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12 MARINE REVIEW. DEVOTED TO LAKE MARINE AND KINDRED INTERESTS. Published every Thursday at No. 409 Perry-Payne building, Cleveland, Ohlo, by John M. Mulrooney and F. M. Barton. Supscriprrion--$2.00 per year inadyance. Single copies 10 cents each. Convenient binders sent, post paid, $1.00. Advertising rates on application. Entered at Cleveland Post Office as Second class Mail Matter. The books of the United States treasury department on June 30, 1896, contained the names of 3,333 vessels, of 1,324,067.58 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, 1896, was 383 and their aggregate gross tonnage 711,034.28; the number of vessels of this class owned in all other parts of the country on the same date was 315 and their tonnage 685,204.55, so that more than 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, 1896, was as follows: ; Gross Te lea BLGAINEV.CSSOINscseteeccccsrescceacccccstccssveabbsccsssessesscccesseere ' ,630. Sailing vessels and barges one 1,125 354,327.60 OATAMDOAUS tc ercrssseretrstecssensellas 416 45,109.47 ITO GA Se crest res trceegittsccstescossctticecssscceoe 3,333 1,324,067.58 The gross registered tonnage of the vessels built on the lakes during the past six years, according to the reports of the United States commissioner of navigation, is as follows: Year ending June 30. 1891 111,856 45 a os me 1892 98 ae + 45,968. " " " TOS ae 99,271.24 a 3 a 1804 os 41,984.61 " 6 " 1895 sit Osa 36,352.70 ve x st 1896...... . Case 108,782.38 Oem oe re eee a, 414,216.36 ST, MARY'S FALLS AND SUEZ CANAL TRAFFIC. (Mrom Oficial leports of Canal Officers.) St.Mary's Falls Canals. Suez Canal. 1896* 1895* 1894 1896 | 1895 | 1894 Number of vessel passages 18,615 17,956 14,491 Tonnage, net registered......|| 17,219,418] 16,806,781} 13,110,366 Days of navigation...... ....,. 232 231 234 3,409 8,560,284 365 3,434 8,302 8,448,383] 8,039,175 365 365 *1895 and 1896 figures include traffic of Canadian canal at Sault Ste. Marie. Although only the first signs of improvement in business condi- tions have appeared on the lakes it is quite evident from the tone of reports covering the iron industry in different parts of the country that long heads in the trade are hedging against a possible substantial advance all along the line within the next few months. Large west- ern consumers of iron and steel are evidently of the opinion that this is a good time to buy. The Iron Age in its latest review of the market says: "Very heavy contracts have been placed within the past two or three weeks for all kinds of material. Pig iron has been purchased for delivery far into next year, and contracts on more finished pro- ducts have been made which will run nearly as long. The very low prices now ruling have caused some heavy consumers to depart from their custom of buying at frequent intervals, into which they fell when values steadily declined for a long period, and their contracts have helped considerably to swell the aggregate of recent transactions. It is also noteworthy that manufacturing consumers who are not in immediate need of material have purchased large lots for early delivery, being induced by special rates made for prompt cash. The necessities of producers are demonstrated by these contracts. Notwithstanding the very low rates made, which are certainly as low as and probably lower than anything previously known in the same lines of trade, the sellers have been forced to agree to buyers' terms and extend deliveries far into the future. It must not be inferred from this that the pro- ducers are of the opinion that prices are permanently on the level now ruling. These prices are ruinously low, and if they were to continue for any length of time readjustments would be necessary in various items of cost and particularly in labor and freight rates on raw mater- lals. But existing conditions had to be met heroically, in the hope that the business thus taken would make a basis for future operations upon which could be built a better structure formed of smaller sales at more satisfactory prices. The buyers have their opportunity now, and those in position to take advantage of it are wisely arranging for cheap supplies for a long time to come."' A short time ago, the mayor of Virginia, Minn., wrote to Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller telling them of suffering among miners of the town and their families on account of large numbers of men being out of employment. Virginia is one of the towns in which the Rockefeller-Carnegie combination is interested in mines. As far as can be learned, no response was received from Mr. Rockefeller but Mr. Carnegie sent a check for $1,000. Accompanying the Giiecta was ----o ---- the following note from Mr. Carnegie's secretary: "T take pleasure in handing you the enclosed voucher and check for $1,000 in response to your request. Mr. Carnegie wishes me to say that he is very sorry to hear of the distress in your town. Hehas for years predicted this de. pression as the consequence of the agitation to lower the standard of value, and he believes there is no cause for the trouble other than the 'silver question."' Now the papers all through the mining region are heaping more abuse upon Mr, Carnegie than if he had entirely ignored the request, declaring that the combination in which he is interested is the sole cause of the trouble. There isno doubt of a very bitter feeling existing against both Mr. Carnegie and Mr. Rockefeller, the latter especially, in vessel owning circles as well as in the iron mining districts. The feeling against Mr. Rockefeller among some vessel owners is full as bitter as that which existed in the oil districts of Pennsylvania a few years ago. It is certain, however, that there is nothing to be gained by most of the newspaper articles that haye appeared within the past few weeks. They fall flat on account of gross misstatements. A line of argument backed up by a proper regard for facts might have a different effect. A clause in the new tariff bill is worthy of special attention from the shipping interests of the country. Under its provisions, if enacted as drafted, a duty of 35 per cent. will be imposed on all foreign vessels wrecked in American waters and sold here, before they can be admit- ted to American registry, this in addition to the required expenditure of 75 per cent. of the total value of the ship for repairs in an American yard. A copy of the 1896 report of the Buffalo Merchant's Exchange is at hand. 'This report, which is prepared by Mr. Wm. Thurston, sec- retary of the exchange, contains each year a great deal of matter that is of special value to any one interested in lake commerce. Mr. Thur- ston has occupied his present office since the organization of the first business association in Buffalo, the old board of trade, thirty-three years ago. It is gratifying to note that officials of the light-house board have of late given special attention to the needs of lake navigation. The naval secretary of the board, Commander Geo. F. F. Wilde, is about to make a hurried tour of the lakes, and it is expected that Capt. Schley, chairman of the board, will make a trip from Buffalo to Duluth and return during July. "The Military Value of the Ship Yard"' is the title of an able and interesting article by Lewis Nixon, the well-known ship builder of Elizbeth, N. J., in the North American Review for June. | Stocks of Grain at Lake Ports. The following table, prepared from reports of the Chicago board of trade, shows the stocks of wheat and corn in store in regular eleva- tors at the principal points of accumulation on the lakes, June 5, 1897: Wheat, bushels. Corn, bushels. @liCHOMMe pi ee ite ees 5,011,000 6,819,000 Dolmen ene SUE! Oo iB keh 2,608,000 8,000 Wittlivatk@en te ota ett ee etos ee. 155,000 3,000 WeteGituaee ro ert oe Ars 33,000 14,000 MGIC ORE asker ae ee eS 581,000 261,000 SU Okrae teen ccna ere 879,000 426,000 9,267,000 7,531,000 As compared with a week ago, the above figures show, at the sev- eral points named, a decrease of 908,000 bushels of wheat and an increase of 1,182,000 bushels of corn. A small circular representing excellent taste in color printing has just been received from the Peerless Rubber M'nfg. Co., 16 Warren street, New York. It is descriptive of the chief specialties of the com- pany--Rainbow, Honest John, Hercules and Peerless packings, and Kelipse Sectional Rainbow gaskets. Luce's "Seamanship" is a book that is specially suited to assist young officers of the naval reserve. It is being used by naval reserve organizations all over the country. It isa standard work, selling at $10, and will be mailed to any address at that figure by the Marine Review, 409 Perry-Payne building, Cleveland.