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1950 WAS OUTSTANDING YEAR FOR GREAT LAKES COMMERCE The season of 1950 will take its place among the great years in Great Lakes shipping, according to John T. Hutchinson, president of the Lake Carriers' Association. In the movement of the four commodities in 1950, iron ore, coal, grain and limestone, one new all-time record was set—for limestone—and in three other statistical brackets the season placed second only to 1948 among peacetime years. Only three years in the long history of the lakes—1948, 1944 and 1942—exceeded the total tonnage of ore, coal, grain and limestone moved by the freighters in the short May-to-December season recently ended. A summary of tonnages carried in the 1950 season follows: IRON ORE—78,205,681 gross tons. Sixth largest volume in history, second largest in peacetime. Compares with 69,556,269 gross tons in 1949 and 82,937,192 gross tons in 1948. COAL—57,640,222 net tons. Fourth largest movement in history, second largest in peacetime. Compares with 40,929,565 net tons in 1949 and 60,563,530 net tons in 1948. GRAIN—9,324,647 net tons. Smallest volume since 1942. Compares with 12,542,565 net tons in 1949 and 9,876,880 net tons in 1948. LIMESTONE—23,395,011 net tons. A new all-time record. Compares with 20,322,136 net tons in 1949 and 22,282,425 net tons in 1948, the previous record. TOTAL—177,950,243 net tons. The second largest volume for a peacetime year. Compares with 151,697,287 net tons in 1949 and 185,612,490 net tons in 1948. OIL PIPE LINE TO SUPERIOR COMPLETED The recent announcement of the completion of an 1,100 mile oil pipeline from Edmonton, Alberta, to Superior, Wis., by the Inter-provincial Pipe Line Co., means that by spring oil will be arriving at Superior, for transhipment over Great Lakes routes at the rate of 95,000 barrels a day. First oil was slated to arrive in Superior in November. FORD MOVES BRAZILIAN ORE INTO GREAT LAKES AREA It is estimated that by the end of this season the Ford Motor Co. of Detroit will have moved via the St. Lawrence River a total of 51 cargoes or totaling more than 100,000 gross tons of high grade Brazilian ore. The Ford Motor Co. first began using Brazilian ore in 1948, mixing it with lower grade domestic ores. In 1949 50,000 tons were received. An official of the Ford Motor Co. revealed that Brazilian ore had been shipped by rail in winter months in the past, but enough tonnage will be on hand this year to discontinue that practice. ELEVATIONS OF GREAT LAKES ABOVE SEA LEVELS Higher water elevations are recorded for January on the Great Lakes, figured against low water datum, as reported by the U. S. Hydrographic office. Lake Superior Michigan Huron Erie Ontario Ft. Above Mean Am't Higher Sea Level 1.10 602.70 1.08 579.58 1.08 579.58 1.97 572.47 2.44 246.44