The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

MARINE REVIEW. | 15 underwriters to join with us because to a certain extent we and they have interests in common and are working along the samelines. We may fairly say to them that the Lake Carriers' Association is the best friend they have. The channel improvements and the aids to naviga- tion, which we have secured, are working night and day during the season of navigation to prevent losses. So also are the rules and regu- lations which we have obtained so often in the interests of safe navi- gation. We have asked the underwriters to compare the record of Ballard's reef for 1896 with that of 1895, and to count the collisions in the Sault river since the new ronilations went into effect, and compare with those which prevailed in former seasons. We entertain no doubt of the success of this appeal. A number of the most prominent underwriters on the lakes have already written that they regard the matter favorably, and we may fairly expect their co-operation. In this event, the deficit for the year will be reduced to about $2,500. Your board of managers feels that it is altogether unlikely that the expenses of the association another year will be as great as they have been during the past year. They also feel that they can count upon quite a material increase in the tonnage of the association next season. An increase of at least 40,000 tons may be said to be in sight already, consisting as it does of new vessels being built by mem- bers now in the association, and of vessels already built and owned by members, but not yet put in commission. We do not think therefore, the deficit in the treasury for the year, large though it is, so very serious a matter as it might at first sight appear. OPERATIONS OF THE SHIPPING- OFFICES. Shipping-offices of the association have been maintained at Cleve- land, Chicago, South Chicago, Buffalo, Ashtabula, Toledo and Milwau- kee. The following condensed report taken from the annual report of Shipping-Master Runisey shows the number of men placed on board _ vessels at each of these points, as follows: But.on-board at, Cleveland 432 6 a0 ea 1,503 Sent from Cleveland to other ports.............. 75 'But-on: board at. Chicagos a2. ae oe ene 2,497 Sent from Chicago to other ports................ 486 Put on board at South Chicago.................. 2,739 : Putjon board at,b athe Ongena eee te ee 1,912 Futon: boardat Ashtabula. qidse st td ge 1,253 Sent from Ashtabula to other ports............... 40 Poton-boardiat Toledoti.j4352. 2"). sana eee 880 Put_on,boand-at Milwaukee: 2%. .2 ys. pe ae aed 453 rs Deitel sgt ies sies ast a aye ee 11,838 There have been no complaints received by the board of managers during the past year as to the operation of any of the shipping-offices. The board desires to call your attention to the very large number of men placed on board of vessels by these offices. There are undoubtedly members of the association who do not use the shpping-offices, but an examination of this report will convince them that these offices do a very extensive work for members, and that they are of great utility and value. The board thinks there can be no question that the opera- tion of these offices is not only of value to those who actually apply to them for men, but that the fact that they are in operation and stand ready to do their work makes them very valuable to all members of the association. The treasurer's report shows that about $9,500.00 per an- num of the association's funds are required to maintain and operate these shipping-offices. In other words it costs the asscciation about 80 cents for each man actually put on board a vessel by the shipping- masters. THE DETROIT BRIDGE BILL. In reviewing the operations of the association during the past year, the first place should be given toa brief account of the fight which the association has put up against the placing of obstructions in the Detroit river. Considerable has been said on this subject in the dis- cussion of the treasurer's report. It is perhaps sufficient to say now that a bridge bill was introduced in congress last winter for a railroad bridge across the Detroit river with two large piers in the channel. It was felt by the members of the association that the throat of the great commerce which moves on the great lakes should not be obstructed by bridge piers. At the present time there are no piers of any Kind in the navigable channel on the great lakes between Buffalo and Duluth and Chicago. The local conditions at Detroit in the way of smoke, shore lights, cross traffic, lecal passenger service, were all such as to make piers in the river opposite the city doubly objectionable - The last annual meeting determined that the Lake Carriers' Association ought to oppose the bridge with all its power. The counsel of the as- sociation undertook the fight, and he has put up a contest against great odds which should win for him the hearty thanks of every member of this organization. He has been at all times during the past year ready to drop his own private business to work for the association in this matter. No one, except the other officers of the assoiation, can know what an amount of time and work and thought he has devoted to this subject. As a result of his efforts, the bridge bill is dead so far as this congress is concerned, and it is the opinion of the best judges, that it will never be revived in anything like its present form, and that if so revived it will certainly be defeated. The thanks of the association in this matter are due not only to the counsel of the association, but to other members who have acted under his direction in opposing the bridge and have turned from their private affairs to assist our counsel in the task which he had undertaken. The presi- dent of the association has made repeated trips to Washington, and other members of the association have also worked hard in a variety of ways. REGULATING NAVIGATION IN THE ST, MARY'S RIVER. The last annual meeting had under consideration the adoption of a system of rules and regulations to govern vessels in the dangerous parts of the St. Mary's river, designed to diminish the number of acci- dents and collisions in that locality. A committee was appointed to act upon the subject and they subsequently went to Washington to take up the matter with the commissioner of navigation and the re- venue marine officers. A bill was passed through congress giving the secretary of the treasury power to prescribe rules and regulations for the navigation of the St. Mary's river, such rules and regulations when prescribed to have the force of law. A great deal of pains were taken in the drafting of the rules, and the matter of speed to be permitted in different localities was very carefully considered. At the opening of navigation the rules were put in force and have remained in force dur- ing the season. It was understood that the. rules were in some degree experimental, and the idea of those who framed them was to give them a fair trial and. amend them only so far as experience showed they could -- be improved. There is no doubt that these rules have been of great assistance in preventing accidents in the St. Mary's river. Whether the regulations are now perfect or not is a matter in which opinions will undoubtedly differ. The power to make the rules rests with the. secretary of the treasury, and he will undoubtedly be guided in the matter largely by the wishes of vessel owners and by the reports of the revenue officers, whose duty it is to enforce the regulations. During the early part a the season there were a great many violations of the regulations for which fines were imposed. Where it appeared that these violations had been technical or unintentional these fines were reduced to a nominal sum upon the understanding that there should be no repetition of the offense, and that the remission of fines could not be so easily obtained again. The rules stand as another one of the contributions which the Lake Carriers' Association has made to safe navigation on the great lakes and to the protection of prudence and care against recklessness and selfishness. AIDS TO NAVIGATION. The committee on aids to navigation during the past year has ob- tained some valuable lights which have been greatly appreciated by masters. In this connection your attention is especially called to the' fact that the Canadian government has established two gas buoys at Point au Pelee passage, which have given great satisfaction to vessel owners. The prompt response which the Canadian authorities made to the request of our American vessel owners for additional aids to navigation at this dangerous point on the Canadian side of the inter- national boundery line, where our government was powerless to pro- tect our vessels, deserves the thanks of the association. "With a com- paratively small tonnage on the great lakes and with a vast coast to light on the ocean and St. Lawrence river, where the Canadian ma- rine interests are large, the Canadian authorities needed little urging ' to induce a prompt response to our request for assistance on Lake Erie. This was a gracious act not to be forgotten. The association has also nuniber of new aids to 'aeiiion on the great lakes, and a number of the most important of these aids haye been placed by the secretary of '