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THE MARINE RECORD. The Marine Record. Eatered according to the laws of the United States at the Post Office at Cleveland as second-class matter. Published weekly at No. 2 South Water street, Cleveland, Ohio. A. A. POMEROY, Editor aud Proprietor, BRANCH OFFICE, STREET, 244 SOUTH WATER CHICAGO, TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: One year, postage paid. Six months, postage Invariably in advance, The MARINE RECORD can be found for sale at the following places No. 2 South Water street, Cleveland. Joseph Gray, 284 South Water street, Chicago. D. MeMasters & Co., Surnia, Ontario, Ww. Godley anaba, Michigan. J. Somerville, Manistee, Michigan, Articles, letters and queries on all subjects are solici- ted. B@-The Editor assumes no responsibility for the opinions of correspondents. To insure notice, Contributors must give name and address, and write on one side of the paper only. ADVERTISING RATES. Ten cents per- line, nonpareil measurement, or $1.20 per inch, each insertion; four weeks $4.00; with a liberal discount on orders amounting to $40.00 or over. ‘THE Navtical Gazette says plans and speci- fications tor several fine steamers have been sent out for service in the West India trade to compete with the Atlas Line. ‘THE Seaman’s Union on Monday adopted a resolution to memoralize Congress to found a home somewhere on the lakes for decrepid sailors. We trust it will meet the favorable consideration of Congress. PRINTED copies of the proceedings of the jast annual meeting of the National Board of Steam Navigation are now ready for distri- bution. Vessel owners and others who wish a copy should address C. H. Boyer, Secreta~ ry, 90 Wall Street, New York City. One of the leading steamship companies of Italy has decided to accept proposals it has received from London for the services ot ten first-class engineers. ‘he terms are $80, $90 and $100 per month, according to the work required. The engagement is for a year cr six months at the company’s pleasure, It is understood that the terms are less than those hitherto paid Italians. A MOVEMENT is on foot, under the direc- tion ot E. W. Gouid, president of the Na- tional Board of Steam Navigation, to amend the Jaw pertaining to marine hospitals look- ing toward their support. by appropriations from the national treasury. This, we think is eminently proper. We do not see why the seaman shculd be taxed to support an institution that is directly under the control of the Government, especially as many of those upon whom the tax is levied never go to the hospital. THE Chicago customs house inakes the tol- lowing exhibit of coal receipts by lake dur- ing the past two weeks, all having been re ported since November 30: From Buffalo, hard, 24,610 tons; from Charlotte, hard, 1,622 tons; from Cleveland, soft, 3,300 tons; from Ashtabula, soft, 1,300 tons; from Os- wego, hard, 500 tons; total, 21,332 tons. The cargoes of grain taken out since November 30th aggregate 380,000 bushels. ‘The receipts of lumber since November 30th aggregate 4,900,000 feet. Ir the weather continues mild, or is . . mild at intervals during the remainder of this month, the underwriters hope to save several more of the stranded craft. The res- cue of the steamship John B. Lyon, the Hazard, the Harry E. Packer, the R. A. Packer, the schooner J. I, Case, the George C, Finney, the great propeller Avon, the steamship HKred Mercur, the schooner Red, White and Blue, the Henry C. Richards, the Butts, the monster barge Rutter, the fine steamer Keweenaw, the fine propellers Ny- ark, and St. Paul, and the numerous other eraft, bas made a great difference in the “tonnage passing out,’ during 1883, and has saved the urderwriters from $600,000, to $700,000. During the succession of great gales, and since then, it looked very much | trom the large uumber of the best craft stranded, as if the tonnage of the lakes in 1884 would positively fall short of the re- quirements of commerce. As seen, however, a great muny of the cratt have been rescued and the underwriters hope to save many more. In the Seaman’s International Union on Saturday the report of the committee wag adopted condeming the Forty-seveuth Con. gress for not passing the bill introduced in that body for the better protection of life and property on the great lakes, declaring that many lives and a large amount of pro- perty have been sacrificed since on account «f culpable negligence of Congress in re- fusing to take action on the subject. Res- olutions were appended to the report earnestly demanding of the present Con- gress to pass some meusures to protect pro- perty and lite on the great lakes, declaring that all vessels steam or gail, should be pro- perly manned; that the sanitary conditions of sleeping apartments on vessels should be looked after; that the hulls of sailing vessels as Well as steam should be inspected and condemned if not sea worthy. ‘The report and the resolutions were adopted. ‘The union closed its business ‘Tuesday. SUBSIDIES TO SHIPBUILDERS. A bill bas been introduced in Congress by Mr. Rosecrans to encourage the building of American iron and steel steamers, ‘It. pro- vides for postal subsidies of not more than five million dollars per annum to the ‘own- ers of steamers built in the United States, after its passage, of iron and steel manu- factured in the United States. Under pro- per limitation as to traffic and the necessury safeguards against fraud and peculation, we favor the subsidizing of shipbuilding. ‘lo successfully compete with other govern- ments, particularly Great Britain, that do subsidize shipbuilders, there seems to be no other method, If we cannot find a market abroad tor our iron and steel we should make one at home if possible. Protection keeps up the prices ‘of iron and steel, but protec- tion does not find sale for it out of the country; indeed, it rather keeps it out of other countries. With high priced labor there must come a day when we shall have to stop manutacturing unless it can be con- sumed at home. ‘These things are inevitable and the best way to do is to look them equare- ly in the face. It is our province, as far as we are able, to analyze the great questions now before the country, free trade and protec- tion, in all their bearings upon the maritime interests. One paper says.that *‘we are told that free trade in England is shutting us out of the markets of the South American States. The simple truth about this is that we have a rapidly growing market at home for a very large proportion of the articles thet are manufactured upon our own soil, while England is forced to seek foreign mar- kets to give employment to her people.” | This is a very good specimen of the manner in which partisan papers shuffle around vital questions which they dare not tell the truth about. Itis quite true that England is-a vast workshop and is obliged to find foreign markets for her manufactures, and this is her glory and her gain, even it she finds it necessary to subsidize the build- ers of ships that carry them to foreign coun- tries. But is it true that we have a rapidly growing home market for our manufactures ? Is it not true that we are in a torpid state of over-production, and that the leaders of both political parties acknowledge the evils that too much pretection has brought us to? Are not our iron mills especially in a coma- tose condition? And must we await the formation of a home market to relieve over- production and start up our shops agaiu? [t is possibly true that we shall have to do so, because England undersells us everywhere. To become a manufacturing people is the ultimate end of every progressive country. Agriculture is the primitive stage, manufac- | ture the progressive one, and wealth and the | arts the highest one. If it is objected that England does not get along better with free trade, the answer is that she is combatting the protective systems of several of the most | prominent nations on the globe, but it is nevertheless true that she occupies the fore- most progressive position. But we areina transition state and the change must come ‘gradually. he immediate question, that which prompted this advocacy of subsidies, is relief to our iron and steel manufacturers, | tn order to compete with foreign cheap la- bor in shipbuilding, we‘ must subsidize American builders, and to subsidize only the builders of iron ships is to “kill two birds with one stene,’’ put vessels on the seas at a capital to compete with foreign ships and re- lieve our iron makers at the same time. ‘The expedient is a temporary one and not a log- ical one, but its practice for a few years can do no harm and must dotmuch good. THE LIFE SAVERS, Immediately preceding our report of dis- asters on the Jakes during the season of 1883 it would be well to take a glance at the part which the recognized life saving crews have taken in lightening the loss of lite and prop- erty. Duritg ell these terrible gales and the dangers incident to them, which have raged on the Jakes during the season just ended, the life savers have given their aid witha freedom and recklessness that makes them admirable for their hardihood and efficiency, Being inured to the element with which they battle, their strength of conrage enables. them to face: the dangers that beset them with perfect coolness, relying-each upon the other for the assistance they would stand in need of should a crisis arise, so perfect is their discip’ine and fortitude. Often in the face of death have they manned their frail boat and gone out in the breakers and high rolling waver to the stranded vessels, and al- ways are they welcomed with joy and a feel ing of confidence by the mariners whose only hope is a lire froin :he shore at. the hands of |) these brave men. ‘They deserve every hon- or, and are worthy to be fostered by the Government through the winter months even if they are not likely to be called into active. service. ‘The stranding of the Sophia Minch in one of the most damaging gales that has swept the lakes for .years, and that of the J. B. Merrill the following night in nearly the same spot, is still fresh in the minds of our readers. For forty-eight hours the Cleve- land life savers labored without intermission, gaining the enviable reputation of saving the life of every man on board of. bath ves- sels. But the good work did not end here. Only a few days intervened before the schooner John ‘I’. Johnson was cast’ up in the same place and by the same storm, which was of great duration. We have also de scribed the dangers attending this last res- cue, the lifeboat being capsized and every member of the crew being thrown into the sea; how they again returned to the work jand succeeded in placing a line by which the crew of the stranded vessel passcd safely to the shore. This is but an instance of the valuable aid given by the several crews, and all the stations on the lakes have been-equal ly efficient, some, however, having more oc- casion for effort than others. Again we say, let the Government hold these men in em- ploy that the merchant marine of the lakes may have men of experience in lite saving at all the stations from year to year. BUFFALO’S LAKE TRADE. The Buffalo Commercial Advertiser com- ments as follows on the annual exhibit of the lake trade for that port for 1883. ‘The east- ward movement of flour and grain and the westward movement of ‘coal and coarse freights have been very large. ‘Ihe receipts of all kinds of grain, including flour, reach 76,540,000 bushels, to 58,757,000 last year, and 61,183,000 in 1881. The imports of lumber ag- gregate 237,729,000 feet, which is about three million feet less than the receipts of last year, and a trifle more than the receipts of 1881. In the westward movement of coal and ce- ment the increase has been very heavy. ‘Ten years ago the total shipments of coal from Buflalo by lake was 390,564 tons; this year it was 1,259,528 tons, or nearly four times as great. The growth of the trade has been steady and rapid. ‘The present prospect is that the development for the next ten years will be even greater than during the past decade. ‘There is no mistaking the signs that Buffalo is destined to be an immense coal-distributing point. The Importance of this black diamond trade to the vessel inter- ests may be inferred from the fact ‘that freights opened at 60 cents a ton, April 25th, and ranged from that point to 85 cents, to | October 16th, when they jumped to $1.00, and ranged between that point and $1.50 to the close of the season, The average freight was about 83 cents a ton, ‘That means that vessels obtained over a million dollars for transporting coal the past season, In a close contest for the grain trade this would bea most important consideration, ‘Che ship- ments of cement have also been large, reach- ing 230 035 barrels, or fitty per cent. in ex- cess of the best previous year. ‘I'he average freight on wheat from Chicago to Buffalo for the season, was 3.4 cents a bushel, the highest average since 1880. ‘hese figures are sufficient evidence that the owners of vessels must have realized pretty well from their property during the year. ‘This is par- ticularly true of the large and economical carriers, ‘There is considerable profit in 3.4 cents freight for a vessel carrying 75,000 bushels, ‘The same is true of an 83-cent freight on coal. ‘The statistics of shipbuild- ing also show well forthe port. In all 3,066 tons of new vessel tonnage were constructed during the year just closing. Se ee MARINE INSURANCE. The president of the board of trade in England intends at the next session to in- troduce reforms in the law relating. to ma- tine insurance, ‘The ‘Toronto Mail, com- menting on the subject, says there has been developed an aspect of marine insurance on the inland seas which demands immediate attention: ‘From certain facts which have come to light It appears as if insurance com- panies are not suffering so much from taking risks, as frum some of the'r own employes, men whom one might suppose would be the last persons in the world to indulge in such practices. Connected with every marine ‘insurance company there is an official whose duty it.is, whenever a wreck takes place, to repair to it and look after the salvage on be- half of his companies. Many of these men do their work honestly, with credit to them- selves‘ and benetit to the institutions they represent.” But there are others, who, in- stead of doing the square thing, take the goods from a wrecked vessel and dispose.of | them for their own benefit. A notable case in point has been brought to light in this city” by. the recent wreck of the steamer Ontario on “ake Huron. That vessel, it 18. well known, had goods on her valued at $60,000 or $70,000. When the news.of the wreck became known a crowd of so-called salvage men were soon on the spot ready to lay hands on the cargo. By the action of these parties the greater part of the goods were sent down +o this city, ortensibly for the purpose of be- ing disposed of for the benefit of the under- writers. Instead of the whole of the goods being sold, it is stated that a portion of them have been mysteriously spirited away. Por- tions of them have found their way out of the country, while others, it is believed, will be found in the houses of some of the agents and inspectors who are supposed to be act- ing for the benefit of the different companies, While the Board of ‘Trade in England is moy- ing to checkmate the glaring frauds perpe- trated on the ocean, the question paturally arises whether it would not be well to ex- tend such a move to our inland seas. ‘This is a fitting subject beth for the Board of Un- derwriters and the Board of Trade to deal with. If energetic measures were instituted by which this practice could be put an end to, the small proportion of salvage now real- ized from wrecks would be largely increased, the stockholders of the different companies would have no cause to complain at the small amount of profit derived from the marine business, while the public at large would feel a sense of security which under existing circumstances cannot exist. ‘I'o prevent any- thing of the kind arising the natural way out of the difficulty appears to be in permit- ting the underwriters’ auctioneer only to handle salvage. If the parties interested only knew what was to their benefit they would insist on this. ‘The whole subject is a fitting one for inquiry, not only by our commercial boards, but by the shareholders of the companies themselves,” THE MARINE ENGINEERS. The members of Cleveland association No. 2 held their first’ meeting of the season last Thursday evenirg, the 13th inst. ‘There was a full attendance and much pleasure was ex- perienced in taking each other by the hand after the duties of the summer. ‘The greet- ings over, the business of the meeting was proceeded with, after which they adjourned to meet every Thursday evening at 7:30 un- lil further notice. They extend an invita- fon to sister associations to eall and see them, i ss i i ets ea Ns Se etd rs _