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30 M A R | N E TUG FIREMEN & LINEMEN'S ASSOCIATION Both business and pleasure were features of the conven- tion held at the New Gruener hotel, Buffalo, from Jan. 16 to Jan. 25 by the delegates of the Tug Firemen & Linemen's Protective association. Among the visitors at the meeting was Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor. Mr. Gompers, in addressing the delegates, spoke of the progress of organized labor. His address was enthusiasti- cally received. D. J. Keefe of Detroit, president of the In- ternational! Longshoremen's association, also took part in the deliberations of the convention. According to the delegates, the Tug Firemen & Linemen's association is in a flourishing condition. It is said that fully qs per cent of the tug firemen of the great lakes are included in the organization. While the terms cf the annual wage agreement was not the subject of the conference, the question was uppermost in the minds of the delegates. From the expressions made by some of the members, no trouble was anticipated in the matter of coming to a satisfactory agreement with tug owners. In fact Rob Vo ee wage contracts will be signed. Previous to this joint con- ference, delegates from all the lodges of the union will meet and formulate the demands to be made. OBITUARY Great sorrow is expressed along the whole chain of great lakes over the untimely death of Capt. Charles M. 'Davis, wrecking master for David Vance & Co. of Milwaukee. Capt. Davis was found dead in the hold of the steamer Roman at the Illinois Steel Co.'s docks at Milwaukee on Friday night last. He had lain dead in the hold of the boat nearly al! day before his body was discovered. He had started to make an examination of the steamer Roman early Friday morning and had fallen through an open hatch. He was all alone at the time of the accident and not until his family had become 'anxious because he had not come home to dinner was a search instituted for him. He was found by his son, Francis C. Davis, who was accompanied by Carl Joys and Benjamin R. Rogers. In addition to his duties as a wrecking master Capt. Davis was an inspector for Inland Lloyd's Register and GROUP PICTURE OF DELEGATES AT CONVENTION OF TUG FIREMEN AND LINEMEN'S ASSOCIATION IN BUFFALO, Bottom row, reading from left to right, are :--John J. Joyce, Buffalo; Cornelius Wild, Buffalo; Archie Valiquet, Chicago; Daniel J. Keefe, Detroit; Edward Doyle, Cleveland; John J. Burke, Sault Ste. Marie; Gerst Jordan, Sault Ste. Marie. Middle row, reading from left to right :--Frank Isabel, Sturgeon Bay, Wis.; George Fowler. Sault Ste. Marie; T. E. Riley, Buffalo; Otto Becker, Ashtabula: Daniel\Cotter, Buffalo; Thomas McNaugh, Cleveland ; Max Etsel, Milwaukee; John Finan, Chicago; Frank Winterholder, Chicago; J. Taylor, Toledo. ' Top row, reading from left to right :--William D. Riggs, Port Huron; George Smith, Toledo; Ab. Elliott, Duluth; George Bruce, Ashland; Michael Goakley, Duluth; Anthony Weber, Lorain; George Meener, Iwo Rivers, Wis. the relations between employer and employe are said to be perfectly amicable. At the close of the final session the following officers were elected for the ensuing year: Grand president, John Bourke of Sault Ste. Marie; grand vice president, Max Etzel of Milwaukee; grand secretary and treasurer, M. Glockle of Duluth; assistant grand secretary and treasurer, Daniel Cotter of Buffalo. Mr. Bourke, who succeeded Arch. Valiquet as grand president, was formerly grand secretary and treasurer. In that office he looked after the affairs of the organization well and it was in recognition of his services that he was promoted to the head of the union. It is expected that the members of the association will confer with the tug owners some time next month, when it was while he was engaged in work for this company that he met his death. It is surmised that in trying to make the inspection of the Roman complete he had tried to open a hatchway and slipping had falten into the hold pulling the cover with him. Capt. Davis was 69 years old and had been identified with lake trade for more than forty years. He sailed the great lakes for a number of years, his last steamer being the Roswell P. Flower. Capt. Davis' career as a wreck- ing' master was notable. His most famous exploit was un- doubtedly the bringing down of the crippled steamer John T. Hutchinson with a cargo of 190,000 bu. of flax seed. The Hutchinson ran on a rock a little west of Eagle River and literally tore her bottom along the starboard side from stem to stern. Capt. Davis, after making an examination of the