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February, 1917 ably the cheapest power carriers for bulk freight. Our growing merchant marine is another new tool that we did not have before the war. “The creation of the shipping board provides definite government support for the merchant marine and assures its use in the general interest of the commerce of the land. For the first time there will be an organization charged with the duty of so develop- ing and administering our shipping that it shall be effective for American commerce. The government appears in this as in the tariff commission and the federal reserve board as the friend and ally, not as the foe and competitor of private interests. It keeps in mind that’ our commerce as a whole is greater than any part of that commerce, and that the merchant marine is charged with a supreme public interest toward the whole of American commerce, which is of greater value to the nation than its own immediate advantage or _ gain. Our marine ought to gain, but to gain by service and by service to the whole, not to a part.’ doin west +p Urges Lai'Harbors Two resolutions touching on conditions on the Great Lakes were introduced at the recent river and harbor congress in Washington by James Bardon, of the Superior, Wis., chamber of commerce. The meeting was the thirteenth an- nual convention of the congress which has as its purpose the promotion and cheapening of water transportation. The resolutions introduced by Mr. Bardon and which together with the other reports were referred to a com- mittee which will incorporate the spirit of them in their report, follow: “Resolved that in addition to im- proving rivers and harbors for commer- cial purposes the United States govern- ment shall also. select, prepare and im- prove on the Great Lakes and on the ocean waters what may be termed har- bors of refuge for safety along the routes of water travel and especially for naval stations where vessels of war may not only find shelter but may drill and maneuver. Such harbors to be selected where the natural conditions are most favorable and to be equipped with necessary buoys, lights, telegraph and wireless stations and connections as well as with docking and supply stations, and with approaches by land highways where conditions permit. “On Lake Superior one or more such refuge harbors may be prepared with moderate expense in the Apostle islands, at Isle Royale, Keweenaw Point and other places eastward of said point. “Resolved, that this convention re- gards with much interest and satisfac- tion the work of the Canadian govern- ment in enlarging the capacity of the Welland canal and in its contemplated improvement of the St. Lawrence river above Montreal; and the hope is ex- pressed that a way may be found whereby the United States government may be enabled to co-operate in this great un- dertaking and thereby speed the day when the Great Lakes will be opened to ocean vessels.” Inspectors Erred After reviewing testimony presented at the trial of Capt. George H. Banker, Cleveland, before the United States local inspectors of steam vessels at Marquette, Capt. C. H. Westcott, supervising in- spector of the eighth district, held re- cently that the local inspectors were in error in ordering a suspension of Capt. Banker’s license for ten days, from Sept. 10. The verdict followed investi- gation of the collision between the steamers P. A. B: Winener and J. E. Upson in Hay lake May 10. Capt. W. W. Dawley was master of Upson and Capt. Banker of WupENER. The decision of the local inspectors in Marquette in suspending for five months from Dec. 5 the license of - Charles F. Bowen, second officer of the steamer WiLLIAM NotrriINGHAM, was sus- tained by Capt. Westcott. The penalty was imposed following investigation of the collision between NorrrncHAm and W. Grant Morven in the fog off White Fish point July 27. Bowen, as mate, was in charge of NorrincHAm. In their decision the Marquette inspectors held that .the licensed officer in charge of Morven, a Canadian ship, also was to some degree responsible for the collision by navigating at immoderate speed. About Life Buoys George Uhler, United States super- vising inspector general of the steam- boat inspection service, has directed at- tention to the latest rulings of the bureau relative to life buoys on steamships, in the following circular letter: “Owing to the fact that the require- ments and specifications for the con- struction and inspection of ring life buoys were not issued until about May 1, 1916, and that some buoys were manufactured and shipped subsequent to the formulation of the rule governing their construction, which were not ex- actly in accordance with the requirc- ments and specifications of the rule, the bureau now decides that all life buoys which were manufactured and shipped prior to July 1, 1916, may be accepted as conforming to the requirements. “All ring buoys which have been man- ufactured since July 1, 1916, must be in strict accordance with the rule govern- THE MARINE REVIEW | 77 ing their construction, and must: have been inspected by an inspector.. of this service, and no such buoy manufactured or shipped since July 1, 1916, will be ac- cepted, except it meets the requirements of the rules and regulations, as incor- porated in the rules now in force. “Manufacturers of ring life buoys will notify the local inspectors of the dis- trict in which the factory is situated whenever they have ring life buoys ready for inspection, and upon. the re- ceipt of such notice an inspector will inspect and test the buoys.” Test Occulting Mechanism The satisfactory operation of new occulting mechanism which has been tried in this country is reported by the United States bureau of light- houses. The outfits were manufac- tured at the general lighthouse depot, Tompkinsville, N. Y., and were in- stalled on two fourth-order range lights in the fourth district. They were designed to replace the old-style “pile driver” occulting mechanisms. Each consists of a frame placed in front of the lens, carrying multiple vertical metal vanes or shutters piv- oted on their -vertical axes and ar- ranged to be rotated through an angle of 90 degrees by means of con- necting rods. Movement is imparted to the connecting rods through links connected to a bell crank, which in turn is operated by a cam on the operating clock. The mechanism is aranged to give an _ instantaneous .opening and closing of the shutters. Government Rulings The following is a summary of re- cent rulings, relating to the transporta- tion of certain articles on steam vessels carrying passengers: ‘ Peterman’s Discovery paste may be transported on steamers carrying pas- sengers, but shall not be used as stores on passenger or pleasure steamers. Inqury presented by William Peterman, New York. B & W Velvet metal paste may be transported on steamers carrying pas- sengers, but shall not be used as stores on passenger or pleasure steamers. Inquiry presented by local inspectors, steamboat-inspection service, San Fran- Cisco. | Shepard’s Liquid Insecticide shall not not be transported on stéamers carrying passengers, or used as stores on passen- ger or pleasure steamers. Inquiry pre- sented by the Merchants & Miners Transportation Co., Baltimore. Columbia Insecticide (powder) may be transported on steamers carrying passen- gers and may be used as stores on pas- senger or pleasure steamers.