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Personal Sketches of Marine Men L. W. Lake, President, Canal Carriers Association Inc. By Ben K. Price N HIS election last year as president | of the Canal Carriers Association Inc. he returns to an office he held several years ago. IS experience in transportation af- fairs covers operation not only on the New York State Barge canal but also on the lakes and railroads. HE association has worked in close cooperation with the state for better facilities with the view of improving the service to shippers. FOLLOWING his election in 1934 to the presidency of the Canal Carriers Association Inc., New York city, L. W. Lake assumes duties which he ma) handled so ably several years ago. Prominent =—— in his field, president of his own shipping com- pany and a charter member of the association, he has been identified with transportation not only on the in- land waterways of New York state, but on the Great Lakes and railroads; hence his long and varied experi- ence has at all times proved most helpful to the organiz- ation. He was vice president of the association, when he recently succeeded W. S. Hedger to his present position. Born in New Hempstead, Rockland county, New York, Mr. Lake first became associated with the transporta- tion field at the age of 18, serving as a stenographer in the New York city offices of the Wisconsin Central. After a few months he became a contracting agent and subse- quently joined in the same capacity the New York offices of the Great Northern Railway Co. Here he had his first contact with water transportation, as the company owned the Northern Steamship Co., which he was also called upon to serve. After a year he was promoted to the position of gen- eral agent in the New York district, remaining for seven years. He then became general eastern agent for the Mutual Transit Co. After six years in this position he was transferred to the Buffalo offices of the company as general freight agent. There he remained for two years, and then was engaged in the same capacity for two years more with the Great Lakes Transportation Corp., Buffalo. Mr. Lake then returned to New York as traffic man- ager of the federal government’s canal line, and has been closely identified with canal transportation in New York state ever since, In 1924 he organized the Despatch Ship- ping Corp., 44 Whitehall street, New York city, to en- gage in canal transportation, and became president, a position he continues to hold. In his years of close contact with the New York state canal system he has seen its transportation reach the highest peak in its history. Since the new canal was opened in 1918, he has seen freight traffic, in fact, more than tripled, going from the low point in that year of 1,159,270 tons to a peak of 4,074,002 tons in 1933. Due to depressed business conditions generally tonnage the past three years has increased less, in line with decline in freight movement generally, but proportionally ton- nage has held up very well. In the development of traffic on the New York state canal system the Canal Carrier’s Association Inc., which he now heads, has played an important part. Organized eight years or so ago, this association, which includes in its membership all of the New York canal carriers, a total of 18, has worked steadily for improved facilities and in this has received fine cooperation from the state of New York. The carriers have found in Colonel F. S. Green, who was first appointed superintendent of pub- lic works of the state of New York by ex-governor Al- fred E. Smith, and who bas continued in this office ever since, a man with a particularly keen understanding of their problems; also in his commissioner of canals, R. S. Hayes, and in his division superintendents. The formation of the Canal Carrier’s Association came a few years after the state of New York had regained control of the waterways. The new canal was completéd in the spring of 1918, and from 1919 to 1921 it was operated by the federal government under measures set up by the war emergency. Upon return of control to the state, shipping lines dealt directly with the state author- ities, but it soon became evident that the most effective progress could be obtained through the formation of an organization of all the shippers, working in cooperation with the state. Following its formation by a few years, the association was incorporated in February, 1928. It was in one of these formative years that Mr. Lake was president, and his recent reelection comes as a tri- bute to this and other fine services rendered the associ- ation. MARINE REvIEw—January, 1935 35