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J cxyvo-^-SitA-Av' : 4 ¦„...{' STILL ON JOB The British American Oil tanker Britamolene is steadily working her winter shuttle between Toronto and Clarkson, and has more than an even chance of setting up a carrying record before ice finally compels her lay-off. So far she has been able to cope with the ice without the aid of harbor tugs. She had a lay-over at Toronto at the underwriters' behest, on account of wind and snow, but was cleared again for Clarkson, and probably | will make up her week average cargo total. I MAY REACH 13,000,000 Since Dec. 13, when Britamolene commenced her out-season voyaging, she has carried 6500,000 gallons of oil from storage tanks to refinery, and has cleared with some small amount of out-bound cargo. It is more than probable that her winter trips, ending about mid-January, will total 13,000,000 gallons. WILL BE FIRST IN She will end her winter faring with an in-bound lading of refined oil, and certainly will be the first vessel of the year to enter the port of Toronto bearing cargo, whether or not her performance' wins the harbormaster's hat. LAKE LEVEL UP Lake Ontario's level is 4% inches higjier to-day than yesterday, one foot 2% inches lower one year ago and three feet 8% inches lower than the extreme high stage of June, 1943. Last year the lake level continued to recede until the end of February and achieved a low mark that was 6% inches higher than today's gauge. If the erratic lake repeats its performance this year the present winter's low mark may be a , foot lower than last year's.________Jj NOW MERELY NAME ^J^*- *> / From an important shipping phase which involved huge investment sums, the U.S. package freight carrying trade of the Great Lakes has declined during the present century to nothing more than a name. Currently there is not a single vessel under U.S. registry engaged in lake pack- age freight trade, although during 1944 there were four package freighters in operation carrying grain and authorized to carry package freight in carload lots between Buffalo and Duluth-Superior. CANADA GOING STRONG Canada has a large and growing package freight trade on the lakes, which includes the two big upper lakers Benvoyle and Huronic of Canada Steamship Lines which also operates 12 canal-size vessels trading from the St. Lawrence to lower and upper lakes ports and five small modern ships ih the St. Lawrence-Lake Ontario trade. MAY REVIVE TRADE It is expected that new U.S. freighters of special design or rebuilt existing vessels, will attempt to revive the extinct American business after the war aided by vastly improved methods of loading ad discharging cwgo. K 1 Freighter Released Kingston, Ont., Jan. 8.—(CP)— The Canada Steamships Lines freighter Canadian which went, ashore in et Heavy gale January m was released during the week-erini and towed to the Kingston Ship4| building Co. plant. Damage hds| not been determined. vfc : .------------------------------------------1 ,* ¦—<-L^' GIFT "SUBMERGED" According to established procedure the 1944 financial statement of the Marine Club of Toronto deals elaborately with all disbursements, except a substantial donation to the Allied Merchant Seamen's Club at Halifax. The statement shows a net profit of eight cents on the 1944 annual dinner, deficits respectively on the spring and fall golf tournaments and a balance of $3.92. ROBERTS TO SPEAK The sixth annual dinner guest speaker will be Leslie Roberts, naval observpr for the Canadian Department of Naval Affairs, who is enjoying a leave in Canada. He is the author of "Canada's War in the Air," and co-author with the late Stephen Leacock of the new book, "Canada's War at Sea." START BATTLING ICE The first January clearance of cargo vessels through the Soo locks was accomplished Sunday with the aid of ice-breakers headed by the new $10,000,000 U.S.S. Mackinaw. Three 4,000-ton $3,000,000 ships, Pemiscot, Hidalgo and William L, Nelson, constructed under supervision of the U.S. Maritime Commission, were moved from Whitefish Bay into the lower St. Mary's River on their way to the Guf of Mexico. The cargo ships docked overnight in the lower St. Ma'ry's River and at daylight the 5,090-ton Mackinaw I Freighter Still Hard Aground Kiri&ton, "Jan. 6.—(CP)—Efforts to release the Canada Steamship Lines freighter Canadian which was krced ashore at trie Royal Military flbllege were still unsuccessful, officials of Pyke Salvage Company said yesterday. started leading them through the heavy ice in the Straits of Mackinac. After reaching open water on Lake Michigan, the Mackinaw will go to\ Bay City, Mich., to release -an ice-locked naval craft before returning to the Soo to clear the Lebanon, sister ship of the Pemiscot-Hidalgo-Nelson trio, which, was delayed by I trial run tests. Motor Vessel Bldpiti Ashore^ JeW Waterford, N.S., Jan. 9.— ')—The 350-ton motor vessel Buriri« f ivfent ashore on Petrie's ledge, near here, during a blizzard early^to-day, but it is expected she will be refloated easily. Some damage to her hull was reported. Owned %• the Newfoundland Government, 'fhe vessel is '||taderstood to hsxe a largo of 1,700 barrels of heraij»|M(TO was en route from a NeWftjjPHand port to North Sydney. Jnle crew reached shore safe- 1944 TONNAGE HIGHER Recent break-down of total figures and compilation «of statistics by To- -onto Harbor Commission, show that cargo tonnage in Toronto Haroor during 1944 was considerably in ex- ¦ cess of the figure of the preceding iyear. In 1943 the total inbound and (outbound tonnage was 3,612,215. In 11944 it was 3,860,731, an increase of 248,516 tons. EXTENSIVE JOB The paper carrier New York News, of the Ontario Paper Co. is at Port Dalhousie Dry dock for general overhaul and replacement of hull structure member parts, one of the most extensive jobs of the season. SYSTEM WORKS WELL The works system that has char- acterized Dominion Bridge Co.'s operations for many years, and has been in large degree responsible for the company's high standing in the construction field, is applied 100 per cent, to the big job of replacing tank tops, through channels .-jj|d angles on the freighter MohJBk Deer, which is wintering at The system is superb plicity and has been ear fully throughout Canar'1' ner of war works. S close co-operation gineers department,^, and shops with the and appears to w hitch. In fact, it is wi}?,.__a __ on the Mohawk Deer that her repairs and replacements are likely to be completed many days ahead of l«Jm- •cess- ili man- .atter of en-i jg office projects, ithout a so well