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354 Grain Shortage The executive committee of the Lake Carriers' Association held a meeting in Cleveland on July 29 to consider the subject of grain short- age, which is one of the unsettled features of lake trade and has been a source of irritation to vessel own- ers for many years. Vessel owners have been compelled to guarantee the bill of lading, and if shortages in cargoes occurred they have had to pay for them out of their own pocket. During the present season these shortages have been numerous, rang- ing from 100 to 400 and even 600 bushels per cargo. With a freight rate as low as 3% cent, and handling charges amounting to % cent, it can readily be seen that the vessel has xothing left with which to pay for shortage. When one is carrying grain at a loss, it is certainly irksome to dig down into one's own pocket and pay anywhere from $100 to $500 for a shortage in grain which never was Vput aboard at alls Of course, when Over-runs occur the vessel gets the benefit of it, but it is no comfort to a vessel owner who has paid out good money for a shortage to know that some other vessel owner is getting a premium for an over-run. Shortages are more numerous than _ over-runs because the natural tendency is in that direction. The reason that has always been advanced by the grain shippers against any change in present prac- tice is that it will disturb the bank- ing arrangement in drawing against bill of lading. Whatever there may have been in this contention in the early days, vessel owners maintain that there is nothing in it now, as the trade is in very strong hands financially. Somé vessel owners argue that shortages should. be eliminated altogether, .and that the shipper should stand the natural waste inci- dent to his own business. Other vessel owners would be satisfied with a uniform bill of lading, fixing the maximum shortage at % bushel per 1,000 bushels. That is the flax bill of lading. Flax is the most slippery of all 'grains, and if a wastage of &% bushel per 1,000 bushels is a fair figure for that grain, it would be a very generous one for the. other grains. At the Cleveland meeting, Presi- dent Livingstone was instructed to take the matter up with the Canadian vessel owners and the line managers of Buffalo, and have them appoint a committee to confer with a similar committee from the Lake Carriers' THE MARINE REVIEW Association. The vessel owners an- nounce that they are not going to let the subject drop this time. Ore Shipments During July Ore shipments in July were 5,784,514 tons as against 5,502,367 tons for June, an increase of 282,147 tons. It was ex- pected that the increase .would be some- thing more than this but some of the docks, notably Superior, show a falling off. The movement in percentage is however creeping up. The movement to May 1 showed a decrease of 68 per cent from that for the corresponding period last year. On June 1 the move- ment represented a decrease of 47 per cent, on July 1, 30 per cent, and on Aug. 1, 29 per cent. The total move- ment to Aug. 1 was 15,408,630 tons as against 24,329,460 tons to Aug. 1 last year, a decrease of 8,920,830 tons. These figures should afford a pretty good index as to what the season's movement will be. If the movement for the remaining months of the year would equal that of last year, the total move- ment for the season would be 40,000,000 tons. However, each month this year with the exception of April, when only 269,686 tons were moved altogether, has been running from 2,500,000 to 3,500,000 tons less than the movement for the corresponding month last year, so that it may be fair to assume a proportion- ate decrease during the remaining months of the year, which would make the total season's movement work out in the neighborhood of 32,000,000 tons. It is likely, however, to be somewhat better than that though probably not a great deal. Furnace men have con- sistently stayed out of the market and do not manifest any disposition even now to place orders. Shippers have given up expecting a buying movement during the present month and do not look for much activity, even in Septem- ber. Following were the shipments by ports during July and up to Aug. 1, with cor- responding data for similar periods last year: July, uly, Port. TOTS ane Escanabars 20250 2 ee 858,696 664,721 Marquette (a 496,725 297,413 Ashland 7a ago Oee 2 754,329 533,744 DUPCHLON ke 2,396,064 1,956,911 Duluth eee 1,938,716 1,169,410 Pwo: Marbors a8) 3. 1;759,886 1,162,315 8,204,416 5,784,514 1914 decrease =......... : 2,419,902 To ae Te Voeaue: 1, Port. 913. 1914." EHscanabas a cae. 2 8 2; 659, 299. 1,740,741 Marquette. we 1,556,501 681,361 Ashland Pus MA eee a cos 2,264,031 1,416,825 SUPCHIOR oe ee, 7,073,413 5,690,413 Dilan ees Oe 5,934,664 2,949,286 IwWovsHerbors 0020. 2: 4,841,552 2,930,004 24,329,46 408, 1Ot4 cdeereasa yar c. et ar ieee 8,920,830 September, 1914 Commerce of Lake Superior During July 8,830,256 tons of freight were moved through the canals at Sault -Ste. Marie as against 8,588,081 tons dur- ing June, an increase of 242,175 tons. The movement of freight to Aug. 1 amounts to 25,680,973 tons as against 37,673,487. tons for the corresponding period last year, a decrease of 11,- 992,514 tons. Practically "all. ¢om- modities show a falling off, notably coal, ore and grain. Following is the comparative statement of freight moved to Aug. 1, 1914, with ee data for the preceding year: EAST BOUND. To Aug. 1, To Aug. 1, 1913. 1914. Copper, net tons....... 46,967 30,087 Grain. "bushels 250. i. 7 ae 30,118,693 Bldg. stone, net tons. 5,973 caer Plour, (barrels cece oe 3,878,131 3,795,812 Iron ore, net tons..... 23,320,802 14,739,927 Pig: iron, net fons... .. 2. 16,034 1575 Lumber, Mi it: B. M... 254,325 221,590 Wheat, bushels ........ 65,259,854 55,788,822 Unclass. frght., net tons 2090,844 131,070 Passengers, number 18,557 15,501 WEST BOUND. Coal, anthracite, net tons 1,425,554 1,133,532 Coal, bituminous, net tons 7,986,881 5,906,840 Ploure barrels 4... 363 7, Grain: "bushels * 5035044 400 ie Mfctd. iron, net tons... 182,728 130,541 Tron ore, net tons... Js. CREO SE es Salty barrels: 2 soe! Os: 335,136 403,331 Unclass. frght., net tons Pelee 1 510,233 Passengers, number ... 20,420 175501 SUMMARY OF TOTAL MOVEMENT. East bound, net tons... West bound, net tons.. 10,279,796 7,741,288 Ota Set laa 37,673,487 25,680,973 Vessel passages .. 3... 10,850 8,872 Registered tonnage . 27,040,841 19,798,790 Lake Erie Ore Receipts Out of a total movement of 5,784,- 514 tons of ore during July, 4,468,- 7&8 tons went to Lake Erie parts dis- 'tributed as follows: Port. July, 1914: Binal wae ek ae eee 432,794 UETOd Orme re a ie i Gee on 37,863 Gonneati kU eee ee 1,130,829 PASUita late a Cale es 1,063,381 WAIRDORE ie re 296,833 Cleveland. eee ee 1,011,372 MeO rari ey ee es ee 21727 PEIGOIN Ce eg aun 133, 016 Dan diiskya Pie alin, Chews see ee MUOLEdOR ies, en nee Rs 102,628 IDOL EOME ee ee er 9,415 More Colborne esi vo. 38,930 otal yee a 4,468,788 Personal James H. Mancor will on Sept. 1 resume his duties as principal sur- veyor for Lloyds with headquarters at New York and James French will on that date return to Glasgow as Principal surveyor. H. R. McClelland, of Middlesboro, will succeed James Montgomerie in the work of approv- ing plans at the New York office. Johnson & Verdin, Lewes, Del., have abandoned 'their efforts to raise light- ship No. 82 which sank off Point Abino, Lake Erie, in the great storm last No- vember. They report the vessel to be deeply imbedded in the sand. No bids will be invited. 27,393,691 17,939,685