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N a freight carrying business on its own account. Mr. Waterhouse after showing that American ships cost more to build and more to operate than foreign ships urged the adoption of a plan of subsidies, mail and otherwise, on. all classes of American merchant ves- sels. He thought that subsidies should be perpetual but that payment should be made only for direct ser- vice rendered. He declared that only eight companies had more than 10,000 tons of American shipping en- gaged in foreign trade. No one is making any money in the foreign trade and he admitted that it was only the business secured from the government that had enabled his own company to continue in operation on the Pacific. As a general thing the addresses made before the commission on the Pacific coast had favored a direct subsidy rather than a differential duty. Everyone unanimously believed, however, that remedial legis- lation is absolutely necessary if American bottoms are to be utilized for the carriage of American cargoes. American shipping cannot flourish under present con- ditions. The handicap imposed upon it is too great to be overcome in direct competition. As long as a ship can be built abroad at anywhere from 25 to 40 per cent less than it can be built in this country the for- eign ship has to pay a dividend on 4o per cent less capital invested. But this, however, is only a small part of it; the real barrier is the higher cost of opera- tion. Figures were submitted to the commission to show that if the vessels engaged in trans-Pacific trade were manned by Asiatics exclusively they could be operated for one-sixth the wage schedule paid to American seamen. The Merchant Marine Commission has still to visit the cities on the south Atlantic coast, after which it will prepare the data obtained by it for congressional consideration. The report is to be presented to con- gress at the opening of the session and the temper of the country is such that it will probably be willing to let the question of shipping have the right of way over other legislation. One thing is certain and that is that the country is a unit for doing something for this neglected industry. It looks indeed as though a brighter day were dawning for the American mer- chant marine. CARGO RECORDS TO DATE. Since the Wolvin and Sahara went into commission cargo records appear to be subject to weekly amendment. The Wolvin has again broken the iron ore record by carrying 10,245 gross tons from Duluth to Erie, Pa. This enormous cargo was loaded in 1 hour, 30 minutes, including shifts. It took exactly 35 minutes to put the first 9,000 tons of ore aboard and then exactly 40 minutes for shifting the vessel to other pockets, and 15 minutes more to put in the remaining 1,245 tons of ore. It will thus be seen that the actual transfer of the 10,245 tons from the pockets into the boat occupied pre- cisely 50 minutes. This trip of the Wolvin from Duluth to Erie was signalized also by the successful use of wireless telegraphy. Messages were successfully sent from the rivers R Vb bo E 23 to the receiving station of the American DeForest .Wireless Telegraphy Co. at Nottingham. The Sahara took second place as a cargo carrier by carry- ing 8,737 gross tons of ore from Duluth to Conneaut. Ves- selmen look upon the Sahara with a great deal of favor and it is expected that an endeavor will shortly be made to estab- lish an unloading record for her. Following are the cargo records to date: Iron Ore--Steamer Augustus B. Wolvin, owned by Acme Steamship Co., A. B. Wolvin, Duluth, manager, 10,245 gross tons or 11,474 net tons, Duluth to Erie, Pa. Steamer Augus- tus B. Wolvin, owned by Acme Steamship Co., A. B. Wol- vin, Duluth, manager, 10,973 gross tons or 12,285 net tons, Escanaba to South Chicago. Steamer Wm. Edenborn, owned by Pittsburg Steamship Co., Harry Coulby, Cleveland, man- ager, 8,807 gross tons or 9,864 net tons, Escanaba to South Chicago. Steamer Sahara, owned by Globe Steamship Co., G. A. Tomlinson, Duluth, manager, 8,737 gross tons or 9,785 net tons, Duluth to Conneaut. Grain--Steamers J. H. Reed and D. G. Kerr, Provident Steamship Co., A. B. Wolvin of Duluth, manager, 275,000 bu. of wheat each, equal to 8,250 tons (2,000 lbs.), Duluth to Buf- falo; steamer D. M. Clemson, Provident Steamship Co., Harry Coulby, Cleveland, manager, 336,365 bu. of barley, equal to 8.073 tons, Duluth to Buffalo; steamer Rensselaer, Pittsburg Steamship Co., Harry Coulby, Cleveland, manager, 151,000 bu. of wheat, 94,000 bu. barley and 55,155 bu. of oats (300,155 bu. in all), equal to 7,668 tons, Chicago to Buffalo; steamer Mataafa, Pittsburg Steamship Co., Harry Coulby, Cleveland, manager, 185,399 bu. of corn, 40,000 bu. of rye and 43,600 bu. of wheat (268,000 bu. in all), equal to 7,619 tons, 'Chicago to Buffalo. Coal--Steamer Augustus B. Wolvin, owned by Acme Steamship Co., A. B. Wolvin, Duluth, manager, 10,569 net tons of anthracite, buffalo to Milwaukee; steamer Augustus B. Wolvin, owned by Acme Steamship Co., A. B. Wolvin, Du- luth, manager, 9,904 tons, 1,800 Ibs. of bituminous, Lorain to . Duluth; steamer Sahara, owned by Globe Steamship Co., G. A. Tomlinson, Duluth, manager, 8,906 tons, 200 lbs. soft coal, Lorain to Duluth; steamer James H. Reed, owned by Provi- . dent Steamship Co. A. B. Wolvin, Duluth, manager, 8,029 tons, 1,400 lbs. of soft coal, Toledo to Duluth. The Harlan & Hollingsworth Co., Wilmington, Del., have. been the successful bidders in acquiring the following repair jobs: Steamer Orion of Boston, new stern post and general overhauling; steamer Mira, general overhauling and repairs amounting to $17,000; United States steamer General Meigs, general overhauling and repairs amounting to $30,000; the steamer Paraguay, docking, scraping and painting and general repairs; steamer Toledo, docking, scraping and painting, new propeller and general repairs; United States steamship Capt. Reilly, general overhauling and repairs; United States steam- ship Wistaria, general overhauling and repairs, $12,000. The following new work is also progressing in the yard: Two new ferry boats for the Central Railway of New Jersey; one new ferry boat for the Erie Railroad Co.; one new caisson for the League Island navy yard. The Metropolitan Yacht Club, occupying the old Randall homestead at 519 East 121st street, New York city, is only thirteen months old and has two hundred members and a fleet of 65 sailing craft and power boats. The founders of the club were members of the old Harlem Yacht Club. Some of the officers of the M. Y. C. are: Commodore, James F. Lalor; Vice-Commodore, Samuel G. Smith; Rear-Commo- dore, John H. Symmers; Fleet Captain, A. L. Hart; Meas- urer, Emil Miller; Corresponding Secretary, William J. Fitzgerald.