The St. Louis Republic., 1901-06-02
Some of the Progress and Improve
ment Made in Lake
Regions.
IMPORTANCE OF TEXAS OIL.
Its Use as i Fuel Promises 10
Cause Revolutions i'm the Man
ufacturing Business. Espe-
cially in the South.
REpEHIfr SPECIAL.


Washington. juno 1.-The monthly review
of the international commerce Of the United
States by the Treasury Bureau of Statistics
summarizes the principal features of the
internal commerce of the country during
the first quarter Of the current year.
On the Atlantic aboard one Of the more
important announcements IL that Of the ad
dtion Of Portland. Me. to the list OF con-
tract ports. entitled To the lowest marine
insurance rates. This addition gives the At
lantic Coast six grain-shippins ports of the
first rank. far as safety of navigation
goes The list at present includes Boston.
New York. Philadelphia. Baltimore. Norfolk.
Newport News and Portland.
The lake season in traffic opens with
one dock Of modern design added Ia
the already marvellous equipment at the
Lake Superior points Of shipments Of iron
ores. The Chicago. Milwaukee and St Paul
Railway. by way Of the new Escanaba and
Lake Superior Railway from Charming to
Escanaba, gains access to the ore-haDdling
business on the upper lakes. The company
completed its ore dock at Escanaba ia Oc-
tober. 1900. hut too late to figure prominently
in that years movement This pier is the
twenty-third in number at the seven great
shipping ports-Duluth Two Harbors. Esca-
naba. Superior. Marquette. Ashland and
Gladstone.
The new st. Paul pier is 40 feet long. 5s
feet wide at the top and 66l. feet high above
water. There are 10 pockets. and its ca
pacity is 2S000 tons Of ore. The dock carries
four railway tracks. This addition to the
storage capacity Of the ore piers at the up
per lakes will bring the total equipment up
to saooO0 tons capacity. available for the
season of 1901
Wage Disputes.
Disputes relative to wages have IRE
rlx inf wi he
of traffic on the lakes. though not more so
than in any other portion of the country.
Nevertheless, these disputes have the ef-
feet of interfering greatly with the oppor-
tunities of transportation. which are con-
fined to the limits of the summer season.
Anything. therefore, which removes from
the relations of employers and employees. a
cause occasion of disagreement must be
considered as a more favorable outlook for
| the future.
The recent agreement between the Lum-
ber Vessel Carriers Association, repre-
| senting the lumber-carrying firms on the
\ lakes. with the delegates of the Longshore-
mems Union. lays the basis for a perma-
nent understanding between these two in
| te ests so closely connected with the lum-
| ber trade. The agreement in question pro-
vides:
/. That the rate Of wages be 80 cents per
hour during the entire season Of 1901 for
| the loading of lumber. laths. shingles and
other forest products on the boats of the
| said Lumber Carriers Association.
= That the captain of a vessel should
recognize the union and give preference
TO union men In employment SO long as
members of the union can be obtained.
| 3. That all disputes are to be settled by
arbitration. without interruption OF work
pending such settlements.
Texas OIL as Fuel.
One Of the immediate effects OF the OPEN
ing of the new source Of fuel supply in
Texas is to place all Industrial establish
| ments in that section depending upon steam
power upon a more favorable economic
basis.
This applies to cotton mills. to cotton
seed mills. to cane-grinding mills. and all
others where coal fuel has hitherto been
an expensive element in the cost of produc-
tion.
The producers of fuel oil well aware
Of this opportunity to substitute. and are
making provisions to distribute fuel oil at
all railroad points and points accessible TO
navigation. The influence of this new fac
tor will be felt far beyond the localities
directly affected. If the use of fuel oil be-
comes extensive enough II may materially
reduce the price Of coal at the lower Mis-
sissippi centers Of consumption. and also
Texas and adjacent territory
The opening Of the Beaumont oil fields
has required new facilities for transp)rta-
tiOn 10 the seaboard for that commodity.
For this purpose a pipe line has been con-
structed from the oil tanks at Beaumont
to the shipside of the channel leading TO
Port Arthur, distance Of over eighteen
ty each. are located at Elvfsta. about mid
way between the wells and the seaport
from which intermediate station 1t ts cal
culated that the oil will flow by gravity.