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Although Opportunities Were More Numerous, Accidents on the Great Lakes Were Relatively Fewer in 1916—Successful Year Financially HE annual meeting of the Great Lakes Protective Asso- ciation, held at Detroit, Friday, Jan. 19, served forcibly to emphasize the great importance of the work this association has carried on in recent years. The chairman, J. S. Ashley, in his annual report, and Harry Coulby and Harvey D. Goulder in short talks, called attention to the wholesome influence of the associa- tion’s work. Mr. Goulder pointed out that the association had accomplished a great work in increasing the safety of operations, and had lowered the cost of insurance. These two results had been brought about without injury. to anyone connected with the trade, the sailors and owners benefitting from the enhanced degree of safety; the owners from the lowered cost of in- surance, and the regular underwriters from the promotion of safety of operations, which had reduced their losses. , During four of the seven years of the association’s existence, 25 per cent of the risk has been reserved from conventional insurance and has been carried by the association itself. The 1916 operations were highly satisfac- tory in a financial way, as careful estimates now indicate a profit of 46 per cent. The carrying of 25 per cent of the insurance was accomplished at an approximate rate of 1.823 per cent. The advisory committee, how- ever, expressed the opinion that the years record was not fully satisfac- tory as a number of accidents which occurred were avoidable. As in 1916, the decision regarding the amount of insurance to be carried as well as the initial contribution was left to the decision of the advisory committee. It is probable that the association will continue to carry 25 per cent of the insurance of its sub- scribers. The regular underwriters, it is believed, will again name the 1916 rate of 334 per cent net. The rate of the initial contribution of the association last year was 314 per cent, the same as in 1915. = All of the members of the advisory committee were re-elected, A. E. R. Schneider, Cleveland, being chosen to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Jasper H. Sheadle. The other mem- bers of the committee are J. S. Ash- ley, Capt. “W.-C. Richardson, Capt. Charles L. Hutchinson, Harry Coulby, C.D. Dyer, R, Ac Williams, John J. Boland, William Livingstone, Capt. D. Sullivan and W. H. Becker. These members were nominated by a com- mittee composed of J. B. Rogers, Buffalo; S.C. McLouth, Port Huron; Gordon B. Houseman, George M. Steinbrenner and W. P. Schaufele, Cleveland. The advisory committee meets later to elect its officers. The present officers will probably be re- elected, including J. S. Ashley, chair- man; Capt. W. C. Richardson, treas- Care in Loading The association's practice of tak- ing the drafts of vessels, both up and downbound, at Sault Ste. Marie, was continued during the past year. On account of the possibility of passing through the Canadian lock with unusually deep drafts this sea- son, it was found necessary to establish draft readers on the Cana- dian side. Reports have been re- of vessels passing ceived daily through all the locks and in cases where the recommended draft has been - exceeded, subscribers have been notified to that effect. It ts noticeable, however, that compara- tively few cases of overloading have been reported, indicating the watchfulness on the part of the masters to conform to the recom- mended loading drafts published by the Lake Carriers’ Association. urer; Harvey D. Goulder, counsel; George A. Marr, secretary and attor- ney in fact. The report of the operations in 1916, as given in an”* accompanying table, shows a surplus of $164,661.52, which is equal to 46.085 per cent of the net contributions, as against 18.292 per cent in 1915 and 42 per cent in 1914. The association finished the year with but one total loss, the composite steamer S. R. Kirpy, which foundered in Lake Superior on May 8. The total losses on all the lakes during the sea- son numbered 14, the association being affected by only the one.- This fact brings out strongly the benefits of the rules and recommendations drawn up by the association for safeguarding its ships. At the close of the year, there were 159 vessels with a total gross reg- istered tonnage of 812,808 tons in the membership of the association. Dur- ing the fiscal year of 1916 there were 175 vessels in the membership and on these vessels, 175 certificates of insur- ance were written, the valuation ag- 93 gregating $42,350,874. Of this, the association assumed 25 per cent, or $10,587,717. The following is a liberal extract from the annual report which was presented to the members at_ the Detroit meeting: “The season of 1916 opened on April 15, and within a week from that date practically every vessel in the mem- bership was in commission. Accidents requiring the laying up of vessels for lengthy periods to repair were notice- ably small this year, so that practical- ly all our ships were in continuous operation the entire season, the last vessel reaching port of destination on Dec. 23. The unprecedented demand on vessel tonnage for the movement of ore, coal, grain and all classes of merchandise required the quickest possible dispatch. Extraordinarily warm weather prevailed during the midsummer, taxing the vitality and the usual efficiency of our sailors. The demand for labor in all channels of business had a _ noticeable effect in the personnel of our crews; quite -unusually severe gales occurred in the fall months which delayed and con- gested vessels. All these things con- stituted an unusual strain on our navigators, but notwithstanding such difficulties, we have completed the season with but one total loss—the composite steamer S. R. Kirpy, which foundered on May 8 off Eagle Harbor with the loss of 20 members of her crew—only the mate and one fireman being saved. This unfortunate dis- aster has never been explained, and undoubtedly never will be, as she was considered a _ good, seaworthy — ship and had weathered many a gale of far greater severity than that in which she was lost. “The total losses on all the lakes during the season numbered 14 ves- sels with an approximate insurable value of $625,000. The loss on the steamer S. R. Kirpy, the only one in which the association was interested, was $90,000, which brings out promi- nently the efficiency of our navi- gators under the influence of the association’s rules for safeguarding its ships. This is prominent, also, with regard to the partial losses resulting from collisions, strandings and sim- ilar accidents. Through examination of surveys reported by R. Parry-Jones, the underwriter’s representative, we find 452 surveys reported showing an estimated loss of $1,056,283. Of these, aS pe Ten Oe Bae nee!