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October, 1917 It is freely predicted that the time spent by vessels in loading ports will be considerably reduced this year. For instance, vessels will not be required to shift from one elevator to another in order to fill out a cargo of the grade desired by an individual buyer. Every effort- will be made to move the grain and the question of grade will be of secondary importance as the govern- ment, in its position as the only buyer, can easily handle the question of grad- ing after the grain reaches lower lake ports or seaboard ports. The committee which will have gen- eral supervision over the bulk freight movement on the Great Lakes during the remainder of the season will in- clude W. H. McGean, chairman; John T. Kelly, A. W.. Thomson, W. M. Wil- liams, R. H. Pigot, J. Burton Ayers, F. J. Sullivan, and Carl Timmerman. The first three named have been acting for some weeks in an advisory capacity with the Lake Erie Bituminous Coal Exchange and as a result of their ef-. forts the vessel supply for handling coa! has been 100 per cent at all times. The members of this committee will be charged with the important duty of properly gaging the relative importance of the needs of the iron and steel in- dustry in securing iron ore, the indus- tries of the northwest in securing coal, and the food requirements of _ this country and its European allies. The ore, coal and grain consuming districts will require every ton of cargo that the lake fleet can move during the remainder of the season and careful arrangements will have to be made to meet the re- quirements of any one trade without disturbing the equally important neces- sities of the other. two. Canada Will Help Official assurances of Canadian co- operation in speeding up the grain movement were given by F. W. Young, Lake Shippers’ Clearance association, Ft. William, Ont. The question of rapid loading has been taken up _ by Canadian authorities and Mr. Young promised excellent dispatch this fall from the Canadian ports at the head of the lakes. He pointed out that the grain promises to be of good quality, thus insuring easy running when being loaded. He emphasized the importance of not loading at the head of the lakes for Buffalo delivery when that port was congested. Harry Coulby, president of the Pitts- burgh Steamship Co., Cleveland, gave Mr. Barnes assurance of the vessel owners’ desire to assist the government. He pointed out that the country’s in- dustries, as well as the nation itself, were not prepared for war and had to be organized for that purpose. As an illustration he called attention to the THE MARINE REVIEW fact that the coal requirements of the northwest had been tentatively set at 26,000,000 tons, but when war forced a close study, it was found that 30,000,- 000 tons were needed. The ore require- ments were thought to be about 56,000,000 tons, but it was found that 68,000,000 tons had been sold. The work of the various committees which have been determining ore requirements and which’ are now directing railroad ship- ments and boat movements, was com- plimented by Mr. Coulby. In connection with the grain movement, he urged that attention be given to three problems: overruns and shortages; fuel supply at Buffalo for the grain boats, and holding Lake Wage Scale The following schedule of mini- mum rates of wages is recom- mended for all vessels in the mem- bership of the Lake Carriers’ asso- ciation, effective Oct. 1, 1917, and continuing until the close of navi- gation: BOatSWaAlt es ie ee ahoeh ie eda arate $ 95.00 Cooks, vessels over 4000 gross POTS Soro eevee Gre sue easue Loe wane nl 125.00 . Cooks, vessels under 4000 gross OTSA acs Gwe rets aude nde: eluepecshacein Nts 110.00 Second COOKS 0s. ces ga siecelets 65.00 POTtELSe Vaiec aon eeh e siers S eiace oes 57.50 Firemen, oilers and watertender... 85.00 Wheelsmen-Lookoutsmen ......... 85.00 Ordinary “Seamen: 1.00 660078 oon Ge we 57.50 Coals: passense soy Las eG ee se ie 55.00 BARGES Mates on barges not less than $10 per month more than seamen on the same vessel; and donkey men $5 per month more than seamen. Mates’ wages on tow barges of the large class, $105 per month. Able-bodied seamen on tow barges $85 per month. y Engineers on tow barges carrying tow- ing machines $105 per month. Cooks on tow barges the same wages as the seamen on the same barges. Ordinary seamen on barges $57.50 per month. down the number of boats in the Lake Michigan coal and grain trades. Other Speakers included: James Stewart, of the Canadian board of grain supervisors; H. S. Wilkinson. Roy Wo:- vin, Charles Hutchinson. W. J. Con- nors, C. D. Dyer, A. W. Thomson. J. J. Boland, W. H. Smith. Arthur Sullivan, Charles O. Jenkins, Herbert K. Oakes, J. E. McAlpine, A. T. Kinney, John T. KeHy, George Steinbrenner. W. D. Becker, Gordon B. Housman, Ralph Mitchell, C. W. Brvson, Charles W. Kennedy and G. A. Tomlinson. The members of the committee of vessel owners which conferred with Mr. Barnes on the rate question included H. S. Wilkinson, Syracuse, N. Y.. chair- man: CoD Dyer; “Pittsburgh s)G,: A: Tomlinson, Duluth; J. J. Boland, Buf- falo: H...K.; Oakes. A.. W. Thomson and Charles O. Jenkins. Cleveland. Lieut. Merrill, U. S. N.. in pointing out the need for junior officers to man _ tone, 347 merchant ships, stated that the subma- rine problem is a cargo problem. The American army could only exert as important an influence on the Europeart battlefield as its lines of supply would permit. A ship manned by trained of- ficers was almost submarine proof, pro- vided it had a speed of more than 8} knots an hour. The need is for watch» officers and the government hopes to secure 500 to 600 from the lakes, 200 of these within a short time. Lake vessel owners have offered to make room for cadets from the naval reserve aboard the boats this fall and the plans are being worked out to train these men. The members of the Lake Carriers’ association voted to authorize a com- mittee, appointed by President Livings- who presided, to take up the question of wage adjustments after Oct. 1. This committee included Harry Cou'by, chairman; J. S. Ashley, Capt. C. L. Hutchinson and H. S:; Wilkinson. The new wage scale is shown in an accompanying box. New Bill of Lading _The association members also ap- proved a new grain bill of lading drawn up by Harvey D. Goulder. counsel, and approved by Mr. Barnes. This bill of lading frees the carrier of any respon- sibility for shortages and prohibits any claim for overruns. The carrier will allow a fixed amount of %4 bushel per thousand as tare. The new bill of lading is presented in full in an. ac- companying box. : Shipping Board Opens Office on}Lakes The shipping board is investigating the possibility of taking a large num- ber of lake boats to the coast this fall. The number available is between 75 and 125, depending upon whether a number of small wooden steamers are definitely requisitioned. A number of small bulk freighters probably will be sent down the St. Lawrence. Many of the boats will have to be cut in two, and lake yards will be busy with this class of work toward the close of the season. The shipping board is now maintain- ing offices in Cleveland. Henry Penton. naval architect, is district officer in charge of the lakes and will have gen- eral supervision over vessels now under construction and which the Emergency Fleet corporation has commandeered. Capt. R. W. England is assisting Mr. Penton. He was for many years mas- ter of steamers of the Becker fleet. F. A. Eustis is representing the shipping: board itself.