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'2 MARINE, REVIEW. a ae DEVOTED TO THE LAKE MARINE AND KINDRED INTERESTS. Published every Thursday at No. 516 Perry-Payne building, Cleveland, O The books of the United States treasury department on June 30, 1895, contained the names of 3,342 vessels, of 1,241,459.14 gross tons register in the lake trade. The number of steam vessels of 1,000 gross tons, and over that amount, on the lakes on June 30, 1894, was 359 and their aggregate gross tonnage 634,467.84; the number of vessels of this class owned in all other parts of the country on the same date was 316 and their tonnage 642,- 642.50, so that half of the best steamships in all the United States are owned on the lakes. The classification of the entire lake fleet on June 30, 1895, was as follows: Gross Class. Number. Tonnage. Steam vessels........scccsscssscees eS Morente HI. T55 857,735.00 Sailing vessels..........ccccsscsecsse sponocenucos 1 $00.0) 300,642.00 WTA FOG ae: sakes sisecccovanls oc dvu vase sCnebsusebuies 487 83,082.00 Total...... aeacere esse scons? Romacnerecre og | eA 1,241,459.00 The gross registered tonnage of vessels built on the lakes during the past five years, according to the reports of the United States com- missioner of navigation, is as follows: Number. Net Tonnage. Year ending June 30, I891.........0.cc0000 - 204 111,856.45 s cf oee 1892...... Ses cascesse "LOQ 45,168.98 g sf § TBQsssccerscs.deseeee |. L775 99,271.24 § fs ff TSQAScccesscicevecesss 106 41,984.61 s i ce 1895 ...000 Raeeiees eo 93 36,353.00 Total, -....c.c-ccsctatticclachs eons WAT 334,634.28 ST. MARY'S FALLS AND SUEZ CANAL TRAFFIC. (From Official Reports of Oanal Officers.) _ St. Mary's Falls Canal. Suez Canal. 1895.* | 1894. 1893. 1895. 1894. 1893. No.vessel pass'ges| _17,956/ ---14,491| | _12,008|/ 3,434] 3352/3341 Tn'ge,net registd|16,806,781|13,110,366|9,849,754||8,448,383|8,039,175|7,659,0608 Days of Navigat'n 231 234 219 365 365 365 * 1895 figures include traffic of Canadian canal at Sault Ste. Marie, which was about 4/4 per cent. of the whole, but largely in American vessels. Entered at Cleveland Post Office as Second-class Mail Matter. THE MARINE REVIEW has honestly supported the movement of the national association of marine engineersin the present congress to pass a bill making it certain that all engineers of steam vessels shall be re- garded as officers of such vessels, and providing against the employ- ment of engineers other than those who are citizens of the United States. We feel justified, therefore, in saying that on account of the actions lately of some officers of the association of engineers the chances of passage of a law of this kind are being jeopardized. After a great deal of labor leading up to the preparation of a satisfactory bill, it was quite certain, a few weeks ago, that a measure covering the two impor- tant points--citizenship and the recognition of engineers as officers-- could be gotten through both houses of congress, but certain officers of the organization of engineers are evidently not satisfied with this vic- tory. In the senate a bill (S 1242), had been reported favorably from committee with the consent of Mr. Frye, whois chairman of the com- merce committee and a very influential member. Mr. Frye was not en- tirely satisfied with the course taken by the engineers, and if he saw fit he might have delayed, and probably have prevented altogether the pas- sage of the senate bill. He did not do so, but it was evident that there was danger of opposition from him in event of any attempt to change the bill after it was reported from the commerce committee. Notwith- standing this, representatives of the organization of engineers who are in Washington have secured the passage in the house of a bill that in- cludes certain features stricken out by the commerce committee of the senate. This has thrown the matter into conference, where Senator Frye's influence will be just as important as it was in the commerce comn- mittee of the senate. If he sees fit to prevent the passage of any kind of a bill on the subject he can probably do so, and this is why we say the engineers are taking chances in doing anything that may prompt oppo- sition from him. The Squire bill as reported from the commerce com- mittee of the senate was a great victory for the engineers. If there is no legislation on the subject in the present congress they can blame their own Officers for trying to get too much. ALTHOUGH SENATOR FRYz's bill for the establishment of a de- partment of commerce is favored generally by the shipping interests of the country, and in fact by all interests directly. interested in it except- ing the politicians, itis hardly probable that the measure will be voted upon or even fully discussed in the present congress, There are too many other matters of importance taking precedence, and this bij] any. how is deserving of careful consideration. The changes proposed by it are in the main similiar to those suggested during three or four years past. The department of commerce and manufactures as proposed is to have general jurisdiction over the foreign and internal commerce of the United States, except in so far as relates to the collection of the revenue and the administration of the customs and internal revenue laws, It shall also have jurisdiction over all matters relating to the manufactur. ing interests of the United States, including the extension of foreign markets for the same, and the increase of trade and facilities with foreign countries; and the secretary of commerce and manufactures shall haye and perform all the duties now incumbent upon the secretary of the treasury in relation tothe trade and commerce of the United States, | whether the same be upon land or water. The feature of the bill which is of special interest to vessel owners is that transferring the bureans of the treasury department known as the life-saving service, the light-house board, the marine hospital service, the bureau of steamboat inspection, the bureau of navigation, the United States coast and geodetic survey, together with the bureau of statistics from the department of the treasury to the new department of commerce and manufactures. Itis also pro- posed to transfer the state department bureau of statistics to the new de- partment and to consolidate it with the treasury department bureau of the same name, but provision is made to have the consular officers thus transferred report to and act under the direction of the secretary of state whenever they are required to act ina diplomatic capacity in matters not directly connected with the commercial interests of the country. VARIOUS newspapers have published a statement to the effect that experience with the Pittsburg & Shenango Railway Co.'s car ferry steam- ers between Conneaut, O., and Port Dover, Ont., have proven that winter navigation with car ferries on Lake Erie is impossible. If the owners of ° the car ferries themselves were consulted they would probably say that the service is entirely practicable and admit, at the same time, that the difficulties which they have met with have been due largely to their not. having put money enough into the vessels to secure the power and strength of hull and machinery that was required. It may be said also that the service was started without sufficient time and money being ap- plied to terminals and other parts of the system. ANOTHER important improvement is certain to follow the intro- duction of 400-foot ore carriers on the lakes. The immense open holds of these big vesssels offer special opportunities for the development of a machine for trimming the ore after it is dumped into the vessel from pockets in shipping docks at the upper lake ports. The labor cost of about 3 cents a ton which is paid for trimming is an important item, and then too there has been more or less trouble of late with this kind of labor. At least two of the big ship building companies are trying to work out the details of a machine for trimming ore, to be located per- manently in the vessel's hold, and it is quite probable that such a ma- chine will be ready for use before the coming season'is at an end. -- Ex-CONGRESSMAN H. W. SEYMOUR of Duluth is of the opinion that a tunnel under the Straits of Mackinaw would prove a valuable investment for the Michigan Central, Pennsylvania, D.S.S. & A. and other railways that might build up a big business with the northwest through such an enterprise. When it is considered, however, that the distance across' the Straits at the narrowest point is nearly four miles, Mr. Seymour's sug- gestion will probably not be met by a great deal of enthusiasm, especially as the business of the railways now crossing at this point is well cared for by two of the best car ferries in the world. REPRESENTATIVES of the Sailor's: Union on the lakes who tried to pass in the present congress bills for the better manning of lake vessels must have been very ignorant of conditions prevailing on these vessels. In the senate one of the bills was introduced by Mr. Cullom. A single report regarding it from the supervising inspector general of steam vessels showed so many inconsistencies that it was immediately reported adversely by the committee on commerce. GEN. CasEY, whose death was announced from Washington a few days ago, was known personally to leading members of the Lake Carriers' Association and to others interested in the most important government works on the lakes. As chief of army engineers, a position which he oc- cupied for many years, he was in charge of river and harbor work all over the country as well as on the lakes. He took great pride in the army engineer corps.and its work. NOTWITHSTANDING the present quietness regarding the Detroit river bridge, Gen. Craighill, chief of army engineers, is still quoted as saying that in his opinion the bridge bill will be passed. Gen. Craighill may have some inside information, but it would certainly seem that 4 power greater than that ever before brought out by even the railway cor- porations will be necessary to force this bill through the house. : }