The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-12-08


value.
The report says that in gathering
the material the special agents of
the department received much en-
couragement from representative
marine men. Gan exception to the
general courteous treatment which
was experienced" says the report,
twas met with in the attitude of
several officers of the Lake Car
riers' Association, which sought to
embarass the work by Withholding
information. That their action was
not due to any prejudice against
this special report, but to an anti.
pathy for statistical inquiry of any
character, is shown by the fact that
this association expended consid-
cradle amount of money in defeat
ing the Government project for the
regulation collection of reliable
data on the commerce of the great
lakes"
Elsewhere in the report the Lake
Carriers Association Is referred to
as the "autocrat Of the inland seas"
Its energies, it is said, are largely
employed in national legislatives
matters affecting the lakes, and 1t
keeps Jealous guard against any
measure or regulation, however in.
significant, which might in any way
operate against its welfare. The
report quotes extracts from a let
ter written by an officer of the as
sociation at Cleveland to the Pres
ident of a passenger steamship line
at Chicago, which specifies several
instances in which legislation has
been directed or defeated by the
association. In one of these in
stances, according to the letter just
mentioned, "heavy expenses" were
incurred in securing favorable Leg
islation. In another place the let
ter said, referring to a bill pending
before Congress-, requiring vessels
to report to customs officers every
time they entered or left port and
providing for a detailed statement
of all cargo: ave had q hard time
defeating the bill, as it was intend
ed through the reports to compile
statistics oflake commerce, and we
were actually compelled to oppose
the heads of the Treasury Depart
ment in the matter"
The report estimates that the
Lake Carriers Association controll-
ed last year over S0% of the entire
lake tonnage. 1t is the belief of
the gentlemen who compiled the
report that the Lake Carriers AS
sociation is driving the small ves-
sci owners from the lakes, and thus
in the end, being without competi.
tion, will enjoy practical monop'
oily of the lake trade and be able t1
dictate freight and passenger tar.
ifs. The concluding paragraph oi
this part Of the report says: "a pro-
ject agitated by the members Of
this body Is the removal of State
taxation on vessel property. This
matter, it is expected, will come
before the Legislature in the neal
future. The association already
has declared itself hostile to the
proposed ship canal"
| A list Of crews ia rarely retained
in the shipping Offices and instan.
ces occur where men are lost Of
vessels go down with all on board
and the identity of the unfortunatei
remains q mystery because of i'm
perfect records.
Some interesting general stastis
tics are given in the report. The
entire lake system has an area o
%, ,275 square miles comprising ovel
one-half the fresh water surface O
the earth. To traverse its entire
length requires a voyage Of 1891,
279 miles, and the extreme points
reached by its northern and south
ern costs lie, on u straight line, 50(
miles apart. Along the 3,O75 miles
OF the United States coast line are
cities and towns saggregating a pop
ulation of nearly 5000, 900. Ameri
can vessels t0 the number OF 300
and costing over 47O,OOO,OOO, are
manned by 10000 seamen; Sl6, 900,
600 are invested In shin building
the output OF which industry in 1892
its maximum year, added u, 900, ,O0l
to the value flake tonnage, and
during the same period the amount
Of freight carried $1,000 600 tons
valued ct 1000 900.
OF the eight states bordering on
the great lakes, Ohio ranks fourth
In population, hrst In vessel pro.
| prletosshIp, third In the magnitude
Inf Pnaa1nto and ahensn an In and npal