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Up and Down the Great Lakes Ice Conditions Delay Opening—Begins Passenger Service— Lake Levels—Pay Increase Granted—Propeller Club Meetings Carriers’ association usually held on the third Thursday in April, and which in a sense represents the formal opening of the bulk cargo trade on the Great Lakes, has this year been postponed to May 3. The postpone- ment was made necessary because of the public hearing to be held in Wash- ington on the general shipping code April 26. At this time it is impossible to pre- dict when navigation will be open to the upper lakes. As this is written the northern connecting channels are still solidly blocked with ice and the temperatures continues at and below ‘freezing. A prolonged spell of warm weather and rains might change this condition fairly rapidly, but it is quite likely that it will be after the first week of May or later before it is pos- sible to get through to the upper lakes. Ts annual meeting of the Lake Estimated Ore Movement Informed opinion is generally opti- mistic for an active season in the bulk carrying trades. The consumption of ore is based on the requirements of the steel industry and this industry at the present time is operating at 55 per cent of capacity with the tendency, at the moment, strongly upward. Pre- dictions, influenced by present condi- tions, are now freely made that from 35,000,000 to 40,000,000 tons of ore will be moved on the lakes this year. This compares with a movement of 21,623,- 898 tons during the season of 1933. It is also estimated at this time that the bituminous coal cargo movement this year will reach at least 35,000,000 tons as compared with 31,776,654 tons ‘last year. The situation as regards grain is uncertain. The opening recommended draft through all channels and harbors of the Great Lakes is 17 feet 6 inches, which is almost a record low and compared with 17 feet 9 inches at the beginning of navigation last year. It is difficult to give any figures on the total number of bulk cargo vessels that will be commissioned at the be- ginning of the season, but it will un- doubtedly exceed last year. There are 330 vessels in the bulk cargo carrying trade, and it is not unlikely that one- half of these will go into commission at the beginning of the season, with an anticipated steady increment as the season progresses. The Pittsburgh Steamship Co., largest bulk vessel owner on the Great Lakes, has made definite appointments of captains and engineers for 48, or exactly one-half of its 86 steamers. The M. A. Hanna Co. is commissioning 7 of its 10 ships. Begins Passenger Service The Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Co. opened its regular passenger service between Cleveland and Detroit on April 16. The vessels EASTERN STATES and WESTERN STATES were placed on this service. Later they will be operated between Cleveland and Chicago. The service between Detroit and Buffalo in which the vessels GREATER BUFFALO and GREATER DrrroiT are used will commence early in May. March Lake Levels The United States Lake survey re- ports the following monthly mean stages of the Great Lakes for the month of March, 1934, determined from daily readings of staff gages. Ft. above mean Lakes sea level SUD ERION coc eaicsece mayest 602.11 Michigan=Huron: ....:.:..0... 577.42 St Ca a ee ee ak 572.21 ED ca Veen ince papers ae ane 569.60 OMtatlow 2 re eo caine 243.68 Lake Superior was 0.10 foot lower than in February and it was 0.28 foot above the March stage of a year ago. Lakes Michigan-Huron were 0.02 foot lower than in February and they were 0.22 foot below the March stage in 1933. Lake Erie was 0.01 foot lower than in February and it was 1.32 feet be- low the March stage of a year ago. Lake Ontario was 0.01 foot lower than in February and it was 0.59 foot below the March stage of a year ago, 1.71 feet below the average stage of March of the last ten years. Propeller Club Meetings A dinner of the Propeller club of the port of Cleveland will be held on the evening of May 3, J. B. Weaver, deputy administrator in charge of the shipping section of the national re- covery administration, it is expected, will be the guest speaker. As May 3 is the date set for the annual meeting of the Lake Carriers’ MARINE REVIEW—May, 1934 association, a large attendance at the Propeller club dinner is anticipated. The recently formed Propeller club at the port of Toledo held its first regular monthly dinner on April 18. Some 30 men identified with marine and allied industries in Toledo and adjacent sections attended. The guest speaker was Rex Wells, export mana- ger of the De Vilbiss Co., who deliv- ered an interesting address on his ex- periences during 30 years of extensive foreign travel. He urged a concerted effort in the building up of an Ameri- can merchant marine. Shorter Hours, More Pay Though the general shipping code and the divisional code for the Great Lakes have not been approved, the Lake Carriers’ association has _ rec- ommended an increase in the number of men on board the ships. This in- crease will vary according to the size of the vessel and the available accom- modations. According to Capt. Joseph S. Wood, president of the Lake Car- riers’ association, and chairman of the executive committee, the increase in crews which has been recommended will in most cases mean a reduction in working hours to 8-hour watches. It has been estimated that if this in- crease applies to all of the 400 or so vessels of the association and if they should all find employment during the year that it would give additional em- ployment to approximately 2400 men. George A. Marr, vice president and secretary of the Lake Carriers’ asso- ciation, announced after a meeting of the executive committee held in Cleve- land on April 12 that a _ resolu- tion had been adopted recommend- ing approximately a 10 per cent in- crease in the pay of all officers and men on the vessels belonging to mem- bers of the association. This was based on the adoption. of a minimum wage scale which is equivalent to such an increase. Under the new wage scale the men on Great Lakes vessels will now re- ceive wages about 4 per cent less than they did in 1929. The balance of iron ore on Lake Erie docks, April 1, 1934 was 4,981,536 tons, which compares with 5,070,768 tons on April 1, 1933; and 5,759,263 tons on April 1, 1932. w +]