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been handled in a manner thoroughly satisfactory. MARINE REVIEW. 1" tive of its position in the vessels, or of the kind and condition of the cargo, or of the character of the vessel in which it was carried. It is always desirable to remind the members of this association of the benefits they receive from the various improvements and reforms which it has instituted. There are always some members who are too ready to forget these benefits and it is for them that your board of mana- gers has caused to be prepared an estimate showing the operations of the grain shovelling contract for 1896 in Buffalo, and showing as closely as. _can be estimated the actual saving which this contract has effected _for. vessel owners. There was receivedat Buffalo of grain and flax seed in the season of 1896, excluding grain received at Black Rock, and not shovelled under our contract, 164,000,000 bushels, on which the shovelling charges prior to the the season of 1895 were $3.50 per thousand for sailing vessels; $4.00 per thousand for single-deck steamers and the lower hold of steamers having two decks; $4.50 per thousand when steam shovels were used, and for hand shovelling on all grain between decks and in fantails, $10.00 per thousand when the grain was heated or otherwise damaged, and anywhere from $6.00 to $10.00 per thousand, when a vessel unloaded at two or more elevators,on the quantity that was discharged at the last elevator. Under the operation of the contract for the season of 1896, there has been a saving of 25 cents per thousand on 114,000,000 bushels in the lower hold of steamers. This amounts to $28,500, which is considerably in excess of entire sum collected from vessel owners by the Lake Carriers' Association during the year 1896. On the cargo of steamers between decks, amounting fo 20,000,000 bushels, there has been saved an additional $20,000. On 15,000,000 bushels damaged and hot grain there has been saved $97,500; a total of $146,000.00 saved during the season of 1896 by the operations of the contract system, without taking into account the extra charge under the old system for remnants--that is to say, the grain left in vessels on arriving at asecond elevator--and without taking into account a great saving of time, which to the vessel owner is the same as money. It is the judgment of those who have carefully watched the operations of the grain shovelling contract at Butfalo during the past year, that an unprecedented quantity of grain. has The increase in the amount of grain which has arrived at Buffalo this year over any previous year has been so large that at times, when largenumbers of vessels were bunched at the port, some little delay was inevitable, but the business has been handled with great dispatch. Masters of vessels will unquestionably testify that the contractor has been zealous and accommodating, and that de- lays in unloading grain cargoes have been much less than might have been expected from the unusual conditions prevailing at that port. FUELING AT BUFFALO. Your board also desires to call your attention to the fact that while the question of the price of fuel at Buffalo has not been as burning a 'problem in 1896 as it was in 1895, the saving of money to the members of the association did not stop when the agitation of this question stopped a year ago. The fight that was made in 1895 against over: charge for fuel in Buffalo has done its work during the season of 1896. In quality and price the fuel furnished steamers in Buffalo this season has been satisfactory, if the absence of complaints can be taken as evi- dence of that fact. We estimate that vessel owners have saved 40 cents per ton on 200,000 tons of fuel taken on board at Buffalo, a Won) saving of $80,000.00. Tt is well also to note the fact that the reductions in ore trimming charges, which were obtained two years ago by negotiation between committees of the association and the parties doing the trimming at the various ports, have continued during the season. of 1896, and the very large saving which was obtained in previous years has continued during the past year. It will undoubtedly be the pleasure of the asso- ciation at its annual meeting to appoint committees as in former years to take up the question of grain shovelling at Buffalo and ore trimming at the various ore shipping ports, so that these very important ques- tions, in which all vessel owners are concerned, may be dealt with gystematically and for the benefit of all. MISCELLANEOUS. Among less important things which have been accomplished dur- ing the past year, but which mean something in convenience and saving of time to our members, is the appointment by the United States government of deputy collectors of customs who issue.clearances to vessels at the Masabi dock, Duluth, thus making it unnecessary for captains to go to the custom house at Duluth, to get their oan papers. DEATH OF PROMINENT MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION. In conclusion it is the sad duty of your board of managers to report that during the past year the association has suffered grievous losses in the deaths of anumber of it most --prominent members. Washington Bullard, William §. Mack, John Rice, E. M. Peck, James Pickands, H. J. Webb, and Conrad Starke have all died since the last annual meeting. Of these Conrad Starke had been a member of the association for two or three years before his death, though he never took any active part in its affairs. Col. Pickands and-H. J. Webb seldom attended meetings of the association in person, but the large tonnage which they represented has always been enrolled upon: our books, and their associates in the management of this tonnage have always been our staunch friends. They were progressive and publie-spirited men and always ready to do their share in any con- certed movement on the part of vessel owners to improve their service to the public, or the conditions under which business was transacted. Capt. Peck had been a member of the association since it was organized. He took an active interest in all its operations, always attended its annual meetings, on several occasions served actively on its committees, and might have been the president of the organization had he not felt that his age was a bar to his acceptance of that office. Mr. Washington Bullard, the manager of the Union Steamboat Com- pany fleet, spent a life time in the vessel business, and was one of the or- iginal organizers of the Lake Carriers' Association. Until two or three years ago, when his health became broken, Mr. Bullard was one of the most active participants in the business of the association. At one time he was prominently mentioned for the presidency of the organization, but withdrew his name from consideration as his health - would not permit him to serve. It is hardly necessary to speak of the services of Capt. Rice and Capt. Mack to the Lake Carriers' Association. The members of the association who are in attendance at the annual meeting will miss their presence on the floor, and will feel the want of their valuable leadership in various- matters which will come up for discussion. Both kept themselves' 'thoroughly informed in all matters dealt with by the board of managers, and no two members of the association served oftener on the active sub-committees which transact the most important business of the association than Capt. Mack and Capt. Rice. The death in one year of so many.of our prominent members i isa very serious blow to the association, and some fitting expression of our sorrow will doubtless be given ibe ae members of the aeson ai who are in attendance. Respectfully submitted on behalf of the board of managers by... =D nelle Brown, President. "Charles H. Keep, Secretary. ANNUAL REPORT OF GEO. P. McKAY, TREASURER, IN ACCOUNT WITH THE LAKE CARRIERS': AS- SOCIATION, COVERING THE he ee YEAR END- ING JAN. 4, 1897. RECEIPTS. From balance on hand jaa 7, 1896, as per former cenexen anes ts 594. 81 Loan from Union National Bank of Cleveland--- $1, 500 00, «sc ce «e ce ce pres 1,000 oO A rem f 2,500 00 For private lighting-----------.--------------- i. eo eS Tontage dues, 1895-2-----2 =e gee eer ale ee ie; 384 84 ce TENA Bg de ee eee Bee 20,328 96 Lotal receipts. 422-2 oe ee $23,99E 31 DISBURSEMENTS Salaries for 1896, secretary ------ -------- z $1,200 00 treasurer 22-2 ---2--_-=--- "¢ = 700,00 attorney ---------------- 1,100 00 $3,000 00 Incidentals, secretary's office ------------ $ 48 33 {TPASULCLS 9 oe, eee eee 25 19 $ 73 52