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22 - Annual Meeting Lake Carriers' Association. In significance the meeting of the Lake Carriers' Association held at De- troit'this week is the most important that the association has ever held. To begin with, the association 'has de- clared unreservedly for the open shop principle in the operation of its ships and ds not likely to again depart from this practice. Moreover, it is endeavor- ing to interject into the business a code of morals that has not hither- to obtained. While the new insur- ance plan was projected entirely as individuals, the iassociation neverthe- less endorses it highly. It is the first 'definite step taken by vessel men as a unit to minimize the losses caused by careless navigation. will be found elaborated elsewhere in this issue. _ The feature of the first day's ses- sion was the reading of President Liv- ingstone's annual report, which will be found-- thoroughly discussed further along in this article. As is his custom, the president enriched the report with a thorough discussion of its individual features. jCol: McD. Townsend, government engineer with headquarters at Detrott, addressed the members early in the session: on the state of improvements 'in his district, which embraces all of the channels from Sault: Ste. Marie to the Limekilns. "The Limekiln Crossing," said Col. Townsend, "has ceased to be an ob- struction 'to navigation. We are now clearing up the eddies. Work on the Livingstone channel is progressing 'sat- isfactorily. Work on the Middle Nee- bish 'is also progressing well, with the exception of one contractor, who has promised, however, to do better. The enlargement of the present canal 'at the Sault is moving steadily for- ward and we are putting in a coffer- dam for'the new canal which we can push to completion as soon as we ob- tain the right of way." ' Col.: Townsend then referred*to the trouble with the two 'power 'compa- nies at the Sault. He related that the Chandler-Dunbar Co: had consented to sell for $250,000 the land which it owns in the rapids. The Lake Superior Pow- er Co.; however, has declined to sell, so that condemnation tproceedings will Have to be started, and as a prelimi- hary to that, Col. Townsend has seized island No. 5. President Livingstone asked Col. Townsend what would 'be the cost of widening the Livingstone channel from This new plan. TAeE Marine REVIEW PRESIDENT WILLIAM LIVINGSTONE. 300 to 600 ft., provided the work was done now in the dry. Col. Townsend replied iby saying that if the channel is not widened now it would cost two and:.oné-quarter times as much to widen it later in the wet. The asso- ciation later adopted a resolution urg- ing that the channel be widened to 600 ft., though to do that will probably de- lay the opening of the channel over one year. President A, A. Wright, Secretary Francis King and James Playfair, of the executive committee of the Domin- ion Marine Association, attended the session and urged the adoption of the uniform bill of lading for the carry- Mr. Wright acted as He said it was a. matter of humiliation to the Canadians that there should be so much detention in loading at Fort William and Port Ar- thur over the other Twenty years ago, when the 'Canadian mer- chant marine on 'the lakes consisted of only two vessels, it was possible for a ship to visit at, Port Arthur and get ing. of. grain. spokesman. ports. away the same day. Now vessels are delayed anywhere from one to eight days in. getting cargoes. . There am eleven working elevators at these twin Vessels are shifted from one elevator to an- other to obtain cargo, which of course makes a great delay. They ate em deavoring to eliminate this feature somewhat by one elevator agreeing to advance grain to whenevet they have a sufficient quantity of the Short- ages have been a source of 'such vexa- ports and two more 'building. another grade that the ship requires. tion to owners that at a meeting held in Winnipeg last week the Canadiait grain carriers resolved to carry grail on a bill of lading ithat eliminated all Grain is 'the only cargo the weight of which the vessel is Té quired to guarantee. As about One third of Canadian grain is carried im American vessels from Port Arthut and Fort William, Mr. Wright urged the Lake Carriers' Association to wignet As a mat; shortages. to a uniform 'bill of lading. ter of compromise he suggested that