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MARINE REVIEW. "14 A Letter from Mr. Geo. Uhler. Editor MARINE REVIEW: Iam somewhat surprised, and very much annoyed, to read in your issue of the 2ud inst an article that criticises very severely "the action lately of some of the officers of the association of engineers," in endeavoring to bring to a successful issue the question now before congress, looking to the definite establishment of the status of marine engineers, and that on account of these actions "the chances of passage of a law of this kind are being jeopardized." You then go on tosay: "If there is no legislation on the subject in the present congress they can blame their own officers for trying to get too much." For the life of me, I can not understand what you mean, and asI am the only. representative of this organization that has anything to do with this legislation at the present time, I would be obliged to youif you will en- lighten me as to what actions you refer, as you certainly must be in possession of some very strong evidence to justify such a sweeping asser- tion as you present inthe article that will be read by hundreds of our members on the lakes, and that has already been read by thousands to whom Iam personally known, and whose confidence in me will not be strengthened by your article. Iam already in receipt of telegrams from Chicago, New York and other points asking me what this means, andI am just this minute in receipt of a letter enclosing the clipping of the article from your paper, and asking me what I have to say, and in my present position I trust that you will appreciate my feelings, and enlighten me if possible, as to the object of the article, and the actions that justified its publication. The methods that have obtained in our efforts to have some favorable legisla- tion upon the measures that have presented themselves to congress for consideration in our behalf, have met with the hearty approval of all the members of the organization that I have the distinguished honor to represent, and I feel that they still have confidence in my ability to direct such legislation as may be necessary for our relief, but at the same time I must take decided exceptions to the tone of your article, to which I have referred, and I sincerely trust that you will give mesome good reason why you have published such a scathing rebuke to the officers of this organization. GO. UHLER, Office of the President, National President. National Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association, Philadelphia, Pa., April 16, 1896. Readers of the REVIEW will probably bear us out in saying that the article to which Mr. Uhler refers, and which appeared on page 12 of our last issue, contains " no scathing rebuke to the officers of the organization of marine engineers." An honest criticism of the manner in which the engineer measures now before congress have been handled was all that was. intended. We did not know that Mr. Uhler was the only represen- tative of the engineers who has to do with this legislation at present, and the statement that officers of the organization were over-zealous in trying to secure too much in the proposed engineer law was not directed to Mr. Uhler alone. The spirit of his letter would indicate, however, that he is of that opinion, and that he also suspects an attempt todo him a per- sonalinjury. Suchis not the case. From all that is known outside the association of engineers, Mr. Uhler is a capable and honest chief official of that organization. Butif we are of the opinion that a mistake has been made in Washington by anyone who happens to be in charge of legislation in which the whole country is interested, we see no objection to our saying so, especially if we have lent support to the main features of such legislation asin this case. With a full knowledge of all the conditions surrounding the bills that have been before both houses of congress, Mr. Uhler may be piloting this legislation on a safe course, but it would certainly seem that the passage of a billin the house that contains provisions not approved by the senate committee on commerce, thus creating a necessity for a conference committee, is incurring delay that is not desirable when the session is drawing to a close. Full Summary of River and Harbor Appropriations. A full summary of appropriations in the river and harbor bill per- taining to works on the lakes has been made from the bill as it passed the house of representatives on Monday last and is presented herewith. Only two other items pertaining to river and harbor work have been passed by the house. These arein the sundry civil appropriation bill. An appropriation of $500,000 is made in the sundry civil bill for the 2)- foot channel, and there is also an item in that bill providing $27,000 for surveys and for other work necessary in the printing and issuing of- charts by officers of the army engineer corps connected with the office of the late Gen. Poe in Detroit. The important feature of the present river and harbor bill is the num- ber of works that have been placed under the continuous contract system. Improvementsat Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo and several other points on the lakes will receive continuous appropriations in future. The bill carries in actual appropriations $19,330,560, and authorizes contracts for thirty- two new projects with a limit of cost of $51,721,210. It is not at all prob- able that the senate will cut down any of the appropriations, but some additions may be made to the bill in that body. Following are the items relating to works on the lakes: Lake Ontario--Charlotte, $12,000; Wilson, $5,000; Great Sodus Bay $3,000 ; Little Sodus Bay, $8,000; Ogdensburg, $20,000; Oswego, $60,000 ; Putneyville, $1,500 ; Cape Vincent, $25,000. Lake Erie--Buffalo, extending breakwater southerly to Stony Point, $35,000, with provision for continuous contracts involving $2,200,000; Dunkirk, $10,000, with provision for continuous contracts involving $398,258 ; Tonawanda and Niagara river to north line of village of North Tonawanda, $50,000 ; Erie, resurvey out of money heretofore appropri-_ ated; Ashtabula, $50,000, not less than $40,000 of which is for break- water; Lorain, $20,000, and survey for more extensive improvements ; Cleveland, $80,000, with provision for continuous contracts involving $1,354,000, and also survey with a view to determining advisability of changing present plan of breakwater, so as to extend eastern arm east- wardly in a general direction parallel with the shore; Fairport, $30,000, of which $20,000 is for breakwater ; Huron, $8,000 ; Port Clinton, $6,000; Sandusky, $40,000, and survey of bar at mouth of harbor with a view to securing permanent navigable channel next to Cedar point; Toledo, straight channel and harbor, $150,000; Vermillion, $4,000; Conneaut, $40,- 000, of which $20,000 is for breakwater ; Monroe, $5,000. Lake Huron--Sand Beach, $16,000 ; Alpena, $2,500. Lake Michigan--Michigan City, $80, 000 for outer and inner harbor ; Calumet harbor, Chicago, $75,000; Waukegan, $20,000; Charlevoix, $20,- 000; Frankfort, $15,000; Grand Heeen $20,000 ; Manistee, $12,000; Hol- land, $8,000 ; Muskegon, $30,000; Pentwater, $5,000 ; Benton Harbor canal, and harbor at St. Joseph, $80,000; South Haven, $15,000; White Lake, $5,000; Ludington, $20,000; Petoskey, $8,000; Saugatuck, $10,000; Me- nominee, $7,150; Cheboygan, $12,000; Ahnapee, $5,000; Green Bay, $25,- 000, of which $5,000 may be expended on Fox river; Kenosha, $24,000; Manitowoc, $24,500; Milwaukee, harbor of refuge, $20,000, with provision for continuing contracts involving $168,737.91; Milwaukee harbor, $7,000; Port Washington, $5,500; Racine, $27,000; Two Rivers, $5,000; Sheboy- gan, $26,000; Sturgeon Bay canal, harbor of refuge, $5,000; Oconto, $4,000 ; eeneanees $1,000; Sturgeon Bay and Lake Michigan ene canal, $30, 000; South Mitwvatikee: $5,000; Kewannee, $25,000. ace Superior--Ontonagon, '$10, 000; Portage lake, $25,000; Mar- quette, $24,000 ; Presque Isle point, near Marquette, harbor of refuge, $20,000; Ashland, $27,000; Duluth and Superior harbors, $50,000, of which $30,000 is for Duluth portion and $20,000 for Superior portion, with provision for continuing contracts involving $3,080,553; Grand Marais, Minn., $3,000 ; Agate Bay, $30,000; Grand Marais, Mich., harbor of refuge, $24, 000. Connecting rivers and rivers tributary to the lakes: Chicago river from its mouth to stock yards on south branch and Belmont avenue on north branch, $50,000, with provision for continuous contracts involving $650,000 for 16 feet navigation; Calumet river, Illinois, from mouth to forks, $50,000; Illinois river, $40,000 ; Illinois and Mississippi canal, $25,- 000, with provision for continuous contracts involving $5,710,960; Pine river, Michigan, $5,000; Black river, Michigan, $4,000; Black river at Port Huron, $4,000; Clinton river, Michigan, $10,000; Rouge river, Mich- igan, $5,000; Detroit river, shoals from Detroit to Lake Erie, $30,000; water communication across Keweenaw point, Michigan, $50,000, with provision for continuous contracts involving $1,065,000; St. Joseph river, Michigan, $50; Kalamazoo river, Michigan, Lake Michigan to Saugatuck, $5,000; Menominee river, Wisconsin and Michigan, $15,000; Belle river, Rate eae $5,000 ; Sebewaing river,Michigan, $5,000; Gagiear river, Mich- igan, $00,000, of ion $16,000 is to be expended ehore Bay City, and also provision for several surveys with a view to securing a channel 200 feet wide and 14 to 16 feet deep in navigable parts of the river; Niagara river, New York, from Tonawanda to Port Day, $15,000. A correspondent of the Army and Navy Journal pays a compliment in the last issue of that publication to Col. Jared Smith of the United States engineer corps, who is in charge of river and harbor works and the en- gineering portion of the light-house service at Cleveland and other points on Lake Erie. Hesays: "Col. Smith has saved and does save the gov- ernment thousands of dollars by his ceaseless care for and personal at- tention to the multifarious public works under his charge, making use of and inventing improved methods of construction for cribs, for piers, breakwaters, foundations for light-houses and beacons, and in the build- ing of light-houses and signals. Asa gentleman and citizen he has no peer. His gentle, patient courtesy, generous kindness, just and honor- able treatment, have won the respect, friendship, good will and gratitude of every person, whether business men or employes, who have had the good fortune to come in contact or transact business with him during his long, honorable and most useful army service." The charter of the steamer I. W. Nicholas to the Anchor Line at $1 per net ton, free of shortage and breakage, for carrying package freight, mostly flour, from the head of Lake Superior next season, is regard- ed as a fairly profitable transaction.