The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

October, 1914 Good Work As revealing the esprit de corps now prevailing on board the vessels of the Lake Carriers' Association the following letter from a master to his owner is quite illuminating: Three-Hour Watch--Things have been going very well with us this summer. The three-hour watch is working splen- didly; in fact I have had no trouble in working it the past two years. Lookout--We keep the Lookout on the forward deck. Am satisfied this is the only place to have him located. Inspection of Ship--The new regula- tion this year of having the ship in- THE MARINE REVIEW ter this year than before, I attribute the few changes on my boat to the fact that they are all saving money and they feel they have a sort of "place in the community" as it were. In the spring our boys started a sort of navigation school in the forward hall; they have a full set of charts and apparatus to work with; the polaris we generally work together, and to show we have done something worth while, one of our wheelsmen went before the local inspectors recently and got first- class papers for 4,000 tons. With a letter from me he got a second mate's place on a steamer and has gone with TUG AMERICAN, BUILT BY JOHNSTON BROS., FERRYSBURG, MICH. spected once each trip by the master, engineer and mate, is proving a great success. We choose a time when it is convenient for all of these officers and make a thorough examination of every part of the ship. I am surprised we did not start this plan years ago. Three can see so much more than one and it puts system into the practice. Sanitation--I feel that the dealers are exercising more care in bringing their provisions aboard. The efforts of the Lake Carriers' Association have exer- cised a very wonderful effect. Follow- ing the directions from the office, I am making it a practice to visit the dealers with whom we deal and go through their establishments. The majority of them are kept in excellent shape, but I have found the following to be not all that could be desired. * * * Crews--I have a splendid crew of men this year from top to bottom. I have changed only four men since I left in the spring. My crew have sent a lot of money to the bank. All one needs to do to get the savings habit started is for the captain and engineer to have Patience, trip after trip, and encourage men to start, and when they start--my, it is wonderful what an interest they take in the 'matter. I feel amply repaid for what efforts I have put into it. While of course crews are staying bet- her... 'Phis: idea' of .a <school"- on: the ship is simply an outgrowth of the improvement that has come among men. New Harbor Tug Johnston Bros., Ferrysburg, Mich., has just delivered to the American Construc- tion Co. of Cleveland the tug American, 81 feet 6 inches long over all, 20-foot beam and 10 feet deep. The tug is of steel construction throughout, having accommodations for a crew of ten men and completely equipped with Dake Steam Steerer and the usual harbor tug outfit. The boiler is Scotch, 10 feet diameter by 11 feet long and allowed 150 pounds pressure. The engine is a fore and aft compound marine type with cylinder 14 inches and 30 inches. diameter by 24-inch stroke. Extensive improvements are being made at Vancouver, B. C., to accommo- date the increasing business of the port. New government and _ private docks, wharves and dredging schemes are be- ing planned and under construction, . which will make the harbor one of the most modern on the Pacific. Vancouver is an all-year-round open port with ample anchorage space, many miles of deep water front, and perfect security from weather conditions. D9: British Board of Arbitration Just prior to the outbreak of the European war, rules were promulgated and a Board of Arbitration appointed by the British government, of which Lord Mersey is the president, with the view of settling any disputes that may arise between the Admiralty and shipowners when vessels are called up. Endeavors are to be made by the parties concerned to come to agreement, but failing this, recourse will be to the president who then puts the claim before two arbi- trators whom he may select from a panel, with instructions and their award if given shall be final, and in the altern- ative the president will act as umpire in the dispute and, his decision will settle the matter. The president is assisted by a panel of experts which includes ship- owners, bankers, underwriters, marine insurance companies, insurance brokers and average adjusters. Revision of Trade Routes The opening of the Panama canal to commerce is likely to cause a general revision of trade routes, as some of the present highways of the sea will prob- ably be deserted for new ones, which will result in new routes being put on maps and charts. The first readjust- ment of the world's trade route charts was made after the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope, and the second after the opening of the Suez canal, which brought commerce back to the Mediterranean ports that had been de- serted after the discovery of the route around the Cape. With the present readjustment it is thought that the Azores, Bermuda and Barbados will again be placed on the main routes of trade so that it is expected the big car- riers of the sea will seek their harbors. This will also be the case with the Gulf of Mexico ports and various Pacific coast ports. To provide for the large increase in business which it is expected will follow the opening of the Panama Canal, a £300,000 cable is to be laid from New York to Colon, by way of Guananamo, before the end of the year. Later it may be extended to Brazil. The cable, which is being constructed in England for the Central and South American Telegraph Co., will be much larger than the present cable. The C.S. Colonia will leave England in November with the cable for New York. The Phoenix Construction Co., New York, has been awarded the contract for the construction of the new terminal for the Ocean Steamship Co. at Savannah, Ga. Work will begin immediately and will be completed in about a year.