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August, 1917 season on April 15 each year and keep the channels clear, we are not prepared to say. However, except under exceptional conditions it would seem as if ice-breakers stationed at these points would be of material assistance, and, in normal years, he the means of opening navigation somewhat earlier than by trusting to the whims of Nature. Question No. 3—We presume that the initial expense and cost of upkeep should be charged to those steamers that would be benefitted thereby. _ Navigation Can Be Opened By Capt. B. T. Haagenson Ashtabula, O. NS may be opened on schedule with the use, of ice breakers. The expense of this will not be very great. Any of the whaleback steamers, because of their peculiar bow, are available for this use. All that is needed is to equip such as are wanted for ice breakers with a rolling or oscillating plant. Such an oscillating plant can be placed aboard in one or two days and removed in a like period. It might be interesting to readers of THE Martine REvIEW generally to know that an oscillating plant is now being in- ‘stalled on the steamer MarrLanp No. 1, a carferry, operating cut of Ashtabula. This is installed with a guarantee that *t will keep the boat in operation on the route between Ashta- bula and Port Maitland, Ont., all year, if so desired. The ordinary ice breaker ‘as heretofore used is merely a vessel employed as a wedge, but in the case of the vessel no blow can be struck. It is merely a wedge to push ahead into the ice mass. Let us now consider a case where the ice breaker could be oscillated or made to roll in time with her natural period. This will convert a vessel which was hitherto a wedge into a piercing tool, in that, by means of its oscillations, it has a semirotary motion, the propelling power providing the pressure. Difficult Condition to Overcome By H. W. Reade Vice President, National Transit Co., Escanaba, Mich. Rees to the possibilities of controlling the ship- ping season on the Great Lakes by the use of ice crushers or other means, in an ordinary season, we believe, it would be possible to break up the ice and open a channel a few days earlier than the ice naturally goes out. But this spring the question has not been so much one of solid ice as of shifting ice, which has piled up in great windrows on account of the fact that the wind has been in the north for practically 60 days. This is a condition which, we believe, would be difficult to over- come. We believe the movement of ore could be facilitated THE MARINE REVIEW 297 | very considerably if a good share of ore from the Gogebic range were handled through Escanaba instead of Ashland. This port was entirely free of ice for some weeks before much ore was shipped from Ashland. We would estimate that boats plying between Escanaba and Cleveland could make at least four more round trips in an average season than from Ashland to Cleveland. This is not only on account of the longer shipping season at this port, but on account of the very much greater dis- tance which the boats are required to travel, and the time lost in going through the river and locks, There is practically no hazard in shipping ore from Escanaba to Lake Erie, and the increased shipments from this port would show a very considerable saving in lives and property, as well as a decrease in insurance rates. We think this is a point well worth considering. Ice Crushers of Great Assistance | By A. Leslie General Manager, Marquette & Bessemer Dock & Navigation Co., Walkerville, Ont. r REGARD to the earlier opening of navigation, we operate between Conneaut Harbor, O., and Port Stanley and Rondeau, Ont., so*that this does not interest us. Our difficulties are around the harbors and had we. ice breakers at the ports we believe we would have no difficulty in operating through the winter months. Ice crushers at the Soo and the larger ports would no doubt be of great assistance in the earlier opening of navigation. Would Not Be Profitable By Robert C. Pringle President, The Pringle Barge Line Co., Cleveland 1) EGARDING ice crushers at Soo, Buffalo and Duluth, my opinion is that in normal times it would not be profitable to attempt to open Soo river channel and Duluth harbor much earlier than natural conditions would. We have to contend with not only the harbors, but White- fish bay and the head of Lake Superior, where heavy windrowed ice is usually found, and channels would close up just about as fast as the boats could pass through them. Such channels as Soo, under freezing. conditions, would keep filled up by the current carrying the broken ice down the stream until it was packed from the bottom of the river to the surface, and for several miles in extent —a condition which it is almost impossible to combat successfully. As to who should bear the initial expense, it would be hard to say. I think it should be borne proportionately to the benefit received by every boat using such channels during the time ice crushers were required to keep them open. prohibitive. Asks Aid for Foreign In drawing this matter decreasing available tonnage making Trade In an appeal to Chairman Den- man, of the United States shipping board, the Merchants’ Association of New York says freight ‘rates have reached such prohibitive figures as to make it .practically impossible to re- tain. foreign trade. Secretary S. C, Mead’s letter to Chairman Denman reads, in part: “Consignments to such _ neutral countries as those in South America and the Orient are asked to pay charge so high as to be practically to your attention please be assured that the association fully realizes the exigencies of the present occasion and concurs fully in any policy which has for its aim the best and most com- plete service of the military needs of our country and our allies. “Furthermore, we believe that every patriotic shipper will support such a policy irrespective of the extent of the loss of money and business which may result from it. We realize fully that rates have advanced because of the working out of the economic law of supply and demand, i. e., constantly for constantly increasing rates. “We have been informed that the British government has recognized the necessity of arranging for a certain amount of commerce between Eng- land and South America, and that some eight steamers of the Pacific Steam Navigation Co. are still in serv- ice between England and that terri- tory.” a The association asks the shipping board to use its influence for the pur- pose of according facilities for Amer- icans similar to those which these British shippers are receiving.