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MARINE REVIEW. | te the city of Detroit. The bridge proposed is to consist of three spans, with two piers in the river, each about 600 feet from the shore, with a span I, 100 feet clear between these piers. The bridge is to be 140 feet above the water. It is believed that a determined effort will be made by the advo- cates of this bridge to secure its authorization by congress. At the time when the matter of bridging the Detroit river was last actively pushed an attempt was made to secure the authorization of a so-called winter bridge. At that time the matter was referred to a board of engineers, of which Gen. Poe was chairman, and a report was made by that board against the winter bridge. The board, however, went on in its report to say that a certain type of bridge might be constructed which would not in its opinion bea serious obstruction, It is understood that the pending bill is drawn to meet this portion of the engineers' report, and the promoters of the bridge undoubtedly hope to secure the endorsement of the war department on the ground that the bridge they propose meets the requirements of the board of engineers, which last reported on the subject. Since then, however, the tunnel at Port Huron has been successfully constructed, and it is believed also that there has been progress in the art of bridge building which makes the old report of the engineers inapplicable to the present day. In addition to this, the commerce of the Detroit river has very greatly in- creased, so that now the traffic through the river is much greater than through any waterway in the world. It is interesting also to know that two years ago application was made to congress for the construction of a bridge across the Hudson river from a point in the upper part of New York city to a corresponding point on the New Jersey shore, and that after a very sharp contest in congress a bill authorizing a bridge with a clear span much greater than that proposed for Detroit was vetoed by the president, and when a subsequent bill providing for a bridge at this point was passed which left it to the war department to determine the character of bridge which should be built, the department reported, after thorough examina- tion, against the placing of any piers in the river and in favor of requiring a suspension bridge at the point in question which should do away entirely with any abutments beyond the pier lines. As the commierce at this point in the Hudson river is small compared with that which exists in the 'Detroit river, and can never, so far as can now be foreseen, reach any such dimensions as that already attained at Detroit, it is not believed that con- gress and the war department will now authorize the placing of artificial obstructions in the channel at Detroit, especially since the successful com- pletion of the tunnel between Port Huron and Sarnia. Unquestionably, however, the vessel interests will have to make a very vigorous opposition to the proposed bridge, and it is very desirable that at the annnal meeting of the association the matter should be discussed and the course of action to be pursued determined. PROPOSED REGULATIONS FOR THE NAVIGATION OF THE ST. MARY'S RIVER. It has been suggested that, inasmuch as navigation in the artificial channels in the St. Mary's river is now carried on under regulations pre- scribed by the government engineers in charge of the improvements there, it would-be a desirable thing to have the jurisdiction of these engineer officers extended to cover all that portion ot the St. Mary's river in which navigation is difficult, and that the necessary authority should be placed in the hands of such engineers to enable them to make rules and regulations to govern all kinds-of vessels, as well as rafts, while navigating such parts of the river. Itis believed that any regulations that would thus be made would be decidedly in the interest of safety, and that they would largely do away with the collisions and groundings, now so frequent in the river and would greatly lessen the risk of a complete stoppage of navigation, a disaster which is so possible that it is always in the minds of vessel owners. It would be impossible, by such regulations, to cover Canadian vessels while in Canadian waters, unless the co-operation of the Canadian government could be obtained; but if such regulations could be made applicable to all American vessels, whether in American or Canadian waters, and to all Canadian vessels while in American waters, the application of the rule would be so general that the exceptions might be disregarded. Of course, if vessel owners voluntarily subject themselves to such regulations, it must be upon the condition that rafts also be subject to the same jurisdiction, and that power to make regulations governing them also be given to the engineers. The adoption of such a system, also, should be conditional upon some proper method of enforcing the regulations so made, by a sys- tem of fines. Probably the revenue marine service would afford the best machinery for detecting offenders and securing general obedience to the 'rules so made. The adoption of such a system, if well carried out, would largely do away with reckless navigation of the river and would also, in large part, solve the vexed question of regulating rafts; although, of course, it would still leave the raft question unsettled in the St. Clair and Detroit rivers. EE RAH Ba Ie. It is the intention of the present board of managers of the association to push vigorously the raft legislation which has been so long advocated by the association and which has not yet been secured. If the new officers and board of managers ghall be of like mind we believe that this vexed question can be settled at this session of congress. Steps have already been taken to put the matter in shape for vigorous action after the annnal meeting. ; LIBELLING VESSELS FOR SMALL CLAIMS. For a number of years past vessel owners have complained greatly that a system of blackmail was carried on at various ports on the great lakes whereby trifling, unjust claims were presented to the masters of their ves- sels, and unless payment was immediately made the boats were libelled and the vessel compelled to pay a bill which had no merit or basis what- ever, simply because it was so small that 1t was cheaper to pay than to sub- mit to the delays and expenses incident to a refusal. One vessel owner as- sured me that he was certain that in at least 100 cases which had been called to his attention he had advised the payment of claims which ap- peared to have no merit whatever, as the cheapest course for the vessel owner to pursue. A number of members of the association have asked that this matter receive the attention of the annual meeting; and in order that some preparation might be made for an intelligent comprehension of the questions involved, the counsel of the association has been asked to give the matter thought and to suggest to the meeting the best course to be pursued in endeavoring to put an end to this abuse. Mr. Goulder has accordingly looked carefully into the matter and will give the annual meeting the benefit of his ideas on this important question, He believes that the difficulty can be in large part met, and it will probably be the pleasure of the meeting to provide for the appointment of a small special committee to take the matter up upon the lines suggested by the counsel of the association. DEPUTY COLLECTORS OF CUSTOMS AT DULUTH. During the past year a large number of vessels belonging to the asso- ciation have complained that they were subject to considerable delays in obtaining clearances from Duluth when loading ore at the Mesabi docks at that port. These docks are located several miles from the office of the collector of customs, there being infrequent street car service between the two points during the day and no service at all during the night. Masters complain that they are obliged to leave their vessels when the process of loading is going on, although they ought to be on hand at that time, and to spend sometimes several hours in getting their clear- ances. As these docks shipped about a million and a half tons of ore during the season just closed, a business which in itself exceeds that of nine-tenths of the ports on the lakes where customs officers are located, it seems reasonable to ask that arrangements be made to have a deputy col- lector at the dock both night and day to give clearances to vessels. It is understood that the dock authorities will provide quarters for such collec- tors without expense to the government and that the government will be at no expense in the matter except for the salaries of the officers them- - selves. The matter was called to the attention of the treasury department during the past year, and just before the close of navigation the depart- ment offered to place officers there if the Lake Carriers' Association would pay their salaries. This method did not commend itself to the managers of the association as a proper solution of the difficulty. It is believed that if proper representations are made by vessel owners to the treasury department the desired relief can be obtained and that the government. will place the necessary officers at the dock during the coming season of navigation. PROPOSED CONFERENCE WITH CANADIAN AUTHORITIES. During the past year a great deal of trouble has been experienced by vessels in the vicinity of Pointe au Pelee, Lake Erie. Various changes and additions are imperatively required in the matter of aids to navigation in that vicinity. As this locality, however, is in Canadian waters nothing can be done without the co-operation of the Canadian authorities. A petition stating the requirements of the situation has been circulated amongst ves- sel owners at various lake ports and very extensively signed. It is believed that some relief might be obtained if a small committee were authorized by the annual meeting to take the matter in charge and to visit Ottawa and confer with the various authorities there in the hope of securing some, if not all, of the relief necessary. At the same time this committee might well take up, with the proper authority at Ottawa, another matter which has called forth considerable complaint. In the district covered by the Canadian collector of customs at Amherstburg, whenever an American ves- sel gets into trouble anywhere in his district, and any lightering of cargo has to be done, which is frequently the case from groundings at Bar point, Ballard's reef, and even as far as Pointe au Pelee, the Amherstburg col- lector insists that one of his officers shall be aboard when either the light- ering or the reloading of vessels is to be done within the boundaries of his' district. In such cases the vessel pays the officer a certain amount per hour for the time that the man is aboard. If the troublein question occurs in the middle of the night, nothing can be done until the collector has been found and the officer placed aboard. In this way the vessel is often sub- jected to a considerable loss of time and much inconvenience. The officer on board exacts pay by the hour both night and day, irrespective of whether - he is occupied during the night or not. It is understood that no such rule is in operation at other Canadian ports. Neither the collector at Windsor nor the collector at Sarnia makes any such requirements, and there is a strong belief that the collector at Amherstburg is entirely. unwarranted in pursuing this course. The matter should be called to the attention of the Ottawa authorities, and if the Amherstburg collector is going beyond the requirements of law he should be brought up with a round turn. Doubtless other matters, not covered in this report, will come up for discussion at the annual meeting, but the board of managers has endeav- ored to give you herein a comprehensive review of what has been accom- plished during the past year and of the pending problems to be taken up | by the incoming board. In conclusion, your board of managers congratulates you upon the prosperous cordition of the association and upon the hearty support which has been extended to the board from all vessel owners during the past year. The events of this year have proved that vessel owners have be- come more than ever before a united body, capable of dealing unitedly with all matters of common concern, able to stand together and to carry out to the end a course mapped out for them by their elected representatives on the board of managers of this association, and possessed of a new confid- ence in themselves as a body. We ask for our successors in office the same hearty support which we have ourselves received. We predict that they will receive the same support and that they will accomplish whatever they set out to doin reforming abuses and contributing toethe prosperity of the merchant marine of the great lakes. Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Board of Managers, by WILLIAM LIVINGSTON, President, CHARLES H. KEEP, Secretary. ;