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--_--_ or Marine Busi Growth of U. S. Shipping O' JUNE 30, 1920, the shipping registered, enrolled, or licensed under the American flag, ac- cording to the oficial returns of the bureau of navigation, departraent of commerce, comprised 28,150 vessels of 16,350,000 gross tons. Final returns of smaller vessels built, lost, or abandoned will change slightly these figures one way or the other, but probably not to the extent of 100 vessels and 12,000 gross tons. Since Jan. 1, 1919, closely following the armistice of Nov. 11, 1918, American shipping in round num- hers has increased 5,000,000 gross tons, and during the fiscal year just ended the increase has been 3,400,000 gross tons, of which 3,100,000 gross tons are documented in the name of the gov- ernment of the United States, repre- sented by the shipping board. The ac- companying tabie shows the main fea- tures in the growth of American ship- ping since Jan. 1, 1918. The seagoing ships of 1000 gross tons or over by which the foreign trade and the more important branches of the coasting trade are conducted are separately stated. The striking feature is the growth of government. ownership through the shipping board, based on the large appropriations by congress for shipbuilding and operation to win the war. Such appropriations ceased with the fiscal year just ended, and further additions to the government's fleet will require sales from the prcsent govern- ment fleet to private owners, so that the tonnage under government owner- ship is virtually at its maximum. The last two columns in the table give the quarterly returns for all documented shipping of the United States, including the seagoing ships in the first four. columns. The number and tonnage of American documented merchant vessels on speci- fied dates is given in the table. The fleet of seagoing ships, each over ------------ ----=!"1 ness Statistics Condensed ee 1000 gross tons, aggregating 2839 of 10,846,102 gross tons, consists of 2065 steel steamers of 9,270,418 gross tons and 377 wooden steamers of (033,424 gross tons (the small number of large motor ships being included with the steamers), and 99 steel sail vessels or schooner barges of 186,330 gross tons and 298 wooden sail vessels or schooner barges of 455,930 gross tons. _ Seagoing vessels less than 1000 gross tons but over 500° gross tons not in- cluded in the table above number 565 ot 432,639 gross tons. Including these smaller vessels, American tonnage on June 30, 1920, was distributed as to trade as follows: Registered for the foreign trade, 2541 ships of 9,531,190 gross tons; enrolled for the coasting trade by sea, 863 ships of 1,747,551 gross tons. The years increase has been almost wholly in ships registered for foreign trade. Panama Canal Traffic Whole cargoes handled through the Panama canal during June, follow: ATLANTIC TO PACIFIC No. of cargoes Tons Fuel oll "0.5 oo. ee 8 68,547 (Oa ae ee eae ee 12 65,261 Structural, steels. ee 3 21,485 Petroleum: cas ose cee oe 2 - 17,205 Sulphur 23.3 ee 4 14,700 Sugar 650% eles vce eae eee ee Se 2 12,164 Phosphate. cc = ee ees re 1 5,858 Mixed: and': general..3. .<206 005 30s 63 219,530 Total: 5 oe os eee eee 95 424,750 PACIFIC TO ATLANTIC No. of cargoes Tons Nitrate: s.c7o. cove soe ee eee 19 113,004 WOU a ose vee caer aia eigse ae clare 5 35,434 Cold storage food products........ 3 22,483 RCC ee acs see ine ewer owe 3 18,200 TEumber: 220 ke eee nc ee ea eee 2 ce Diesel and gas -oll..s.0. scm 3. 34s 1 cae Buel: Os o3 ice sowie os ey oes nL git? Sligare 3 ei ew a eee ee ee ee ee i ae CONC ce oa ce sae cic cece s a ; ; CODDOl" = ee ee eget eee I 2,50 Mixed and general..........-.... 49 185,279 bale ae coer es a he wae et 86 409,671 se: SUMMARY FOR JUNE . Number of commercial vessels.........+2e++ 201 Registered net tonnage of above............ sual Total cargo handled (tonS).......-.ssee- 834, a Js without CargO.......cceeesees sees Renstered net tonnage of vessels without ae CATO" bees c se wen seecneesreesreresoes ¥ Seagoing and nonseagoing of 5 net tons and over, j board and oing of 1000 gross tons and over. Shipping I Pee vessels Private ownership bilais ee - Date Number Gross tons Number Gross tons -Num ; Sane 74 348, ee ee 5 413,631 1,036 3,268,069 26, Dei cece e. 608 2,305,015 1,055 3,351,841 a ne ee 9. 982 3,827,203 1,076 3.472.819 27,51 907, ee ee. vievine cass 1,083 4,251,788 se See se eee peneeeees ee 10 4,621,502 : AVS 500. Nees coe teense fee 10. ee 355 4'984,583 1,079 3,502,512 28,045 14,178,387 PP cece s css 1,805 6,307.88) | a ee ee 20 5,686,906 , SH VN;064 6 Sees cee mess m2 1465 5.940.742 1,119 3,648,018 28,338 15,239,288 i, Pei eie cc... 1,505 6,129,924 1,186 ee ee ee eee ee... sss es: 248,851 ; STA2,082 snes neers sce Apr. 1, 1990 en oo wc. 1'539 6'402.647 1,166 3,790,585 28,058 15,720,744 a ae 1,575 6,599,801 1,188 B85. at) ee ae... '801,53 : SOAR co eee July 1, ae Vere 6903128 1,209 3,942,974 228.150 a16,850.000 a Approximate, within about 100 vessels and+ 12,000 gross tons. July Lake Levels The United States lake survey re- ports the monthly mean stages of the Great Lakes for the month of July, 1920, as follows: Feet above mean sea level Lakes June July Superior eave ae leis! sheets eee en eae 602.75 602.94 Michigan-Huron .,.....0004. 580.86 581.03 St. Chait oo 575.42 575.63 Fie Wn A oiea eel dicie sek wn ene a 572.49 572.63 Ontarig Ue 245.56 245.70 Lake Superior is 9.19 foot higher than~last month, 0.40 foot higher than a year ago, 0.50 foot above the aver- age stage of July of the last 10 years, 0.88 foot below the high stage of July, 1876, and 1.46 feet above the low stage of July, 1879, Lakes} Michigan-Huron are 0.17 foot higher than last month, 0.31 foot tower than a year ago, 0.11 foot above the average stage of July of the last 10 years, 2.55 feet below the high stage of July,' 1876,..and 113 tee¢ above the low stage of July, 1896. During 'the last 10 vears the July level has averaged 0.1 foot higher than the June level, and 0.1 foot higher than the August level. lake Erie is~0.14 foot higher than last month,. 0.81 foot lower than a year ago, 0.19 -foot below the aver- age stage of July of the last 10 years, 178 feet below the high stage of July, 1876, and 1.17 feet above the low stage of July, 1895. During the last 10 years the July level has aver- aged 0.1 foot lower than the June level, and 0.2 foot higher than the August level. Lake Ontario is 0.14 foot higher than last month, 2.05 feet lower than a year ago, 1.15 feet below the aver- age stage of July of the last 10: years, 5.02 feet below the high stage of July, low stage of July, 1895. During the iast 10 years the July level has aver- aged 0.1 foot lower than the June level, and 0.3 foot higher than the August level. Lake Michigan Receipts of Iron Ore Receipts of ore at Lake Michigan ports for July were 2,257,193 gross tons, as shown in the following record by ports: Port Gross tons South Chicago, Was.) cece ecco cece cs 1,051,241 . East Jordan, oa SoU aoe tree Me 4a dee Boyne City, WOH PISS ae esa esr kak epee ee Milwaukee. ....-2-cccscscescaccccceccs wactee cc a Wid 230. e ee eec es eee or Gary, Ind. 2... ceccescccassccetseeces ; Wotal co so Sewsccces ce cee ewseaeses 2,257,193 1862, and 1.11 feet above the