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MARINE REVIEW. | g Important Legislative Matters. At a meeting of the legislative committee of the Lake Carriers' Association in Buffalo, a few days ago, it was agreed that the association should take part in the work of the committee on the restoration of the American mercantile marine, and Messrs. F. J. Firth, chairman, H. D. Goulder and Charles H. Keep, were appointed to represent the association on such committee. This committee is made up of repre- sentatives of shipping associations and steamboat companies from all parts of the United States. It is being organized for the purpose of suggesting to congress the best method of assisting the mercantile marine, ' A resolution was also adopted to the effect that the Lake Carriers' Association favors the principal of the so-called Patterson bill, now pending in congress, being a bill to permit railroads under the super- vision of the interstate commerce commission to pool earnings, and Mr. E. T. Evans, who was elected chairman of the committee on legislation, vas authorized to appoint at any time a committee to represent the association in Washington in favor of that bill. The ultimate purpose of the Patterson bill is to secure stability of rates among rail carriers, and thereby to do away with the abuse of discrimination between different shippers. As the lake carriers have to compete with the rail carriers in very important lines of trade, it is considered that any: thing tending to secure reasonable and stable rates for the rail route would have a tendency in the same direction so far as competing water carriers are concerned. The bill providing for the licensing of officers and inspection of hulls of sailing vessels of 700 tons and over was laid aside without action. It was the opinion of those present that the Lake Carriers' Association was indifferent as to whether the government extended the inspection service, now confined to steam vessels, to sailing vessels or not, but that if it was extended to sailing vessels, they should be treated alike and the smaller sailing vessels inspected as well as the larger. It was suggested that the licensing of officers and the inspec- tion of hulls was designed not only to protect the lives of those on board such vessel, but also to secure the safety of other vessels navigat- ing the same waters, and that there was now more danger to the larger class of lake vessels from small sailing craft than from the -- larger class of sailing vessels and tow barges. The larger vessels are generally seaworthy and officered by competent men, but the little hookers and fishing vessels are often unseaworthy, and improp- erly officered and thereby become a menace to other craft. | The secretary was directed to confer with Senator Davis of Minne- sota, who has given notice that he will seek to amend the sundry civil bill by inserting therein an appropriation for a survey and esti- mate on the deep water project from Lake Erie to the seaboard, and to endeavor to have Senator Davis incorporate within the scope of his amendment a report, survey and estimate on the project of increasing the navigable depth of water in Lake Erie, and in the lower Detroit river, by a dam at or near the head of the Niagara river. Improvements in the Big Steel Barges. West Superior, Wis., Feb. 16.--As a result of experience gained in the construction of a large number of steel vessels, the members of the firm of Pickands, Mather & Co., as well as Mr. A. B. Wolvin, _ who is interested in the big steel barge building here for the Interlake $s Co., are at all times taking advantage of improvements that are sug- gested in the operation of vessels of this kind. They are introducing some new features in this barge, and it can be said also that Capt. Mc- _ Dougall is sparing no effort to make the vessel as complete, both as regards workmanship and equipment, as any vessel on the lakes. Then, too, there is a spirit of rivalry involved in the fact that a simi- lar vessel, to be built by F. W. Wheeler & Co. for the Bessemer Steamship Co., will undoubtedly be provided with everything that may be regarded necessary by the builders to make her complete. In the construction of the Bay City boat, Robert Logan, naval architect of Cleveland, is representing the owners, and he has also advised the owners of the barge that is being built here, but their direct representa- tive at the ship yard is Robert Curr, who has been connected with Cleveland ship yards. -"T am satisfied," Mr. Curr said today, "that any expert can go through this vessel after she is completed and he will find every riveted connection perfect. The same may be said of everything per- taining to the workmanship. In fact, I have never seen better work done anywhere. For some time past the tendency with steel vessels on the lakes has been to have everything of steel. First steel deck houses replaced wooden houses. Then forecastle decks were made of steel, and now in this vessel we have another departure in the intro- duction of steel ceiling, instead of the regulation pine and oak, and also in the introduction of steel spars." It is understood that the barge building at West Bay City will also have steel spars and steel ceiling, the latter of which represents quite an important item of cost. These are the first American freight vessels on the lakes to be fitted with steel spars. The Northern line passenger steamers have them and also two or three of the Canadian vessels built on the other side, but the supply of oak for spars has thus far been so liberal in this country that it has not been thought necessary to make them of steel. The wooden spars would be cheaper even now, but the drift towards all steel vessels is causing owners to take to the steel. Another improvement in the Interlake Co.'s barge will be the adoption of special deck engines for handling wire mooring lines, which will be used instead of manilla hawsers. This will do away with capstans amidships, and one of these machines, under another arrangement, will fulfill the duty of an ordinary deck hoister in hand- ling sail lines. The Minnesota company's steamer Matoa is in the barge company's dry dock hard and fast. On account of severe weather here, repairs in the dry dock stop early in January, so that the last boat generally stays in the dock until the ice goes out in the spring. The dock is filled with water and allowed to freeze. By doing this the ice on the outside of the dock is prevented from pushing in the sides. The com- pany has had quite a few extensive repair jobs and will have more to do before the fleet leaves in the spring. The work of lengthening and otherwise improving the syinleoaee steamer Joseph L. Colby and her consorts, barges 201 and 202, which were brought. to the lakes from the Atlantic coast last summer, is about finished. The Colby will have when finished a new tank top, half an inch thick. The work on the barges, which have been length- ened 61 feet 4 inches, is of a creditable kind. The vessels were hauled out lengthwise ona slip toa height of 4 feet, so that the men could work under their bottoms. Senator Frye and the Shipping Interests. _ Washington, D. C,, Feb. 17.--Since it has been announced that Senator Sherman will go into the cabinet of President-elect McKinley, representatives of the shipping interests of the country have been won- dering whether Senator Frye would naturally succeed to the chairman- ship of the senate committee on foreign relations. This wouldinyvolve -a surrender, on the part of Senator Frye, of the position of chairman of the senate committee on commerce, and isa matter of moment to the shipping interests, as Senator Frye is the most influential man in con- gress on maritime subjects, as well as the most widely informed, and in the senate almost the only man to push legislation on these sub- jects. Other members of the commerce committee, from whom a chair- - man would be chosen in event of a change in March next, are John P. ~ Jones of Nevada, Matthew S. Quay of Pennsylvania, James McMillan « of Michigan, Watson C. Squire of Washington, Stephen B, Elkins of - West Virginia, Knute Beles of Minnesota and George W. McBride » _of Oregon. ~ But it is hoped, on account of Senator Frye' s devotion to maritime - interests, that he willretainhis present position on the commerce com- mittee, and your correspondent is, in fact, reliably informed that he has practically decided to do so, and that Senator Davis of Minnesota will - probably be the chairman of the committee on foreign affairs. Had -- Senator Frye reached a different conclusion it is quite probable that Senator MeMillan of Michigan would have been chairman of the com- mittee on commerce. As matters stand, with Senator Frye as chair- man, and Senator McMillan representing the lake interests, and Sena- -- tor White representing the interests of the Pacific coast, the commit- tee' will continue to remain one of the strongest in the senate. In the light-house board there are rumors of big changes that may, -- contrary to expectations, take place before the new administration ~ comes into power. The retirement of the chairman of the board, Ad- miral Walker, is not due until about March 20, but there has been some talk of his retiring at an earlier date, in order to admit of the pr egeht-administration appointing his successor and also making other changes in the board. Ae Si aa