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any mutual tariff. It was also stated that most of the risks placed the latter part of April had been taken at about 15 per cent. off the tariff, and that the first five days in December had been thrown in freely. _ Now it appears that the western agents have made some sort of agreement to continue on the basisjust mentioned. But how can they do so? Owners who may start their vessels now, or on May 15, or there- after, cannot be expected to pay as high rates as did those who began sail- ingin April. And they will not do so. The anxiety will be on the side of the underwriters, and they will have to make further and proper _ reductions in rates. It is rather amusing that the demand for a restoration of rates should have come from Chicago, where the cutting business was started. r Chicago, too, did the principal kicking against the classification and valuation in the new hull register. Judging from the talk that came from that windy port, the register would have to be revised from begining to end. It was not a little remarkable, therefore, that not a word was said in any of the meetings about those classifications or valuations. The MARINE REVIEW already has explained how that part of the work was done for the register by a committee appointed by the general agents. Capt. Daniel McLeod, manager of the register, will in his first supplement increase the valuations of a few vessels that were made lower by his co- appraisers than he thought fair. Otherwise the register will stand. An Idle Fleet—Labor’s Merry War. Special Correspondence to the MARINE REVIEW. MILWAUKEE, Wis., May 7.—If any additional proof of the general dullness in the iron business,and consequently in the iron ore trade, were © wanting it is afforded by the Inter-Ocean Transportation Company. The headquarters of this company are in Milwaukee, and its fine fleet of. steamers winter here. Ordinarily, these steamers are the first to reach HBscanaba in the spring, and among the latest to load there in the fall. They deliver ore to the Illinois Steel Company exclusively, at Milwaukee, at South Chicago, and at North Chicago. This season the 7th of May has been reached without any stiron the part of the fleet, nor is Manager Ricketson able to say when the order to move will be given. This inactivity is mainly attributable to the fact that the Illinois Steel Com- pany has yet made no purchases of ore, there being a difference of 5ocents per ton between purchasers and sellers. Besides, the steel company is in no haste to rush ore into stock pending the continuance of the coke strike. Meanwhile the Inter-Ocean steamers are fitted out ready for busi- ness, with their crews on hand awaiting orders. A very pretty fight has been going on at this port for some time, be- tween the Lakefaring Men’s Assembly, Knights of Labor, and the branch Seamen’s Benevolent Associaiion, organized under the auspices of General President Elderkin, under Federation of Labor auspices. Presi- dent Dolan, through personal influence, holds the Lakefaring Men’s Assembly together in the face of certain defeat in the end, because his bread and butter obtained without manual labor, depends upon the’ posi- tion he holds, and he therefore clings to it as a drowning man clings to a straw. Dolan opened the ball early in April by inspiring an assault upon the mate of the schooner Penobscot, who is a benevolent association member. This brought retaliation in Chicago and elsewhere by a refusal to recognize Dolan’s cards and a refusal also to sail with men belonging to his assembly. But Dolan is full of expedients, and does not hesitate to bring them into play, no matter how unscrupulous they may be. Accord- ingly, he has managed to return a powerful blow through the Lumber Shovers’ Union, a Knights of Labor organization, by inducing the mem- bers to refuse to unload vessels which carry Elderkin crews. In this way the schooners Conquest, Coral and barge Grace Grummond were held with their cargoes on board throughout Monday and the greater part of Tuesday. Now the benevolent association seamen threaten to place rival gangs of lumber shovers in the field as a means of punishment for Dolan’s “aiders and abettors.” And thus the battle goes on. Thus far the present season but little coal has been landed here, and nothing has consequently been heard of “queer work” on the part of members of the Coal Heavers’ Union. Their exactions last season resulted in a threat on the part of the North- western Fuel Company to employ non-union men during 1891, and this threat has now been enforced. ‘Thus the union has no foot-hold in two of the largest yards located here—the Coxe Brothers and the Northwestern Fuel Company—with a fair prospect of losing some of the large yards. The fleet of grain and ore carriers which wintered here is slowly going into commission. The vessels are taking mainly grain cargoes from Chicago. The only vessel loaded here this week was the steamer George H. Dyer, at 134 cents for 55,000 bushels of wheat and rye to Buffalo. Names of Davidson’s’ “Big Four’—Other Shipyard News. Special Correspondence to the MARINE REVIEW. 4 Wes? Bay City, Mich., May 7.—The Davidson “Big Four” will be named the City of Berlin, City of Paris, City of London and City of Glas- gow. The City of Berlin will be the first launched, Saturday, May 9, being set as thedate. All four of the vessels will hail from Milwaukee. Capt. MARINE REVIEW. 7 Davidson refuses to say, however, who will be the owners, although it is thought here that Ferdinand Schlesinger will have an extensive interest in the fleet. A small tug for Alpena parties is nearly completed at David- son’s yard. The “Big Four” are fitted with “Providence” steam capstans and windlasses. The launch of the steamship Mackinaw, in two sections from Wheeler & Co.’s yard, Saturday afternoon, was a complete success. The after se tion, containing the boilers and machinery, was the first to be launch In sliding down the ways the stern went considerably ahead of the , ward part, and when the keel struck the water that portion of the gave a big lurch that made the spectators think that she was going i size, but in a moment she began to right, and it was seen that this par. o! the launch was a success. Within halfan hour the forward section was ready to launch, and this time the hull tipped so farthat the water ran over ‘the gunwale, but over 100 tons of ballast had been placed in her hold, and | this weight served to bring the vessel, or part of a vessel, on an even keel again. The two parts of the vessel will be towed to Montreal, where they will be put together in the same manner as was the Keweenaw. The builders think that by launching the boat in halves and towing her to Montreal, instead of placing her in a Buffalo dry dock to be cut in two, that they will save about $5,000 in the cost of getting the ship to the sea- board and that fully two weeks of time will be saved. The passenger steamer F. & P. M., No. 1, is at Wheeler & Co.’s fora thorough overhaul- ing. Work on a steel twin screw steamer for the Nicaragua Canal Company will be commenced in a short time by Wheeler & Co. With the excep- tion of repair work on several steamers, that is the only work in sight at that yard now. Capt. Davidson intimates that he will not let the grass grow in his yard this year, but just what he intends to dois a conundrum. The Monohansett will be here in a few days and will be given an ovet- hauling before being put into commission by Capt. Davidson, her new owner. + ; Transhipment Rebates—Canadian Marine. Special Correspondence to the MARINE REVIEW. KINGSTON, Ont., May 7.—The Montreal corn exchange is now very quiet with regard to the government’s refusal to give a rebate of tolls on grain transhipped for Montreal at Ogdensburg. _ ‘the memb e- ing spoken to said that the silence of the trade is due to t while the government does not openly authorize the rebate, the payment of it will be winked at, and the tollon grain going through the Welland canal to Ogdensburg for Montreal, will be just the same as last year. There will soon be grain at Ogdensburg for transhipment to Montreal and the question will then be settled. James Richardson & Sons, of this city, lost their $12,000 elevator at Chatham, with several thousand bushels of wheat by fire recently. The lumber mills in this section have been put in operation in conse- quence of a demand for lumber which sprang up recently. The demand now for sawed lumber is greater than for years, and some of the mills will run night and day. Conditions at Toledo. Special Correspondence to the MARINE REVIEW. ToLEDO, O., May 7.—A good sized fleet is here unable to obtain car- goes. There is very little grain for shipment from this port. In the coal trade the strike which was threatened for May 1 held shipments back, as most of the coal being mined was disposed of to the railroad companies and other places where it could be used toavert a coal famine if the strike came. There is but little coal on the Toledo wharves at present, but the companies say that they will now get it here as fast as needed. Rates have not yet been settled and charters made thus far have been at about the same rates that prevailed last year, 50 cents to Lake Superior ports and 60 cents to Lake Michigan. Most of the ore that was left on Toledo wharves last fall has been disposed of during the winter and there is plenty of room. S. C. Schenck, of the Lackawanna, is still bringing large quantities of hard coal from Buffalo at 30 cents. Official Numbers and Tonnage. The bureau of navigation, William W. Bates, commissioner, assigned official numbers to the following lake vessels during the week ending May 2: Steam—Griffin, Marquette, Mich., 8,144.56 tons gross, 1,526.50 net, No. 86,140; Wawatam, Marquette, Mich., 1,856.44 tons. gross, 1,526.50 net, No. 81,324; W. H, Gilcher, Sandusky, O., 2,414.64 tons gross, 1,986.70 net, No. 81,326; Marina, Cleveland, O., 2,431.71 tons gross, 1,992.03 net, No. 92,282; Keweenaw, New York, N. Y., (built at West Bay City, Mich.), 2,511.40 tons gross, 2,004.25 net, No. 161,010, signal letters, K.J. H. T.; George Cooper, Milwaukee, Wis., 53-90 tons gross, 26.95 net, No. 86,142; H. J. Warren, Buf- falo. N. Y., 34.58 tons gross, 17.29 net, No. 96,106; J. W. Ward, Chicago,IL, 40 93 tons gross, 29.84 net, No. 76,940; R. T. Roy, Cleveland, O., 23.54 tons gross, 15.92 net, No. 110,910; W. H, Hill, Erie, Pa., 14.31 tons gross, 7.15 net, No. 81,325,