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ee ESTABLISHED 1878. VOL. XXV, No. 3. CLEVELAND -- JANUARY 16, 1902 == CHICAGO. $2.00 Per Year. toc. Single Copy LAKE CARRIERS’ ASSOGIATION. To consider and take action upon all general questions relating to the navigation and carrying business of the Great Lakes, maintain necessary shipping offices and in general to protect the common interests of Lake Car- riers, and toimprove the character of the service rendered to the public. PRESIDENT. A. B. WoLvIN, Duluth. 1ST VICE-PRESIDENT. Capt. J. G. KEITH, Chicago, SECRETARY. CHARLES H. KEEP, Buffalo, TREASURER. GEORGE P. McKay, Cleveland. COUNSEL. HARVEY D. GOULDER, Cleveland. EXECUTIVE AND FINANCE COMMITTEE. JAMES CORRIGAN, Chairn:an, Cleveland. © COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATION. Grieson L Dovetas, Chairman, Buffalo. COMMITTEE ON AIDS TO NAVIGATION. GEORGE P. McKay, Chairman, Cleveland. NAVAL RESERVE BILL, As was stated in the Army and Navy Journal of Jan- uary 4 there is considerable dissatisfaction among the naval militia organizations of the various states over the bill for the establishment of a naval reserve as prepared by the Navy Department and introduced in the House by Representative Foss, Chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs. This week, at the request of the Association of Naval Militia Organizations, the Navy Department has forwarded to Congress the two bills prepared by the Asso- ciation: one defining the relations of the Naval Militia of the several states to the Federal Government, and the other providing for the enrollment and organization of a United States Naval Reserve. The Department has also ‘forwarded the bill for the establishment of a Naval Re- serve as prepared by the General Policy Board. of the Navy. The bill of the Naval Militia Association providing for a Naval Reserve has the following important section: “Members of the United States Naval Reserve shall not be called into active service in time of peace unless they so elect, but they shall perform such duty in the form of drills, exercises or courses of study as the Secretary of the Navy may determine, in which case they shall be sub- ject to the same articles, rules, regulations and penalties and receive the same pay, allowances and privileges as the officers and men of the navy, but no such pay, allowances or penalties shall be in excess of those for the period of duty actually performed by such officers and men. In time of war, or when war is imminent, the President may call into active service any or all of the officers and men of the United States Naval Reserve, and they shall obey such call under the pain and penalty of desertion.” This bill appropriates $200,000 for the expenses of the ‘Reserve and provides “That any vessel commanded by a commissioned officer of the United States Naval Reserve which shall have in her complement at least five other officers or men of the said United States Naval Reserve, shall be known as a United States Naval Reserve Ship and shall have the right to fly a distinctive flag; provided that the color, shape and size of such flag and the manner of flying the same shall be prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy.” : : The bill of the Association defining the relations of the Naval Militia of the several states to the Federal Govern- ment empowers the Secretary of the Navy to appoint an officer of the navy to inspect, drill, etc., all those Naval Militia organizations liable to be called into the service of the government in time of war. The Secretary is also empowered to formulate rules and regulations for the or- ganization, discipline, training, armament and equipment of such State Militia with a view to producing uniformity among the various State Naval Militias and assimilating them to the standard of the United States Navy. It is provided by this bill that in time of war no State Militia organization shall be mustered into the service of the gov- ernment as an organization unless such proportion of its officers and men as may be determined by the Secretary of the. Navy shall for the period of one year immediately preceding said call have maintained the standards provided for in the first section and which are stated above. A bill for the organization of a Naval Reserve has been prepared by the General Policy Board of the Navy. Fol- lowing is a synopsis: : The Reserve shall not exceed 20,000 men, including all grades and ratings. It shall be composed of able-bodied men, who are or who have been connected with a sea- faring life, and other citizens who may pass successfully an examination to be determined by the Navy Depart- ment, The officers shall consist of three classes, including line and engineer: Lieutenants, 300; lieutenants (j. g.), 200; ensign, 1¢c0. The period of enlistments shall be five years, age limit and other qualifications to be determined by the Secretary. The rank of officers and the ratings of enlisted men and their promotion shall be determined by examination, ex- cept in the case of those who distinguish themselves in action or by meritorious service, who may be advanced by the President without examination. Men to supply their own outfit, except that the sleeping outfit during drill terms shall be provided by the government, graduates of the Naval Academy, yacht owners who navigate and man- age their own vessels, and masters of ocean-going steam- ships of Over 3,000 tons may he commissioned without examination. Officers and men of the Naval Reserve shall receive a retaining fee as follows: Lieutenants, $200 per year; lieutenants, junior grade, $150 per year; ensigns, $100 per year; enlisted men not to exceed an average per man of $50 per year. : All shall perform annual drills, not less than thirty days per year, receiving traveling expenses in addition to their pay. Those who cannot serve thirty days continuously may serve for shorter terms of not less than six days until the thirty days have been completed. The Secretary of the Navy may, in his discretion, stop the pay or retaining fee, or both, or any portion thereof, for bad conduct, reported by the commanding officer. Preference for appointment shall be given to veterans of the war with Spain. ‘The names of officers shall be borne upon the Naval Register, and officers shall be permitted to fly a special Naval Reserve flag when commanding mer- chant ships or yachts carrying crews of not less than half the complement (excluding stewards and messmen) of Naval Reserve men. The navy laws and regulations governing pensions and hospital treatment shall apply to the Naval Reserve. Those showing special aptitude may he received, upon their own request, on board cruising men-of-war for a period not exceeding twelve months, performing the duties and re- ceiving the pay and emoluments of officers and men in the navy in addition to their retaining fee. The President shall have power, at his discretion, to call the Naval Reserve into active service in case of war or imminence of war, and while so serving, the pay and emoluments of the regular navy shall be allowed them. Men enrolled in the Naval Reserve shall be regarded as in the service of the United States. Continuous service for fifteen years as a commissioned officer entitles a Re- serve officer to an honorable discharge with the honorary rank and title of the next higher grade. Naval Reserve service exempts from jury and militia duties, and twenty years’ satisfactory service as a petty officer or an enlisted man to exemption from further drill attendance, with the right to still draw the retaining fee and to be admitted to the Sailors’ Home. One hundred thousand dollars is appropriated for the purpose of this bill. The Navy Department will still urge the passage of its own bill which was introduced by Mr. Foss. ror ior — Seamen—Refusal to Perform Contract for Service— Coercion by Imprisonment. Since the passage of Act Dec. 21, 1898 (2 Supp. Rev. St. 897), there is no authority for the imprisonment of a seaman for refusing to further perform his contract for service on a ship when at any port; and such imprisonment at the instance of the master, whether through judicial process or otherwise, is a viola- tion of his personal rights which renders the vessel liable in damages. ‘The South Portland, 111 Fed. Rep. (U. S.) FO, = é ’ GERMAN FORECAST OF AMERICAN COM-. PETITION. Under the title of “The Growing Iron and Coal Ex- ports of the United States,” the Vossiche Zeitung (Ber- lin), of November ti, publishes the following from its correspondent at Essen: In the circle of large operators in the Lower Rhine- Westphalian iron and. ccal district, the efforts of the United States to supp!v the continent of Europe with iron manufactures and coal are regarded. with great interest and growing anxiety. A leading ironmaster of Ruhr district recently expressed himself to a small circle of teclinical colleagues to the effect that within 2 period of ten years. America would be supplying all Mediterranean countries, including Austria-Hungary, with coal and iron. As reasons for this opinion, he stated that no other coun- try can produce and transport iron in enormous auanti- ties so cheaply and under such favorable conditions as the United States. When it is found that the necessary return freight from Europe for their coal ships is wanting, they will build their colliers so that they can wse water ballast on their return voyage. The ccean-freight schedules of all maritime nations will be so depressed by this competition that the item of sea transportation will play practically no role in the economy of -internal trade. It will be then, even more than now, a simple question of which country can produce the most cheaply, and that country, wili, unquestionably, be the United States, with its virgin soil and its inexhaustible mineral resources. An effective protection against this deluge of American products through high tariffs will be impossible, because the United States can dispense entirely with European manufactured merchandise, and thus be in a position to close its frontiers to foreign trade. Europe will then have ut one recourse which can provide any effective resistance to Amcrica, and that will be when all coun- tries here form a close commercial union or league. Otherwise, the material] strength and resources of the contestants will be too unequal. ee NAVAL STATION ON THE LAKES. The Secretary of the Navy on January 6 wrote the following letter to Senator Eugene Hale, Chairman ‘of the Senate Committee on Naval Affairs: “Sir:—The department has under consideration the ad- visability of establishing a naval training station at some suitable place on the Great Lakes where young men en- listed for the Naval Service in the middle west may be assembled and receive preliminary training before being sent to cruising ships. Experience has shown that:a large amount of good material is available in this section for service in the navy, and the establishment of a training station in the vicinity referred to will, it is thought, in- duce the enlistment of a large number of men, and there- by advance the interests of the navy. Some of those who have heretofore enlisted, however, have been found, after a few months’ training, to be wholly unsuited for seafaring life, thus necessitating their discharge. A weeding-out process at a training station would, therefore, be advan- tageous for the men and for the economy and best in- terests of the service. Naval training stations are now in successful operation at Yerba Buena Island, San Fran- cisco, Cal., and Newport, R. I.. and another is in process of establishment at Pert Roval, S. C. The location of one on the Great Lakes where, with the adjacent country, an excellent field exists for the enlistment of desirable men, would result in great benefit to the naval service. In otder to initiate the establishment of such a> station, a draft of an amendment suitable for insertion in the Naval Appropriation Bill for the forthcoming fiscal year is trans- mitted herewith, and commended to the favorable consid- eration of the Committee.” a Navigation returns at Montreal show a falling off in foreign going ships and tonnage this year. ‘The figures are: 1896, 516 ships; 1899, 434 ships; 1900, 416 ships; 1901, 396 ships. The tonnage decreased from 1,038,234 tons in 1900 to 988,018 tons in 1901. ‘There has been a slight increase in the business with lower ports. The number of vessels in 1900 was 271; 1901, 288, but in 1899 there were 344 vessels. The tonnages were, 18090, 402,325; 1900, 327,550; LOCI, 412,310.