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ey IA eT EEN interest was aroused dur- K ing the past month, in the ef- forts of W. J. Conners, Buffalo, and his associates to purchase 35 pas- senger and freight vessels from the various railroad-owned lake steamship companies. The negotiations up until this time have not been successful. Serious differences are said to exist be- tween the prices offered by Mr. Connors and those asked by the railroads. In addition at least one railroad, the lLe- high Valley, will continue the fight the railroads have made before the inter- state commerce commission for permis- sion to continue their operation of the lake vessels. Some competition also has been ex- perienced by the new syndicate from interests desirous of securing the ves- sels for ocean service. Charles W. Morse recently purchased four vessels of this class for service in the Euro- pean and Latin-American trade. An analysis of the decision of the interstate commerce commission, order- ing the railroads to divorce their lake vessels interests, was published in The Marine Review, July, 1915, The de- cision was based on the provisions of the Panama canal act. The railroads appealed but the commission has again ruled adversely. The lines affected by the decision are the New York Central, Lehigh Valley, Erie, Pennsylvania, Rut- land, and the Mutual Transit Co., owned jointly by the Erie, Lehigh Valley, New York Central and Delaware, Lackawan- na & Western. The Lehigh Valley bases its hope for a moderation of the ruling on the fact that its line does not extend beyond Buffalo, the base of its lake line. Some of the Ships Sold _ The New York Central railroad has interests in two ship lines on the Great Lakes. One was operated by the Rut- land Railroad Lake Line, a subsidiary, and the other by the Western Transit Co. All of the six steamers of the Rut- land Railroad Lake Line have been sold. Mr. Conners is understood to have bid unsuccessfully on several of these vessels. Two of the boats went to the A Review of the Charter Market on Coasts a Lakes— Pointers for the Men Who Get the Business New York Coal & Coke Co., two to the Alaska Steamship Co., and the other two to the Pacific-Alaska Steamship Co. The price of the six boats was approxi- mately $600,000. The Western Transit Co. has ten steamers. One of these, MoHawk, has been sold to the Crosby Transportation Co., Milwaukee. She was built in 1893, is of 2,357 tons. gross, 1,616 tons net, 292 feet long, 41.7 feet beam and 23 feet depth. She will continue to op- erate in the Great Lakes. Sells Anchor Boats The Pennsylvania Railroad operates the Anchor Line, also known as the Erie & Western Transportation Co. This line owns three passenger steam- ers TIONESTA, JUNIATA, and OcrToRAka, and a large number of freighters. Four of the Anchor Line freight steamers are said to have been sold. The Erie originally had eight steam- ers and has sold four, three of them’ having been acquired by the Morse syn- dicate. Following is a list of the rane steam- ers, 35 of which are said to be included in the negotiations for purchase by the Conners syndicate, with the purpose of forming an independent freight-carrying shipping combination on the Great Lakes: Western Transit Co. (subsidiary of the New York Central Railroad Co.) steamers—Boston, 4,184 tons gross, 3,283 _tons net, built in 1913; Burrato, 3,951 tons gross, 3,272 tons net, built in 1899; Curcaco, 3,195 tons gross, 2,546 tons net, built in 1901; DuLturu, 4,823 tons gross, 3,785 tons net, built in 1903; Mitwav- KEE,, 3,327 tons gross, 2,424 tons net, built in 1902; Rocuester, 4,571 tons gross, 3,855 tons net, built in 1907; Su- FERIOR, 4,544 tons gross, 3,845 tons net, built in 1905; Troy, 3,655 tons gross, 2,966 tons net, built in 1898; Urica, 3,533 tons gross, 2,658 tons net, built in 1904. Erie & Western Transportation Co., Anchor Line (subsidiary of the Penn- sylvania Railroad Co.) steamers—Conr- MAUGH, 3,898 tons gross, 2,967 tons net, built in 1909; Detaware, 3,901 tons gross, 3,250 tons net, built in 1905; Junzata, 4,333 tons gross, 2,619 tons 116 _ gross, net, built in 1905; Muncy, 3,863 tons” gross, 2,946 tons net, built in 1902; Tionesta, 4,329 tons gross, 2,652 tons net, built in 1903; WussaHicxon, 4,062 tons gross, 3,104 tons net, built in 1907; ALLEGHENY, 3,898 tons gross, 2,967 tons net, built in 1910; Ocrorara, 4,329 tons gross, 2,652 tons net, built in 191G% Coporus, 2,165 tons gross, 1,802 tons net, built in 1892; Manonine, 2,189 tons 1,744 tons net, built in 1892; SCHUYLKILL, 2,205 tons gross, 1,819 tons net, built in 1892, SusquEHANNA, 2,781 tons gross, 2,347 tons net, built in 1886. JUNIATA, TIONESTA and OcToRARA are combined passenger and freight steam- ~ ers. Mutual Transit Co. (subsidiary un- der joint ownership and control of the Erie, Great Northern, Pennsylvania and one other railroad company): the steam- ers NortH Srar, 3,849 tons gross, 2,928 tons net, built in 1909; NortHEeRN Kina, 2,476 tons gross, 1,885 tons net, built in 1888; NorrTHERN QUEEN, 2,476 tons gross, 1,885 tons net, built in 1889; NortH WInp, 2,476 tons gross, 1,185 tons net, built in 1888; NortHERN WAVE, 2,476 tons gross, 1,885 tons net, built in 1889; NortH Lake, 3,861 tons gross, 2,941 tons net, built in 1909; NorrH Sea, 3,921 tons gross, 3,045 tons net, built in 1909. Erie Railroad Lake Line: the steam- ers F. D. UNbeErRwoop, 3,314 tons gross, 2,499 tons net, built in 1896; D. W. CookE, 3,398 tons gross, 2,067 tons net, built in 1897; Troca, 2,320 tons gross, 1,684 tons net, built in 1885; G A. RicHARDSON, 2,337 tons gross, 1,790 tons net, built in 1893. Vessels of Lehigh Line Lehigh Valley . Transportation Co. (subsidiary of the Lehigh Valley Rail- road Co.) : the steamers BETHLEHEM, 2,633 tons gross, 1,902 tons net, built in 1888; MaucH Cuunk, 4,499 tons gross, 3,609 tons net, built in 1901; Saranac, 2,669 tons gross, 1,939 tons net, built in 1890; SENECA, 2,669 tons gross, 1,939 tons aet, built in 1889; Tuscarora, 2,386 tons ~ gross, 1,769 tons net; WHILKESBARRE, — 3,311 tons net, built in 1901. . Port Huron & Duluth Steamship Co.: the steamers LAKELAND, 2,425 tons gross, _