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370 Shanghai’s Docks Dry-docking facilities at Shanghai, de- cleres recent U. S. consular report, appear to be quite ample to accommo- date the vessels entering. The Shang- hai Dock & Engineering Co. and the New Engineering & Shipbuilding Works, Ltd., in addition to maintaining dry docks are also prepared to undertake any kind of marine construction or re- pair work. On account of the narrow- ness of Shanghai’s upper harbor and the lack of proper wharfage space, the great majority of vessels calling at that port anchor in the stream at Woosung, about an hour’s ride by steam tender from Shanghai. Tonnage dues are levied every four months. These entitle a steamer to call at any port in China without fur- ther payment. The rate for vessels under 150 tons register is about $0.06 gold per ton and for those over 150 tons register about $0.24 gold per ton. Pilot- age is not compulsory. All wharves.in Shanghai are privately owned. Vessels carrying Chinese or Japanese cargoes are charged approxi- mately $0.17 gold per foot; vessels under 300 feet, carrying only coal, $36 United States. gold; and vessels over 300 feet are charged at the rate of $0.19 per foot. Over-sea steamers with home cargoes are charged $0.19 per foot; lorchas (native-rigged sailing craft), $28. Overtime C harges Vessels from foreign ports remaining at wharves for more than five days incur an extra charge of $28 United States gold for the first day and $35 for each succeeding day or part thereof. Coasting vessels remaining at the wharf for more than three days incur an extra charge of $17 for the first and $28 for -each succeeding day or part thereof. Vessels wishing to make use of the privately owned head and stern moor- ings may arrange to do so at a cost of $14 for the first three days or part thereof and $2.75 for each SUeCerdinS day or part thereof. The average stevedoring charges for vessels loading and ‘unloading outside the red buoy at Woosung are about $0.15 per ton. The lighterage charges from Woosung to Shanghai are approxi- mately $0.40 per ton. In addition to these charges are wharfage expenes on cargo landed, depending on the size and weight of packages, which range froin $0.03 per package upward. Shanghai is considered the most im- portant trans-shipping point in the Orient for cargo moving to and from America and Europe, and, during nor- mal times, cargo space has proved suf- ficient for the needs of this trade. Since THE MARINE REVIEW the outbreak of the present war im- porters and exporters have been seri- ously inconvenienced by the withdrawal of many merchant vessels from service Collier Franklin The collier FRANKLIN, the seventh vessel in the coal-carrying fleet man- aged by the Coastwise Transportation Co., Boston, was launched recently at the Camden yard. of the New York Shipbuilding Co. In addition, the New York Shipbuilding Co. is con- structing seven other vessels of the same general type as FRANKLIN, mak- ing a fleet of 14 in all, with a total cargo capacity of 94,000 gross tons. Franklin has been built with ma- chinery amidships and arrangements Cotton Pes are on file in the supreme court of New York county, New York City, in actions brought by the J. H. W. Steele Co., William T. Cas- well and the Crawford-Gosho Co., Inc., against L. A. Wight & Co. and E. V. Novelly & Co., for damages aggregat- ing $40,000, alleged to have been sus- tained by the plaintiffs on account of the failure of the defendants to de- -liver steamers to load cotton as me had contracted to do. It is alleged by the Crawford-Gosho Co. that... Av Wight: & Co. inste- ance brokers, 51 Wall street, New York, acting as their agents, made a contract with E. V. Novelly & Co., 18 Broadway, to deliver a steamer called GrEorGIA at Texas City, Texas, on or before Jan. 10, 1915, which was never carried out. It was stated to the plaintiffs by L. A. Wight & Co. that Novelly & Co. had the option of pur- chasing the steamer from the Ham- burg-American Line and were going to change her name to Minka after the vessel had been transferred from German to American registry. It is further stated in the complaint that Novelly & Co. were shipbrokers in a small way and never had an op- tion on Georgia from the Hamburg- American Line, and that L. A. Wight & Co., as agents for the J. H. Steele Co., should have protected the plain- tiffs from being imposed upon in such a manner. Believing it to be true, however, the J. H. W. Steele Co. made contracts for the shipment of 7,000 bales of cotton to Bremen and had to pay a much higher rate to send them on GULFLIGHT after the de- fendants failed to keep their contract by sending Minxa to Texas City as October, 1915 for discharging her own cargo, which will be delivered at Mediterranean ports; unusually large bunkers have been fitted, to enable.the vessel to make the long voyage from Norfolk to the Mediterranean and _ return without bunkering. In order that the return voyage may be safely made with little or no cargo, ample ballast tanks have been provided in the dou- ble bottom and peak tanks. The. officers and crew are comfortably berthed amidships and aft. The ves- sel is 395 feet long, 55 feet broad and 34% feet deep, and will draw 26% feet loaded. She is built to take the highest class in Lloyd’s Registry and under their special ‘survey. En- gines of over 2,000 horsepower will maintain an average speed of 11 knots while she is at sea. . Brokers Sue agreed upon. They claim damages for $16,133.19. ° William T. Caswell in his complaint maintains that L. A. Wight & Co. and E. V. M. Novelly & Co. said they were able to deliver the steamer CoNsTANTIA, that was to be purchased by Novelly & Co. ‘from the Hamburg-American Line, at the port of Texas City, Texas, in January, 1915. It was also agreed that the name of the steamer should be changed from Constantia to Mar- GARET when she was placed — under American registry at Washington. The plaintiff alleges that Novelly & Co. did not hold any option for the pur- chase of ConsTanTIA and was not in 2 position to deliver the ship as con- tracted for. Plaintiff had contracted for 7,000 bales of cotton to Bremen and on account of the higher rates he was forced to pay damages to. the extent of $10,074.89. In the third action, the J. H. W. Steele Co. in its complaint alleges that Eo Ve Novelly & Co, and 1. A; Wight & Co. contracted to deliver the steamers CoNSTANTIA and GerorcrIA at ‘Texas City in January, 1915, or two other suitable American steamers to carry cotton to Bremen, and in conse- quence they booked to ship’ 14,000 bales of cotton, for which they had to pay higher rates on another vessel, and were damaged to the extent of $14,751.64. When the case is tried it is expected that Harvey Steele, who is one of the best. known cotton men in the southern states, will make some interesting revelations regarding the transactions that took place over the alleged transfer of GrorcrA and Con- STANTIA to American registry.