact that vessel owners are inclined to terminate the operation of non-contract capacity unless carrying charges are shortly ad- justed to a fair profit basis. Corn receipts are ruling a little slow for the present, and wheat also, under strong speculative influence, due to active milling inquiry and light stocks at receiving points. Some five or six cargoes of wheat and flax have been received here via lake from Duluth, and it is' reported that a few more are to follow. Of the shipments noted below in week just closed there was via rail 513,000 bu. wheat, 120,000 bu. corn and 800,000 bu. oats; via lake to Buffalo and other American points, 250,000 bu. wheat, 2,500,000 bu. corn and 600,000 bu. oats; to Canadian points, via lake, 80,000 bu. wheat, 500,0co bu. corn and 75,000 bu. oats. The shipments lake and rail are as follows: This week. Last week. last year. Wheat; bur po. 856,720 893,604 402,635 Cor, Di ese! 3,201,887 4,049,122 809,642 Oats bul odie. 1,467,660 1,084,805 615,721 Rye. Dus ee 8,041 15,155 48,403 Total, bu. . 5,534,308 6,042,686 1,876,401 Since Jan. Same time 1, 1908..-3 5 pas last year. Wheat, - bu.: -...4 6. .17;375,033 26,050,295 Corn: Bitectahses, 675,081,001 35,370,176 Oats, bul: : «52,562,011 44,375,244 Rye, bu. . . 3,048,804 2,060,234 Total, bu.::.'. ; «148,067,839 107,870,949 Stocks of grain in public and private elevators are thus re- ported: Week just . Same week closed. Last week. last year. Wheat, bi° u.5 <..7.5;309,000 6,128,000 9,469,000 Orn. Bus c).c.. 651. 4,707,000 5,025,000 1,281,000 ate OU. ia cence 2,489,000 2,714,000 4,375,000 Rye un. 600,000 560,000 296,008 otal, Dus 13,805,000 14,427,000 15,421,000 NORTHWESTERN GRAIN MATTERS. Duluth, Minn., Oct. 21.--Grain stocks at. Duluth-Superior in- creased last week more than 2,130,000 bu. and now stand at 6,- 585,380 bu. This increase is rather remarkable, considering: east- ern demand, of which much has been said, and claimed sales of wheat. Wheat alone increased 750,000 bu. for. the week. Flax increased more than 1,000,000 bu. for the week, showing the great volume of grain other than wheat that is coming in here now. If the present rate of increase continues elevators will make a better showing for the year than has been anticipated. Total shipments from this port for the week, all grains and including withdrawals to elevators of 248,659 bu., have been 2,311,469 bu. So much Canadian northwest grain is so damaged that both roads hauling to Port Arthur and Fort William are blocked with