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THE MARINE RECORD. DECEMBER 7, 1899 ESTABLISHED 1878. Published Every Thursday by THE MARINE RECORD PUBLISHING CO., Incorporated. C. E, RUSKIN, - - - - Manager. CAPT. JOHN SWAINSON,-~ - - - Editor. CLEVELAND, CHICAGO, Western Reserve Building. Royal Insurance Building. SUBSCRIPTION. One Copy, one year, postage paid, - Lo $2.00 _ One Copy, one year, to foreign countries, - = $3.00 Invariably in advance. a ADVERTISING. Rates given on application. : All communications should be addressed to the Cleveland office. _ THE MARINE RECORD PUBLISHING CO., Western Reserve Building, Cleveland, O. Entered at Cleveland Postoffice as second-class mail matter. CLEVELAND, O., DECEMBER 7, 1899. CANADIAN COASTING LAWS, Notwithstanding the complaint set up by Canadian vesse] owners asa result of the recent action of the Dominion Government in suspending the coasting regulationson the lakes, which prevented American vessels carrying grain _ between Canadian ports, it is a fact that this move has result- ed in Canada securing a great deal of business that would otherwise have gone to Buffalo or other portsin the United States. This is admitted by the grain merchants of Mon- _ treal even within the few week that have escaped since the _ government order was issued. The coasting laws of Canada are similar to those of _ the United States: they keep the coasting trade of the coun- _ try exclusively for the national vessels. But though this has been the law in Canada for years it has not had its ex- pected effect of building up a large lake marine. The Can- _ adian tonnage on the lakes, amounting to practically noth- ing as compared with the great fleet of American vessels, has steadily decreased in the last dozen years and of late __ years the only effect of coasting laws has been to deflect the ‘Canadian wheat trade from Canadian ports, especially to- wards the close of navigation when grain shipments are very active. There not being enough Canadian vessels to transport the wheat American steamers had to be called in, _ and as they could not carry it to a port on the Canadian _ side of the lakes they had, perforce, to go to Buffalo. - This year the Dominion Government, by order in council, _ suspended the regulations for the closing part of the season. This was greeted with an outburst of. criticism and the gov- ernment was accused of surrendering valuable privileges to the United States without compensation, and so forth, but the sequel has shown the success of the move. American steamers are now delivering large quantities of wheat at idland, Collingwood and Depot Harbot on Georgian Bay, and this grain is being carried to Montreal by the Canadian railroads. Montreal merchants are holding large stocks of ‘Manitoba wheat and are in daily receipt of orders for it for port. The success of the experiment has been so great that Canada’s coasting regulations will probably hereafter be dead letter on the lakes during the grain shipping season, though they will remain on the statue books and be enforced at other times. _ The total of the estimates submitted by Secretary Gage is -$631,081,994, whieh is $38,033,616 greater then the estimates of the present year, and $34,234,034 in advance of the ap- propriations actually made. Most of the departmental esti- mates have been kept down to the linit of this year’s appro- ‘Priations, if not cut below it, but the War Department asks an increase of $27,000,000, the Navy Department one of $24,- 000,000, and the Interior Department one of $7,000,000. Of e War Department increase, $10,000,000 is for rivers and bors alone.” THE annual report of the Secretary of the Navy is a docu- ment of unusual interest, dealing not only with the work of the navy during the past year and important recommenda- tions for the future, but also discussing the more important questions relating to the navy, including the authorization of eighteen new warships, the imperative need of special legislation in the early days of Congress for armor of the best quality that can be obtained and the proposition that the thanks of Congress be given to the commander-in-chief of the North Atlantic squadron and to the officers and men under his command for the part they took in the naval operations at Santiago. These larger items of the report re- ceived extended attention at the hands of Secretary Long. As to the increase of the navy, he says: ‘The number of large, swift and powerful armored cruisers of great coal endurance in our navy is largely disproportionate to the rest of the navy establishment. The experience of the last year has also shown the need of several smaller vessels usually classed ‘as gunboats. Itis, therefore, recommended that Congress be requested to authorize the construction of the following vessels: First—Three armored cruisers of about 13,000 tons trial displacement of a maximum draft at deep load not to exceed 26 feet, carrying the heaviest armor and most powerful ordnance for vessels of their class, to be sheathed and coppered and to have the highest practicable speed and great radius of action. Second—Twelve gunboats of about 900 tons trial displacement, to be sheathed and coppered; and, third, as recommended a year ago, three protected cruisers of about 8,0oco tons trial displacement, carrying the most powerful ordnance for vessels of their class, to be sheathed and coppered and to have the highest practicable speed and great radius of action. The Secretary asks that if satisfactory bids can not be secured for the new ships, authority be given to build them at the United States navy yards. The Secretary gives a table showing naval construction going on abroad as compared with that in the United States. From this it appears that only Italy and Japan laid down less tonnage than this country during the present year and that Italy alone had less tonnage under construction. The total tonnage under construction is: England 531,680; France, 255,533; Germany, 148,235; Italy, 120,540; Japan, 130,000; Russia, 222,976, United States, 123,236. : OO 2 oe MEMBERS of the New York State Commission on Com- merce and Transportation, who visited Chicago and other Western cities to secure testimony from prominent shippers regarding the decline in New Vork’s commerce and the best means whereby the State can regain its lost trade, have com- pleted their investigation. Alexander R. Smith, secretary to the commission, when asked as to the details of the trip, stated : ‘‘Considering the attitude assumed by the trunk line railroads, it was the unanimous expression of Chicago ship- pers that the salvation of New York’scommerce rested upon the manner of the State’s improvement of its canals. It was also suggested that the railroads, differential against New York and the lighterage and other port charges with the City of New York, should, if legislation could be devised to that end, be largely reduced, if not wiped out. The consen- sus of opinion seemed to be that unless the Erie canal were so enlarged-as to accommodate boats of 30,000 bushels’ capacity, the improved Canadian canals would steadily in- crease the exportation of grain via Montreal and Quebec. or oor THE ‘‘Soo”’ river again blockaded by the Siemens and the St. Clair canal by the Fritz, both casualties happening within the week, points out how easy it is to stop lake traf- fic. There are also other points where similar casualties might occur. The preventative is to have two channels, to be ordinarily used for up and down bound boats. A prominent Cleveland vessel owner has been a strong advo. cate of this improvement for many years past, and his views are more pertinent now than ever. a COLLINGWOOD, Ont., has voted to grant a bonus of $50,000 to the proposed steel shipyards of which Capt. Alex Mc- Dougall, of Duluth, and Messrs. Thomas and J. J. Long and Chas. Cameron, of Collingwood, are the promoters. Work willat once be commenced on the constuction of the yards. ro oo or In past seasons it has been customary for the underwriters to grant trip rates on grain but now they are set against any more winter navigation. It cost them too much a year ago to be forgotten. RIVER AND HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS. Following include river and harbor improvements esti- mated for under continuing contracts, where the sum asked for is $100,000 or more: Buffalo harbor, $116,661 ; Buffalo entrance to Erie basin and Black Rock harbor, $198, 113s Ashtabula harbor, Ohio, $150,000 ; Black river harbor, Ohio, $150,000; Cleveland harbor, $400,000 ; Toledo harbor, $200,- 000; Michigan City harbor, Ind., $195,000 ; Calumet, IIL, harbor, $300,000 ; St. Joseph, Mich: harbor, $330,000 ; hee bor of refuge, Sand Beach, Mich., $2co,coo; Kenosha, Wis., harbor, $141,000 ; harbor of refuge, Milwaukee bay, $105,000, Duluth and Superior harbor, $837,000; Chicago river, $137,- 000; Illinois and Mississippi canal, $1,000,000 ; Detroit river, $300,000; Hay Lake channel, St. Mary’s river, Mich. $294,115 ; waterway from Keweenaw bay to Lake Superior, Mich., $175,000. The total appropriations asked for on account of river and harbor improvements under continuing contract system is $15,582,626, an increase of nearly $10,000,000 above present appropriations. Under the Missouri river commission $1,- 000,000 is asked for, and under the Mississippi river com- mission $3,000,000. “Also the following river and harbor improvements: Grand river, Mich., $100,000; Kalamazoo river, Mich., $135,000 ; Oswego N. Y., $100,000; Tonawanda harbor and Niagara river, N. Y., $100,000; Erie, Pa., $150,000; Cleveland, $160, - 300 ; Conneaut, Ohio, $100,000; Fairport, Ohio, $100,0000; Sandusky, {105,000; harbor of refuge at Milwaukee \bay, $119,000. Fixed aids to navigation to cost over $10,000 each include: Light and fog signal station at Fisherman’s Shoal, Wis., $50,000; same at Pointe aux Barques, Mich., $32,000; Peshtigo Reef, Wis., for light vessel, $15,000; light and fog signal station on Chapman shoal, St. Lawrence river, $25,- 000; same Toledo harbor, Ohio, $37,500; same Middle Island, Lake Huron, $25,000; same Crisp’s Point, Lake Superior, Mich., $18,000; Rock of Ages, Isle Royale, Lake Superior, $50,000; moving light from Eagle river to Sand Hills, Mich., $20,000. eSNG a Mee SA Pe ea ese TO ABROGATE THE TREATY. Congressman Burton, of Cleveland, has introduced a reso- lution in Congress requesting the President and Secre- tary of State to enter into negotiations with Great Britain which shall have as their object the abrogation of the pro- vision of the treaty negotiated in 1817 by that government and the United States which prohibits the construction of warships on the Great Lakes. The resolution was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations and Mr. Burton expects a favorable report. The section of the treaty referred to provides that each of the two nations shall have but one war vessel on the Great Lakes of not more than ninety or one hundred tons burden. It has been observed by both countries, but the time has come in the opinion of Mr. Burton and other members of Congress forits annulment. Some of the largest shipbuild- ing plants in the United States are located on the lakes, and Mr. Burton, like many of his colleagues, believe that they should be given an opportunity to construct some of the ships of war which the Federal Government is adding to the navy The shipbuilders along the lakes, Mr. Burton says, are heartily in favor of the abrogation of this section of the treaty. If the negotiations which the resolution offered calls for are concluded in the manner desired there is no doubt that many of the gunboats and light draft cruisers which will be added to the navy in the future will be built on the lakes. Vessels of at least fourteen feet draft can now be floated from the lakes to the seaboard through the St. Lawrence system of canals, and in this class can be included torpedo boats, torpedo boat destroyers and the other armored vessels specified. In speaking of his resolution Mr. Burton said there was some doubt in his mind as to whether the provisions of the treaty which he desires to have abrogated is really binding on the two parties to the pcneue ws although the Navy Department has ruled that it is —_— rr ee LIFE SAVING SERVICE. The annual report of the life saving service for the fiscal year ended June 30 shows that there were 263 disasters on the Great Lakes during the year, involving vessels valued ‘at $2,856,830, and cargoes with a total valulation of $720,550- , There were 1,454 persons on these vessels when they were wrecked, of whom only 3 lost their lives. The value of property saved was $2,909,225, and of property lost $668, 155. Nine of the disasters reported involved no loss of vessels.