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Up and Down the Great Lakes Lachine Canal—Automobile Traffic—Shipping Laws—Lake Levels —St. Lawrence Waterway—Propeller Club—Lake Navigation Opens harbor of Montreal and Lake St. Louis was open to navigation on April 19. The total length of the canal is 834 miles. The five locks have a width of 43 feet, a depth of 14 feet and a length of 270 feet. These locks set the limiting dimensions for vessels proceeding from the ocean to the Great Lakes. Vessels of larger size transfer their cargo at Montreal to canal-sized vessels. As customary in other seasons, a number of small ocean going vessels will probably pass through to the Great Lakes. Some of these vessels earry coal from Great Britain, wood pulp or newsprint from Sweden, and now and then other kinds of freight from abroad. Ti«: Lachine canal, connecting the For Carrying Automobiles This is the ninth, year that the Nicholson-Universal Steamship Co. has operated in carrying automobiles be- tween Detroit and Cleveland. The sea- son was opened when the steamer CoRALIA left Detroit for Cleveland early in April, with a full cargo of au- tomobiles. A revival in the automobile trade is anticipated and it is believed that the company will have a good season. Since the service began in 1925, more than 300,000 automobiles and trucks have been transported to Cleveland. Canadian Shipping Laws There has been considerable agita- tion in Canada to promptly pass the Canada shipping act which among other things is intended to give Cana- dian vessels a monopoly in the move- ment of Canadian grain on the Great Lakes. At the time this is written, it it did not seem likely that the bill would be passed at the present session of parliament. This bill would provide that none but British ships shall engage in the coastal trade of Canada. As we under- stand it, it is designed to make it im- possible, for instance, for an American vessel to take grain, from Port Wil- liam to Buffalo and then transfer “it there into another American vessel bound for a Canadian port. To the Canadians this sort of an opera- tion is merely a -way of getting around the Canadian coastwise law which does prohibit, except when it is set aside by orders in council, the trading of American or other foreign ships between two Canadian ports. Even though the shipping act as a whole is not passed there is still a pos- sibility that an ammendment can be made to the existing Canadian coast- wise law this season which would have much the same effect in diverting car- goes to Canadian bottoms. The _ ship- ping interests of Canada are, of course, much in favor of the proposed law, while the western grain shippers are inclined to oppose it on account of the possibility that it will mean to them an increase in rates. March Lake Levels The United States Lake survey re- ports the monthly mean stages of the Great Lakes for the month of March as follows: Feet above Lakes mean sea level SUpPCGION cos ce 601.81 WiGhian=—EVUPOMN, 26 ci etek 577.62 StcClain Kaa 573.40 PUTO acca se cele ea eee s sasicek hee ee 570.86 OCA Ones osteo eiaeres ae ae ee 244,27 Lake Superior was 0.14 foot low- er than in February and it is 0.19 foot lower than the March stage of a year ago. Lakes Michigan-Huron were 0.03 foot higher than in February and they were 0.56 foot lower than the March stage of a year ago. Lake Erie was 0.26 foot higher than in February and it was 0.59 foot lower than the March stage of a year ago. Lake Ontario was 0.01 foot low- er than in February and it was 0.99 foot lower than the March stage of a year ago. Oppose St. Lawrence Pact During April much opposition de- veloped against the confirmation of the treaty between Canada and the United States for building the St. Lawrence waterway. Among the bodies definitely opposing this project during this time were the chamber of com- mence of the state of New York, the Merchant’s association of New York and the Maritime association of the port of New York. The chamber of commerce declared that there was no public demand to have New York state engage in the waterpower business. It also de- MARINE REVIEW—May, 1933 clared that the waterpower develop. ment of the St. Lawrence would be a hazardous affair even if the large expenditure were warranted. The Merchant’s association said that a ratification of the treaty should not be considered in local sense, but should be considered on what effect the waterway will have on the United States as a whole. It was of the opinion that public money, which in the final analysis means additional taxation, should not at this time be applied to a project which will not serve the purpose for which it is in- tended. The association stated that it was firmly convinced that the build- ing of the waterway is not in the best interest of the country as a whole. The project would work chiefly for the benefit of Canada and will prove of distinct injury to a large section of the United States. The Martime association of the port of New York also forwarded a _ reso- lution in opposition to the confirma- tion of the St. Lawrence waterway treaty to President Roosevelt and to all members of the United States sen- ate. The grounds for its opposition were that the feasibility and practi- cability of the scheme are question- able; and that there is no immediate demand for the waterway at this time. It is believed that the St. Law- rence waterway would divert traffic from American ports and will thus do harm to large investments in ex- isting facilities and equipment for handling waterborne traffic. Propeller Club Meets The fourth meeting of the Pro- peller club, port of Cleveland, was held on April 10 at the Hollenden hotel with an approximate attend- ance of 50 members. President Kern called the meet- ing to order and the minutes of the third meeting held Feb. 13 were read and approved. The treasurer’s re- port was read by R. H. Burns. The membership committee reported on applications for membership and all applications were approved . A motion was made by A. T. Wood,. that the Propeller club, port of Cleveland, go on record against the ratification of the St. Lawrence waterway treaty. The motion was seconded and carried unanimously. eo