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22 WATER BALLAST SPACE. Senator Frye has introduced in the senate and Mr. Greene, of Massachu- setts, in the house, a bill' providing for a deduction of hatchways and water ballast space from the gross tonnage of vessels. The bill provides that: "The cubical contents of the hatch- ways shall be obtained by multiplying the length and breadth together and the product by the mean depth taken from the top of beam to the under side of the hatch. From the aggre- gate tonnage of the hatchways there shall 'be deducted one-half of one per cent of the gross tonnage and the re- mainder only shall be added to the _DEDUCTING gross tonnage of the ship exclusive . of the tonnage of the hatchways. "Sec, 2, That said section is further amended by inserting at the end of the fourth paragraph (i) the following words: : "'From the gross tonnage there shall be deducted any other space adapted only for water ballast certified by the collector not to be available for the carriage of cargo, stores, supplies, or fuel Ship construction has undergone some radical changes during the past ten years and the amendments are merely to conform jto modern condi- tions. For instance, Sir Raylton Dix- on & Co. are building in Great Brit- ain a type of turret ship with wing water ballast tanks. The Fore River Shipbuilding Co. are building in this country also ships that carry water ballast in wing tanks in the upper part of the ship in order to increase sta- bility when traveling light. The com- mittee on merchant marine, in recom- mending the passage of the bill, says: "The purpose of the bill is to bring the laws of the United States relating to the measurement of vessels into more close accord with the laws of maritime nations generally, and it is in the line of the act of March 2Z, 1895, to which it is an amendment. Since that time Great Britain, Ger- many, Norway, and other maritime nations have adopted the rules pro- posed for the measurement of hatch- ways and water-ballast spaces conse- quent on improvements in marine construction, "The first section of the bill provides -a method for the measurement of hatchways. In modern. steamers hatch coamings often stand 12 inches or more above the ship's deck, and at times hatch openings are 16 ft. square or even more. Heavy steel beams cross athwartship these hatch = TAE Marine. REVIEW openings, and fore and aft are shorter steel beams to sustain the hatch covers. As a result of this modern arrangement, a considerable part of the hatches is not available for carry- ing cargo. Though properly included in the gross tonnage of the ship, such spaces should be deducted in determ- ining the net tonnage of the ship available for carrying cargo or pas- sengers. The rule proposed for meas- uring hatchways is the rule now in general use elsewhere. "The second part of the bill is de signed to meet a recent improvement in ship construction. Since 1895 the double bottom of a ship in which wa- ter ballast is carried is not included in the tonnage. The whaleback was the earliest type of vessel adapted for carrying bulk cargoes such as coal, ore, or grain in which the hold could be completely filled without trimming by hand. To secure this object the upper corners of each hold, so to With the increase in the size of this type of vesel in order to secure great- er stability when the vessel was without cargo, it was necessary to add water ballast on the upper part of the vessel. Triangular water-bal- last tanks were accordingly added to the exterior of the hull. In the con- struction of the past few years these triangular water-ballast tanks have been closed within the main structure of the hull, thus adding to strength as well as stability. While properly included in the gross tonnage such spaces should not, of course, be in- cluded in the net tonnage... The de- partment recommends the passage of the ill." CANADIAN COASTING REGULA- TIONS. The text of the order-in-council passed by the Canadian government on Dec. 1/7,.is as. follows: "Whereas, by an_ order-in-council dated Jan. 13, 1908; it is provided that certain orders-in-council by which ships and vessels of certain foreign countries had been admitted to the coasting trade of Canada, are repealed, on, from and after Jan. 1, 1909. And whereas applications have been made to allow the ships and: vessels of certain foreign countries to partici- pate in such coasting trade to a lim- ited extent and for a temporary peri- od, pending the acquisition of suita- ble British ships, to which class of vessels under the provisions of the order the coasting trade would on and after the said date be confined; therefore the governor general in ships or vessels of any foreign coun- 1909; and thereafter such ships and speak, were dispensed with. council is pleased to order that the said order-in-council of Jan. 13, 190g shall be and the same is hereby re. voked and the following provisions -- substituted for the provisions therein contained. "All orders in council admitting try to the coasting trade of Canada shall be and the same are hereby re voked on, from and after Jan, 1 vessels shall be subject to the pro. visions of Secs. 952 to 957 of the Canadian shipping act, both inclusive; provided that steamships of not less than 1,500 tons gross each, of the following countries, namely, Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Austro-Hungary, Denmark, -- Belgium, the Argentine Republic and Japan, shall be admitted to the coast- ing trade of Canada in the carrying of goods and passengers coastwise between any port in Nova Scotia and any port in Quebec, and vice versa, on the same terms and condi- tions as are applicable to Canadian vessels, atitil Dec: 31, 1911." SHIP YARD WAGES IN THE EAST AND ON THE PA- CIFIC. COAST. The United Metal Trades Associa- tion, Seattle, has compiled a set of comparative statistics showing the wages paid in the ship yards of Penn- sylvania and those in California. Blacksmiths' wages are given as 29.12 cents per hour in Pennsylvania and 39.04 cents in California; the aver- age number of hours worked per week are 56.10 in Pennsylvania and 53.78 in California. Boiler makers' wages are 25.15 and 48.06 cents in Pennsylvania and California 'respect- ively and the number of hours per week are 56.18 and 54. Machinists' wages in Pennsylvania yards are 26.20 cents and in California 38.90; the respective number of hours worked per week are 56.17 and 54. Ship carpenters receive 31.29 cents in Pennsylvania and 48.01 cents in California, the respective hours pef week being 55,10 and 52.87. Joiners receive 28.69 cents in the eastern state and 46.85 cents on the Pacific coast, while the number of hours pef week are 56 in the east and 53.49 in the west. Riggers are paid 20.36 cents in Pennsylvania and 41.20 cents in California; the: number of hours per week are 56:21 and 52.13 respec: tively. Laborers receive 14.43 cents per hour in Pennsylvania and 23.18 cents in California, while their re- spective hours worked per week are