The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-01-20
Shipments HEAVY.
BUT MANY BOATS
LOST MONEY
Tonnage Far in Excess of Cargoes
offered and Season Proved Disap.
pointing To Independent Owners,
Says Lake Carriers President.
Declares Opposition To Open Shop
Has Practically Ceased and Praises
Welfare" Plan.

"S ohhuoi iuecuuB Oh the LAKE
Carriers association was called to Or.
der by President William Livingstone
in the convention hall OF the Hotel
Pontchartrain shortly after 10 o'clock
Thursday morning. There were up
wards OF 200 members of the associa.
ton In attendance, q much smaller
gathering than In years gone by,
when most of the vessels on the great
lskeD were owned by individual par
Ties, Within the past few years many
boats have passed into the hands OF
large corporations, which, as rule,
send only one representative to the
Lake Carriers meeting.
The Lumber Carriers association
completed its annual convention In
the Hotel Normandie, Wednesday az.
ternoon. During the session the mat
ter OF raising freight rates on the
lakes was discussed at length, but
no action was taken. II was pointed
out that the increased cost OF load
ing and unloading at the different
ports had greatly lessened the profits
OF the vessel owners. The board Of
managers and other officers Of the
association will meet later to deal
with different matters affecting the
lumber carriers.
Upwards of 100 OF the visiting yes.
selmen were guests OF William Liv.
ingstone, president Of the Lake Car
riers association, at a theater party
In the Detroit Opera house, Wednes-
day night.
President Livingstone. In his an.
nual report. said In part:
The year has been a singular one
throughout and disappointing in the
extreme to the Independent vessel
owner. though the shipping interests,
owning vessels. have probably profit.
ed somewhat more than usual, owing
to the improved dispatch which they
enjoyed through the voluntary sub
traction of independent tonnage, and
the consequently greater proportion
OF freight which their vessels carried.
The year was a practical reversal Of
conditions obtaining in 1909.
$50 scarce were down cargoes in
proportion to Tonnage offering that
grain on April 20 was taken at the
profitless rate of one cent. During
the last week OF April the carriers
were waiting at both ends of the
route, though the actual volume OF
freight moving was the greatest in
the history OF the trade, and this In
spite of the fact that the whole traffic
had TO be handled through the Cana
dian canal exclusively, with conse-
quent handicap. The demand for wild
tonnage was slight, indeed, and to-
ward the end of May 1t became ap-
parent that something would have To
be done Vessels were In one an
others way at both upper and lower
docks.
"At a general meeting of the indie
pendent vessel interests. held In
Cleveland, in June, 1t was concluded
to withdraw 20 per cent OF the tom
mage for 80 days, and during that
month about 40 vessels went into the
ordinary. The volume of freight NOV
ing. however, was still continuing to
break all records. Were it not for
this incontrovertible fact, some com.
fort might have been derived from
the situation.
After July 1, however, the pace be-
gan to slacken. Furnaces grew re-
luctant to take ore, and kind of
creeping paralysis seemed 20 affect
the trade. BY the middle Of July the
movement Of wild ore was practically
cut OF, and shippers had difficulty in
keeping their own vessels busy. The
agreement to keep 20 per cent OF the
independent tonnage in ordinary was
extended to continue throughout Au-
gust, though there was no actual need
of such an agreement, as the ship
pers had no business to offer them.
1.-The wage scale during 1910 was
higher than ever. To equalize what
was considered to be an inequality in
the wage scale OF engineers, the
wages of engineers in Class Il steam
ers were advanced IS a month, on
second-class steamers SIS a month,
and on third-class steamers $ll
month. The wages Of first assistant
engineers were increased from sic to
SIC per month, according to the class.
and fiat rate OF $50 adopted for third
engineers.
1.-The one redeeming feature OF the
trade, was the restoration OF the ore
rate to the basis Of 1907. that Is to
say, rs cents from the head OF the
lakes. 10 cents from Marquette, and
90 cents from Escanaba.
ct is unfortunate, however. that the
ships that operate we're unable to
take full advantage of the increased
earning capacity thus Afforded, as
stages of water continued very low
throughout the entire year. and the
average cargoes of the ships were
from 400 to 400 tons less than usual.
The policy of the open shop has
been In force throughout the year.
and opposition to 1t has practically
ceased. The men have worked with
out the slightest friction. The only
trouble with labor was brief strike
of the tugmen at Ashtabula and Cleve-
land. Notwithstanding that the men
had signed two years agreement
somewhat earlier in the season. The
tugn:en, however, receded from their
position within a day or two, and no
trouble has occurred since.
Through the continuance OF the
open shop principle upon our vessels
during the past year. there has been a
greater harmony between employers
and employed than prevailed even
during 1908 and 1909, and greater
freedom from complaints than has
been experienced at any time since
the first year OF our operation OF the
vessels under union contracts. al
though the fact is well established
and well known among the employees
that in the event OF any supposedly