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228 Automatic Lighting System As indicated in the May Marine Re- view, all steamers carrying passengers will be compelled to carry an auxiliary lighting system located above the deep load line, sufficient to light the steamer to enable passengers and crew to find their way to the exits in case of the failure of the main _ lighting system. Provision is also made for the carrying of gasoline for this purpose under certain restrictions on board passenger and freight steamers. There is obviously open here a very wide market for auxiliary lighting equip- ment. In this connection attention is directed to the automatic lighting system designed by the Matthews Boat Co., Port Clinton, O. The plant consists of a two-cylinder four-cycle motor direct connected to a generator, all on a common base. The general assembly of the equipment is very attractive as it is compact, self- THE MARINE REVIEW 50 20-watt 16-candlepower lamps, which would take care of the passageways of practically any of the smaller passenger vessels. The factory has already equipped several small steamers between 100 and 150 feet, with these auto- matic plants, for lighting the entire boat. The feature that is attractive on these automatic plants is that the batteries are kept to full charge without attention. The plant automatically starts up when the batteries have been discharged 15 per cent, and automatically cuts out when this ‘charge has been put_ back, with a slight over-charge. A heavy load on the set will also start the plant work- ing. British Steamship Profits While the International Mercan- tile Marine Co. has apparently been unable to pay the interest on its 4% per cent debenture stock, the directors of ‘the Cunard Steamship Co. are June, 1915 are held to be encouraging in local shipping circles, a statement which appeared in the London Daily Tele- graph about a fortnight ago to the effect that British shipowners are making fortunes at the rate of £100,- 000 ($500,000) and over a month since the war began is regarded as an exag- geration. Shipping interests in New York, who are in receipt of reports which have very recently been issued for 1914 by at least a score of the more impor- tant British cargo carrying steamship companies, assert that the statement as to “fortunes being reaped” by the English ship owners every month since the war has been in progress is not borne out. Examination of the detailed reports made by British cargo carrying steamship companies, cover- ing 1914 as a whole, shows a widely different state of affairs as applying to some as against others. A few of MARINE LIGHTING PLANT AS MANUFACTURED BY THE MATTHEWS BOAT CO., WHICH WILL SERVE ADMIRABLY AEOARD SHIP AS AN AUXILIARY LIGHT EQUIPMENT contained and easily portable. The engine is of the latest design with over- * head valves, cam over top of cylinders, automatic oiling system, water cooling taken care of by means of a cast radia- tor built over the flywheel, and a draft of air drawn through the radiator by fan blades, which form the spokes for flywheel casting. The ignition equip- ment consists of a Bosch magneto built into the machine, with high-tension plug. The generator is a two kilowatt equipment of General Electric make. The Schebler carburetor is used, and in connection with it is an electric gover- nor which automatically controls the speed of the engine by means of the carburetor throttle. The equipment covers the exact re- quirements for use on steamers. On smaller vessels, the one kilowatt house- lighting plant which may be of the auto- matic type, will also be found satis- factory. This plant has a capacity of able to announce record profits. The directors state that, subject to the completion of the audit, the profits for 1914, including £130,378 ($651,890) brought forward amount to £1,417,326. ($7,086,630), as compared with £1,276,- 795 ($6,383,975) in 1913, £88,964 being brought forward from 1912. After debiting the income tax and reserving £550,472 ($2,752,360) for depreciation, against £443,637 ($2,218,185), trans- ferring £350,000 ($1,500,000) to the repairs and renewal account, and £68,949 ($344,745) to the insurance fund, it is proposed to recommend the payment of a dividend of 10 per cent “and a bonus: of 10° per. cent; against 10 per cent in 1913 and 1912, 7% per cent in 1911, 5 per cent in 1910 and none in 1909, leaving £141,- 996 ($509,980) to carry forward. While the results of the Cunard company’s operations last year, includ- ing five full months of war conditions, the larger cargo carrying lines have made fair but not more than normal profits, while many others are com- paratively behind. Since the beginning of the current calendar year, moreover, it is learned, profits have only been large for those British owners who have been able to take advantage of the prevailing high freight rates. The fact that a large number of British cargo, boats have been requisitioned by the admir- alty, in which service profits are strictly limited, the rates paid being only about one-half the current gen- eral market rates, shipping authorities here explain, will prove disappointing to some British shipping shareholders. Analyzing the reports issued by 20 British cargo vessel operating com- panies, most of which cover five or six months of the war, it is learned that in every instance the profits are lower than last year. ‘ 4 q ;