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A. of an- Some days ago people were saying Aitken, H. Young; Collingwood, Roy and believing that spring was here, Burke, James Kirk; Donnacona, Jas. but if they had taken a walk along Reoch, R. R. Foote; Emperor, J. A. the waterfront yesterday they would Brown, I. J. Boynton; Gleneagles, D. have changed their minds immedi- W. Bui ately. It was a dreary, desolate, forebid-ding place and when rain fell heavily about 11 a.m., sprinkled with hail, workmen ceased their outdoor labors and a further gloom settled about the district. But whether spring is actually here or not there are signs of life aboard many of the steamboats which have been tied up there for the winter. The advance guard of cooks and engineers have arrived on many of the vessels and are expected to arrive to commence work on the others this week. The Northland Steamship Co. Ltd. grain carrier Sarnian, tied up at the Toronto Elevator's dock, has the engineers aboard her getting ready, as, also the Norris Steamship Limited's James B. Eades. They started yesterday morning. Officials of these companies told The Telegram that the | vessels were expected to clear the Toronto port on their first trip of the season between April 15 and 20, "according to the.weather." On almost all the Canada Steam-, ship boats tied up here the engineers have arrived, together with the cooks. EARLY, MEDIUM OR LATE? All of which brings up the question, ' "When will navigation open?" This is a very debatable question at the present time, for some steamship officials declare that it will be late, others say it will be early, while. yet another group contend it will be "about usual." Reports from Port Colborne indicate that, due to the heavy ice pile-up, the season will be late opening. Capt. J. S, Meisner of the Sarnia Steamship Company expresses this view. Canada Steamship officials declare there is no reason for a late opening. The floods have taken the ice away and the lakes should be open the same time as usual, they say. Montreal reports an early season, due to the fact that the snow is melting there almost a month before average. Lar y Hill, back from Fort William to rejoin his vessel, declares the head of the lakes will be open later this year than for several years. The icebreaker is going to work this week, he said, but he was given to understand that the ice is four feet thick in the Sault River. Toronto's harbor master thinks it will be late. The buoys for Toronto harbor will not be placed before April 15, he thought. Last year the buoys were placed in position on April 6. Your guess is as good as any, apparently. C.S.L. APPOINTMENTS Chief officers of twenty-seven of the upper lakes steamers and freighters of the Canada Steamships Lines have been announced by A. J. Lin-"tiot, division manager. Five of the hips, the Hagarty, Beaverton, Fernie, Saskatoon and Winnipeg, have been wintering at the head of the lakes, and their engineers will arrive April first, to place the ships in readiness for the opening of navigation, which is not expected until about the end sf the month. Captain T. H. Johnston will be in charge of the Hamonic, package freight and passenger steamer, with John McHattie as chief engineer. Captain Peter McKay will return to the bridge of the Noronic, flagship of the line, with Joseph McLeod as chief engineer. Appointments on the other ships, with captains named first and chief engineersjsej^mji^ajaLAsJMroft^H. J- W. Burke, George Price; Goderich, J. J. Dube, P. Eagles; Hagarty, J.' F. Davis, J. M. Kennedy; Lemoyne, C. E. Robinson, D. A. Sinclair; Osier, O. M. Wing, M. Dedman; Prescott, A. F. Maclennan, M. Manner; Stadacona, J. H. Hudson, James McGregor; West-mount, W. H. Montgomery, C. Le-riche; Beaverton, E. J. Shannon, R. Sinclair; Calgarian, H. Baxter, J. Brooks; Canadian, E. Corcoran,—; Edmonton, Roy Anderson, A. J. O'Brien; Fernie, Alex. Wilson, J. R. Naudie; Kenora, P. J. Stinson, R. W. Howes; Lethbridge, W. J. Holler, W. C. Spencer; , Saskatoon, Thomas McLeod, F. Lumley; Selkirk, E. F. Raeburn, D. S. Simons; Weyburn, —, R. H. Isbester; Winnipeg, H. A. Patterson, J. A. McDonald; Kenvoyle, T. S. Patterson, H. Myler; Huronic, W. Taylor, H. H. Moore. City of Hamilton, J. A. Lepine, N. J. O'Brien; City of Kingston, A. Francis, L. E. Spencer; City of Montreal, N. Legault, H. Paus; City of Toronto, M. J. Corkey, A. P. Norris; City of Windsor, J. Ferguson, M, J. Sherman. MORE APPOINTMENTS Appointments of chief officers several other companies were ; nounced as follows: Tree Line Navigation Co. Ltd., whose vessels wintered at Kingston and are now being fitted: Beechbay, Jules LeBlanc, captain, Arthur Fu-gere, chief engineer; Cedarbay, Paul Morinville, captain, Louis Morinville, chief engineer; Elmbay, Allan H. Dixon, captain, Thomas Kennedy, chief engineer; Maplebay, Roderick Graham, captain, John A. Lentz, chief engineer; Pinebay, Archibald N. Hogue, captain, Romeo Marchand, chief engineer; Poplarbay, Albert J. Hogue, captain, Joseph B. Marchand, chief engineer; Sprucebay, John R. Montgomery, captain, Thomas S. Wilson, chief engineer; Teakbay, Clarence E. Kennedy, captain, Robt. Gibson, chief engineer; Willowbay, Wilfred E. Ogg, captain, Albert Gagne, chief engineer. Northland Steamship Co. Ltd.: Sarnian, A. H. Peterson, captain, Gilbert Miller, chief engineer. Norris Steamships Limited: James ' B. Eades, Frank Harpell, captain, Geo. Miller, chief engineer; Barge 137, John Hanley, captain, Ralph Cuffe, chief engineer. Upper Lakes & St. Lawrence Transportation Co.; Brown Beaver, A. W. Beatty, captain, Hector Adams, chief engineer; Grey Beaver, R. L. Hindman, captain, A. Carrier, chief engineer. TUG OPENS NAVIGATION Goderich, March 31 (Special)—The tug Donald Mac, Capt. R. Longe, of the Morgan Fishing Company, Kincardine, set a record for the last quarter century for the early opening of navigation at this port when it cleared for Kincardine yesterday. The tug made an unusual run on its trip here on January 9, which was . before the late freeze-up. It was chartered by Capt. E. Robinson to break ice around steamers with winter cargoes in the harbor here. Yesterday the ship skirted ice fields on its 30-mile trip to Kincardine. Captain Longe, it is expected, will receive the traditional silk hat for opening the 1936 navigation season at Kincardine, WATER LEVELS. Lake water levels, to-day 244 feet 7% inches; yesterday 244 feet 9 inches; one year ago to-day 243 feet 8 inches. In computing lake levels, mean sea level at New York is taken _as_zero,__________:_________ RFRONT. There's elation amongst Great Lakes mariners these Jdays, or at least amongst those who are in Toronto, waiting for the season to open, their jobs already secure. The unexpected has happened. There are salary increases floating around. As yet the men are speaking of the raises in whispered tones. It is just a rumor; they say, and are not sure, as the companies have not announced the increases. However, The Telegram learned from an authoritative source to-day \ that a certain Montreal company is .about to announce a higher wage : scale for their seamen and other companies will follow suit. Several Toronto companies were approached, by The Telegram regarding the matter, but the officials would neither confirm nor deny the rumor. Several officials of other companies stated that they have been considering the question, but had not come to a,decision. "The raises will be very small, of course," the manager of one concern declared. "We cannot afford to hand out substantial raises at this time, but it is understood that some firms have definitely decided on a higher wage scale." Wages paid to seamen on the Great Lakes have been a controversial point for several years past, and it was this one item which was the. cause of the general strike of seamen last season. Although the strike was admittedly a failure, some seamen striking and others not, union men are to-day clapping themselves on the back, for they claim the raises are given as the result of the strike, Last season the wage rates in most companies were: Wheelsmen and oilers, $50 per month; firemen, $45 per month; watchmen, $40 per month; deckhands and assistant cooks, $35 per month; chief cook, $85 per month. NO GRAIN FREIGHT SCALE It was thought that during the winter months company heads would get together and set a schedule rate for grain carrying, but the winter has passed and no "get-together" of the various company officials has been held. This coming season, the same as last season, each company will be carrying grain from the head of the lakes to Owen Sound, Toronto, Montreal and other ports, at their own individual rates, the cheapest possible. "Yes, we shall be cutting one another's throats again this year," a prominent Toronto shipping man informed The Telegram, with a half smile. Efforts had been made, he said, to bring the officials together but the attempts were futile. A rate scale for grain carrying was set at a meeting of steamship officials last winter, and it is understood all members present agreed to abide by the scale. But before the season was two weeks old price-cutting in freight rates started. In all probability this is the reason why the firms c.ould not come together on a set freight scale this year. BACK TO TRADE? There is another rumor on the waterfront to the effect that two vessels which have been tied up in the ship channel for three or four years will be fitted out and placed in commission on the Great Lakes again. One of the vessels was at one time one of the largest sailing the lakes, and if put back in commission will retain the old standing. ANOTHER"ALGO"BOAT The freighter Home Smith, which has been tied up at the foot of York street all winter with a grain cargo, will be rechristened when the season opens, it was learned to-day. She is owned by the Algoma Central Steamship Lines, and while the name by which she will in future be known could not be learned, it is said she will be "Algo" something or other. The same company owns the Algo-steel and Algocen, and it is in keeping with these two that the vessel will be named. DUE FOR DRYDOCK Two of the British American Oil tankers are clearing the Port of Toronto about April 19 for Kingston Dry Dock. They are going in for the annual inspection. They are the Biitamlube and Britamoco. The rest, of the B.A. fleet will clear Toronto harbor around April 24. Engineers have been working on the boats, fitting out, since March' 17, and a few sailors are doing some chipping and scraping work on the fleet. IMPERIAL OIL APPOINTMENTS Imperial Oil Company announced their appointments of chief officers to-day as follows: Acadialite, J. E. Jenkins, captain; G. Vollick, chief, engineer. Imperoyal, E. A. Davies, captain: B. Knox, chief engineer. Io-colite, R. Knight, captain; F. Pringle, chief engineer. Ottawalite, F. C. Smith, captain; W. Sinclair, chief! engineer. Rideaulite, H. L. Thomas, captain; S. Slauenwhite. chief engineer. Royalite, J. Vickers, captain; J. H. Holler, chief engineer. Simco-lite, H, Davidson, captain; J. Buhner, chief engineer. Sarnolile, O. D. Williams, captain; S. H. Phillips, chief engineer. Windsolite, C. R. Dyon, captain; W. R. Oakes, chief engineer. Engineers are starting on the vessels on the fitting out process to-day, Capt. W. R. Smeltzer, divisional manager, announced. WATER LEVELS. Lake water levels, to-day 244 feet 9 inches, yesterday 244 feet 7V2 inches: one year ago to-day, 243 feet 8% inches. In computing the lake levels, mean sea level gt New York is taken as zero. OWEN SOUND G WAN m TIC QUE 3 Lake Steamers Straijdled by Ice Floe 21 Foot High at Conneaut, O. Three Ships Free After Being Held in Ice-Field Conneaut, O., April 3—A 21-foot wall of floe ice stranded three steamships to-day in Lake Erie off Conneaut. They were the ' Leslie. Conneaut, and Sierra, The Leslie, ice locked since Friday night a mile east of the harbor, was cut of reach of tugs only a few hours after it opened the navigation, season here. The Conneaut, scheduled to arrive this morning, was locked in a field of floe ice three miles west of the harbor. None of the ships was in danger. (Canadian Press) CONNEAUT, O., April 6.— Three ships worked r free today, after being held fast in a huge ice-field in Lake Erie since Thursaday and Friday. The Sierra was freed by a coast guard cutter which cut a lane to her. The Leslie, which had been perilously. near the reefs a mile east of here, worked her way out, when an off-shore wind moved the ice. The Conneaut battered her way to Conneaut harbor late yesterday, from her position three miles west. Warmer weather and an off-shore wind aided the ships. The ice field is at least 15 miles long and extends beyond the horizon. It is as high as 20 to 30 feet._ Former Submarine Chaser, Rum-Runner, Refitting for Canadian Trade Owen Sound, March 20.—Four grain boats and half a dozen passenger and other boats wintering in Owen Sound harbor are preparing for the season due in six weeks. Engine-room crews are expected next week. The Berryton, 500,000-bushel grain ; carrier, is to have a new propeller and the Granby, Selkirk and William Schupp all have minor re-1 pairs. The Zelda, a steel tug that! had been everything from rum-carrier to submarine - chaser in U.S. waters, brought to Owen Sound by the Harrison Co. last autumn from Boston, is being converted into a lake tug, with upper works completely changed, and will be one j of the most powerful tugs on Geor-1 gian bay when finished.____________I