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452 For many years past, efforts have been made in St. John, N. B., to secure the construction of a dry dock there. The Imperial Dry Dock Co. was incorpor- ated by the New Brunswick legislature, and subsidies were voted by legislature and by the city of St. John. The Dom- inion subsidy, under the dry docks' act already mentioned, was also available, but nothing has been done and the pro--- posal still remains a paper one. The Present Proposal. A proposition has been made to the Dominion government by the ocean ma- rine interests of Canada for the con- struction of dry docks and ship repair- ine plants at St. John, N. Band Le- vis, Que. Those forming the deputa- tion, which recently waited on the gov- ernment, are connected as owners. or managers with all the lines of ocean- going steamers trading to and from Ca- Wadian ports. Over a-dozen of-«the steamers in the lines represented are too larseé fo enter the existing docks. The deputation asked the government to recommend parliament to sanction the further amendment of the dry docks act so that a subsidy of 4 per cent on the capital cost of these two docks would be payable by the government for a space of 50 years. W. Dobell, Quebec, in outlining the proposition stated that dry docks as such did not as a rule pay, but in this case a provisional company had been formed with a capital of $1,- 000,000 subject to the 4 per cent subsidy for 50 years being given by the gov- ernment. The proposal was to establish docks at Levis and St. John, the dock at the former point to be 1,000 ft. long with a width of 104 ft, and the dock at the latter point to have a length of 800 ft., width 130 ft., and gate 100 ft. "The Leyis dock would cost, it was estimated, $3,500,000 and that at St. John $2,500/000, and three years would be occupied in their construction. An essential feature of the proposal was the purchase of the Davie dock at Levis, in order to provide accommo- dation during construction and then 'to take care of the smaiier vessels. The premier promised that. the mat- ter would receive the greatest consid- eration from the government. The Dry Dock Proposition. In connection with this matter it is of interest to note that an application will be made next session of the Domin- ion parliament for an act incorporating a company with the title of the Domin- ion Dry Dock & Ship Building Co. to carry on the business of ship builders, owners of dry docks and various other - allied businesses. The capital of the THe Marine REVIEW company is $1,000,000 and the offices are at Montreal, This dry dock proposition, while it has a bearing on the ship building propo- 'sition, is not directly connected with it. The ship owners are interested primarily in having facilities provided for the proper repair of their vessels. The ques- tion of establishing yards for the con- struction of ocean going steel vessels has also been before the country for some years. In 1901 the question was 'very much discussed in Nova Scotia, and in that year the Provincial legislature voted a subsidy of $100,000 payable to the first company establishing a yard in the province capable of building five steamers of a capacity of 5,000 tons . each, and providing that municipalities may, under certain conditions grant a bonus of a similar amount. Under a local act Halifax has power to give a 'bonus of $200,000, and Dartmouth took power to vote $100,000 for a yard: on Halifax harbor, while Sydney took power to give a subsidy of $250,000 to aid in starting a yard there. The general act also provides that iron or steel vessels built and registered in Nova Scotia shall be exempt from all taxation in the province. The only step that has 'been taken to earn any of these sub- sidies is the purchase. of a site at Dartmouth by a company of which Swan and Hunter are shareholders, and the holding. of it for use as a ship building yard. The Armstrong and the Furniss firms looked into the prospects of Can-: ada as a field for the establishment of branch yards about the same time, but they decided not to do anything. The principal feature which makes the situation different today from what it was then, is the fear of a descent of the German navy on the British coast and the consequent danger to the build- ing and repairing plants there; and the fact that Canada has in contemplation the building of a navy. tion of one or more yards in Canada will provide, not only a yard for the building of all the vessels needed for a-Canadian navy, but will form a place of repair for British vessels away from any point..o: danger im te event of hostilities an the North sea. The Swan and Hunter efirm has already an interest in the site of a yard in Halifax harbor, and as this firm has already done con- The construc- siderable work for the British navy, it | would appear to be the most likely firm to locate in Canada, and that Halifax will be selected as the site of the plant. On the other hand it is stated that Le- vis is a much more suitable point for a plant which will involve the construction of naval vessels. In connection with the establishment of a yard at this point November, 1909 the firm of Harland & Wolff, Belfast, Ireland, is mentioned. This firm has the general contract for the building and repair of all steamers of the va- rious lines of the International Mer- cantile Marine Co., and as the Dominion and the Dominion-White Star linés trade to Canadian ports, it is not at all unlikely that it would take steps to have a yard in Canada. The firm has never gone in for building men-of-war, prin- cipally on account of the lack of suit--- able dock facilities at Belfast, but in 1889 it built the torpedo depot ship Vulcan, and in 1898 the engines for the battleship Hannibal. Action of Government Uncertain. It is impossible to say what will be done, as everything depends upon the action of the government. If the 4 per cent subsidy for 50 years be voted it is almost certain that both dry docks and ship building yards will be gone on with, but if the subsidy is not given, or only in part, it is doubtful if the ship build- ing proposal will be gone on with at all. As Harland & Wolff could not un- dertake any contracts for men-of-war for the British navy, because the Alex- andra dock was not wide enough to per- mit their construction, so it is equally certain that the British ship building firms will not start yards in Canada un- less the most ample dry dock facilities are previously provided. Canada has been subsidizing the railway interests very heavily of recent years, and the ma- rine men are of opinion that they ought to receive the same generous aid to- wards building up their interests. CHICAGO NAUTICAL SCHOOL. The Chicago Nautical School, which has gained a merited place among the thriving schools of the west, announces the beginning of the fourteenth year of its work. This school was started in a modest way at the request of a num- ber of young men who were anxious to gain a better knowledge of principles of navigation and marine engineering and who could not leave their occupation to attend a_ regular college. From this small beginning the school has grown into a_ recognized factor in the educational schools for the teaching of practical -knowledge. The work is carried on either by correspondence or by personal instruc- tion as the student may elect,- and he is led along, step by step, over the very ground that his practice will lead him in his future work. The course in marine engineering i; @ndcre the charge of J. E. Sted- man, a Mafrifie engineer of years of practical experience on the lakes. the'