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Aq MARINE REVIEW | ties of $3,348.43, and there were uncollected dues amounting to nearly $1,000. In other words, at the time of the last annual meeting, the treas- urer’s report showed a deficit of about $2,500. At the present time the total unpaid liabilities which the treasurer reports is only $400.00. The dues have been more successfully and promptly collected this season than ever before in the history of the association. There are no dues remain- ing unpaid. The association has, during the past year, very nearly cleared up the debt which has been standing against it and carried over from year to year since the large expenditures connected with the Detroit bridge matter in 1896. ~ The treasurer’s report shows that the association has been subjected to a very large extra expense during the past year on account of the shoveling strike at Buffalo. To meet these expenses the executive com- mittee of the association voted that the sum of 3 cents per thousand bushels should be aded to the price for shoveling grain at Buffalo and Erie, the extra. 8 cents per thousand bushels to be paid over to the treas- urer of the Lake Carriers’ Association to defray the expenses of the asso- ciation in connection with the shoveling strike. The treasurer’s report shows collections amounting to over $3,500 from this source, and while the very high freights which have prevailed on the lakes during the past season have tended to decrease the amount of grain carried in competi- tion with the rail lines, so that the revenue from this source is not quite so large as expected, nevertheless it has been of material assistance in enabling the treasurer to make a more satisfactory financial statement than for several years past. The extra charge of 3 cents per thousand bushels collected from vessels on grain carried to Buffalo was asked from owners only as a temporary emergency measure. It seemed the most equitable way of meeting a special need. The large expense incurred by the association at Buffalo was for the benefit of vessels engaged in carry- ing grain, and the 8 cents per thousand bushels was paid only by vessels engaged in that trade and exactly in proportion to the amount of grain which they carried. The association cannot, however, expect to ask special payments from vessels engaged in special trades on the lakes ex- cept under very extraordinary circumstances, and the vessels in the grain trade deserve the thanks of the association for the willingness with which they have accepted: the suggestion of the executive committee and paid the special tax imposed upon them. OPERATIONS OF THE SHIPPING OFFIOES. Shipping offices have been maintained by the association during the past year at Cleveland, Chicago, South Chicago, Buffalo, Ashtabula, To- ledo and Milwaukee. A condensed report, taken from the annual report of Chief Shipping Master Rumsey, shows the number of men shipped through the various offices during the past season in comparison with former years, as follows: 1899, 16,681 men; 1898, 16,508 men; 1897, 13,- 139 men; 1896, 11,888 men. The following table shows the number of men shipped through each office in 1899 as compared with 1898: OFFICES. Year. No.of Men. Year. No.of Men Gere lide a ean er yO een Gere Se ali See 1899 3,886 1898 8,799 Cnieago ee Oe s Dre Gowen VLOOR = -Byioo 1898 2,911 SO Chicago wt sss. aes Ae Ga agate Rothe, 1,981 1898 1,914 TE ELGial Kos desnee compa entre Prato ues ey aoa Pere re So ees . 1899 2,117 1898 2,003 JCS Nidal bed he a fae a remy Ae aparer bane aha rien reer re 1899 2,400 1898 2,358 MONG Bao ik Pe RRA SA Ree Gee 1899 1,298 1898 1,112 IV Wat ose ates ves oelsets cola usta elvis bisiate, 1899 1,804 1898 1,718 The total expense of maintaining the shipping offices during the past season was $10,648.07, about 4214 per cent. of the total expenses of the association. The cost to the association during the past year for each man put on board of vessels by the shipping offices was about 64 cents, as compared with 65 cents in 1898. GRAIN BILL OF LADING MATTER, The committee appointed at the last annual meeting to consider the desirability of effecting some change in the grain bill of lading was com- posed of 'L. C. Waldo, chairman; H. Coulby, J. J. H. Brown, A. W. Col- ton, Dennis Sullivan, David Vance and A. B. Wolvin. This committee made a report in executive session at the last annual meeting, in which they proposed the following amendments to the grain bill of lading: First—Vessel not to be liable for shortage in excess of one-half bushel per thousand, but not to receive overage; vessel to collect freight on actual * out-turn. Second—the consignee to furnish elevator to begin unloading within twenty-four hours after report of arrival, or pay demurrage at the rate of one-twelfth of the freight less unloading charge, for each twenty-four hours delay. Third—Delivery to the party to whose care consigned to be good delivery, exempting the vessel from further liability. Fourth—Shipper to furnish an elevator to commence loading within twenty-four hours after report of arrival, or pay demurrage thereafter equal to one-twelfth of the freight less loading charge, for each twenty- four hours or part thereof. It was felt that the vessels were entitled to some relief from the ser- ious delays which they had suffered in waiting for elevators to load or unload grain, and that the shortage clause to which vessels have been subject on the lakes was a hardship not generally borne by other carriers, either by rail or water, and therefore not one to which lake vessels ought to be subject. The proposed changes in the grain bill of lading aroused, as might be expected, strong interest and strong opposition from other parties interested in the grain trade. The changes proposed were quite radical and interfered with trade customs which had grown up. It was argued also by exporters that they introduced uncertainty into the ex- pense of moving grain by lake, which would interfere with the close fig- uring on exporting business which they considered necessary to hold the business for the lake route. After the committee on grain bill of lading reported to the annual meeting, the members voted to continue the committee with power to consult and confer with the other interests in- volved and agree upon a new grain bill of lading, to go into operation at the opening of navigation in 1899. After the adjournment of the annual meeting, the committee proceeded carefully to collect all the facts relat- ing to the amounts of shortages and overruns, the extent of delay to [January 18, which vessels have been subject, and the causes thereof, and in general to propare themselves to argue their case at a conference to be held of all interests. Such conference was finally arranged and held in Buffalo on March 7, 8 and 9, 1899. At this conference the following parties were represented; Lake Carriers’ Association, by its executive committee and committee on grain bill of lading; Western shippers by delegations from the Duluth Board of Trade, Chicago Board of Trade and Toledo Prceduce Exchange; the grain exporters and merchants by strong delegations from New York Produce Exchange, Philadelphia Commercial Exchange, Buf- falo Merchants’ Exchange; Buffalo elevator owners; trunk lines by their general traffic managers or other authorized representatives. Each sec- tion of the report of the bill of lading committee was taken up and dis- cussed at great length. At the close of the discussion the matter. was referred to a committee of sixteen, containing representatives of all the different interests connected with the grain trade. After nearly two days consideration, this committee submitted its report, which report with its recommendations was adopted by the general conference. The Buffalo conference early deve‘oped the fact that both trunk lines and grain merchants very strenuously objected to the changes proposed at the annual meeting of the Lake Carriers’ Association. It was also made clear that they fully realized the hardship which vessels had suffered under the practice that had prevailed in former years, and it was agreed - all around that the lake carriers were entitled to redress, but that it should be sought in a manner least objectionable to the other interests. One obstacle in the way of better service at Buffalo appeared to be a lack of cooperation between the elevators at that port. There had been no ele- vator association in Buffalo in the year 1898, and the delay in unloading of cargoes had been much increased from that cause. The Buffalo con- ference at one time adjourned to permit a meeting of the elevator owners of that city, and at that meeting the preliminary steps were taken to re- ‘form the Western Elevating Association, which has been in operation during the year 1899. FINAL ACTION OF THE BUFFALO CONFERENCE. The final action of the Buffalo conference was as follows: That the Buffalo trunk lines be allowed ten days from the adjourn- ment of the conference to determine what could be done to obtain: the elevator facilities at the port of Buffalo for the lake vessels, and that in the meantime the Lake Carriers’ Association should suspend action upon its proposed demurrage clause; that a system of arbitration be provided for cases of special hardship to vessels from delays and shortages; that a proper clause be inserted in the grain bill of lading releasing vessels from liability when they have delivered “order” cargoes to the party in whose care they were consigned and taken an agreed form of receipt; that all gram should be consigned to an individual consignee and not to an elevator or a railroad company. Pending action by the trunk lines on these recommendations, the Buffalo conference adjourned. Subsequently the Buffalo elevators having rail connections and doing nearly all the business at that port reestablished an association, and each trunk line designated a considerable group of elevators at which their grain might be delivered in Buffalo. The Western Elevating Association appointed a committee of three, known as the committee of control, whose special duty it was to provide good dispatch in unloading grain vessels at the port of Buffalo, and to secure as far as possible the full facilities of the port to vessels arriving there with grain cargoes. The trunk lines and grain merchants expressed a wish that this system be given a season’s trial before the prevailing practices in the grain trade be changed by changes in the bill’of lading. Under these circumstances, the executive and bill of lading committee of the association met at Cleveland on April 11, 1899, and practically accepted the offer of the trunk lines and grain ae The action agreed upon at the Cleveland meeting is as fol- ows: First—Each vessel owner may, if he so desires, at the time. he char- ters the vessel, provide for an individual consignee at lake destination, and he may stipulate that if his vessel is sent to more than two elevators to load, the extra service shall be without expense to the vessel. It is believed that delays at ports of loading may thus be remedied to a great extent. Second—The following provision should be included in all lake grain bills of lading: “If the grain covered by this bill of lading is consigned in care of a party at destination of vessel, then, unless the original of this instrument is there presented for cancellation on or before arrival of vessel, delivery to the party in whose care the grain is consigned herein, shall be a good and valid delivery.” Third—The Lake ‘Carriers’ Association accepts the offer of the com- mercial exchanges tendering the services of their respective boards of arbitration without expense to the Lake Carriers’ Association, to hear and decide any claims the Lake Carriers’ Association may desire so heard and decided, in respect to any exceptional detention for which the lake carrier deems it just that demurrage should be paid by the party or parties responsible for such detention, or in respect to any exceptional grain shortage for which the lake carrier claims he should be relieved from liability. Fourth—The Lake Carriers’ Association will appoint a committee of _ three of its members, resident in Buffalo, to act in consultation with the committee of control, provided by the Western Elevating Association, in securing prompt dispatch in unloading grain vessels at the port of Buffalo. Fiftn—The grain trade having objected to the shortage clause which: the Lake Carriers’ Association proposed to insert in the lake grain bill of lading upon the ground that the commercial value of the bill of lading for collateral uses would be impaired, the association has decided not to insist upon the use of the proposed clause, but to allow the existing shortage clause to stand unchanged until the close of the present lake season. The Lake Carriers’ Association then hopes to present a definite and reasonable shortage provision, that will not be subject to objection by the grain trade upon the ground of uncertainty in use. 5 Sixth—No clause providing for the payment of demurrage will be inserted in the Jake grain bill of lading this season. The detention clause proposed at the Buffalo conference as a substi- RO, OR ee ee tN ee eh