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: 2 Privdic Optvadon of Lake Ships During the War Sets High Record of Efficiency in Handling Huge Tonnage of Freight ae HE important part which dur- ing the war the members of this association were called upon to take demanded the highest qualification of efficiency and co-or- dination. It is known now of what vital importance to the almost fam- ished people of England and France were the successful efforts in bringing down the wheat during those bitterly cold and stormy days of Decermber one year ago; likewise it is known. now that the preponderance of Amer- ican steel was of telling effect in bringing about the preliminary peace. It is noteworthy that in the ac- complishment of these works, as well as in the transportation of ‘all the available commerce of 1918, the service was rendered without sem- blance of ostentation; hence it is fitting that credit be expressed for a work so. patriotically performed. There is, too, just warrant for felici- tation over the confidence reposed hy the government in endorsing this association’s project for mobilizing the fleet as the best means for efficiently handling the commerce of the Great Lakes, whereas the rails, the wires and other shipping were brought un- der government control..To a very great extent the success of the re- ceutly closed season of navigation is due to the mobilization comuinit- tee, for it was due primarily to the vision displayed by this ‘body in laying thé groundwork for the season’s traf- - fic, that all the requitements in ore, coal and grain were fulfilled in prac- tically seven months of operation. By its well formulated plans, which left to the separate committees and the vessel owners the protracted la- bor of working out their application, the mobilization committee made it possible to defer the opening of navigation until such time as the dangers of early sailings ceased to exist, and yet the season’s prograia was so broadly conceived as to: in- sure an ample movement of all lake commodities and warrant a clean-up before the treacherous weather tradi- tional of early December came _ to hand. If posterity’s judgments may be anticipated the real value of the past season’s accomplishments does not rest upon what actually was done, but of more vital historical importance is this evidence of what in a crisis tan be done on the Great Lakes. 'We now face the period of read- justment with confidence and with Train Many Seamen HROUGHOUT the entire sea- son of 1918 the members of this association gave to the government their unqualified support in training and fitting men for the merchant marine. As a result of the whole- hearted co-operation from the man- agers, 2925 naval reservists were trained aboard the bulk freighters during the past season. The effec- tiveness of the training received was proved by the large number of men who passed the severe ex- aminations necessary to obtain en- trance into the officers’ school at Pelham Bay. During the fall 288 seamen from the training ship Missourt and 35 seamen from the Joseph G. Branch school of marine engineering, both under the direction of the U. S. shipping board, were placed on ves- sels in the membership of the Lake Carriers’ association. The association responded to every call from the Emergency Fleet corporation to provide for the crew- ing of the ships enroute from the lakes to the seaboard. In this fea- ture alone the offices of the Lake Carriers association furnished to the shipping board 1934 men for 112 vessels. A summary of the men so furnished follows: First mates, 2; second mates, 1; boatswains, 5; wheelsmen, 193; watchmen, 50; deck hands, 304; able seamen, 102; quar- termasters, 1; engineers, 1; third en- gineers, 1; fourth engineers, 2; oilers, 128; firemen, 523; coal pass- ers, 278; stewards, 50; second cooks, 46; porters, 244; cabin boys, 3; total, 1934. assurance that in the building up of a world trade and of rehabilitating devastated Europe the members of this association will be imbued with the same spirit of service as when on March 29, 1917, they pledged 141 By William Livingstone President, Lake Carriers’ Association their earnest and unqualified support to the President and the nation. At no time during the season of 1918 «were water levels favorable for a maximum movement. The. highest stage for Lake Erie, as reached in August, was 1534 inches lower than the high stage of 1917, while the lowest stage of 1917 was higher than the high stage of 1918, and this situation held the vessels closely to the recommended drafts. Furthermore, the fleet began the season with a loss of 11 ore carriers purchased by the government, rep- resenting a carrying capacity of 42,600 gross tons on a single trip, or 852,000 tons for a season of 20 trips. Other sales, and losses from various causes, reduced the fleet during the season by 12 ore carriers representing 56,700 gross tons carrying capacity for a ‘single trip, making a grand total of 99,300 tons of carrying capacity out of commission during more or less of the season. Despite these combined, obstacles, together with the fact that only one ore cargo was delivered in April, the season’s movement was 61,156,732 gross tons. In connection with this movement it is signally important to point out that with furnace require- ments so nearly provided for at the end of October it was possible to withdraw the barges on Noy. 1 and to divert to the growing grain trade more and more of the steamers as November progressed. The fleet fin- ished the ore season with. a required movement of only 4,279,025 tons in November and a _ single cargo in ‘December, whereas the requirements of the preceding year, although to- tals were nearly similar, necessitated respective movements of 7,333,828 and 911,475 tons. These features clearly depict the efficiency with which the important ore situation of 1918 was handled. Notwithstanding that the lake move- ment of anthracite coal continued after all other upbound commodities had been disposed of, the season’s shipments show a falling off in com- parison with recent previous years, due to the diversion of anthracite in large quantities to the seaboard. The lake shipments consisted of 3,587,964 net tons from Buffalo, and 360,741