C. W. Staniford, consulting engineer, formerly chief engineer of the Department of Docks of the City of New York, is chairman of a board of eminent engineers retained to consider the improvements planned in the harbor of Portland, Oregon, from which port Mr. Staniford recently returned.

Our exports to China have increased five-fold in ten years and during the same period our imports from China have quadrupled, chiefly because of the direct trade with China carried on in American ships.

The value of our manufactures will this year reach $60,000,000,000, according to the Trade Record issued by the National City Bank, which states that this increase was 21⁄2 times as large as in 1914, 5 times as much as in 1900 and 10 times as much as in 1880. The most important thing in this connection is the fact that there was an increase of 52 per cent in the value of our manufactures in the two years succeeding 1921, as well as an increase of 34 per cent in the number of people employed in manufacturing here during the same period.

A loss of $700,000 was the result of a fire, following an explosion, on barge 44 of the Lambert Transportation Company, of New York, while taking on a cargo of gasoline last month from the steamer William Boyce Thompson, in Staten Island Sound, near War ners, N. J. Two men were killed, the two vessels named were destroyed, 87,000 gallons of gasoline were consumed and the docks laid waste.

The New York Towboatmen had reason to believe that their conferences with Admiral Palmer would result in the withdrawal of Government tugs from harbor work, but the Shipping Board, it seems, never approved of the admiral's attitude and refuse to carry out his pledge to the tugboatmen. It is singular that the Board should insist on the retention of its tugs in active use the only port in the country where that is the case and losing $250,000 a year, too.

Winter cruises to the Mediterranean grow more and more popular, and foreign ships are booked with hosts of American passengers making the trips from New York, but if our Mediterranean service was also a passenger service American ships could, too, carry vast numbers of those who desire to visit Mediterranean ports in Winter.

The Erie and Oswego canals will be closed to navigation at midnight Saturday, December 13, according to a statement issued by Roy K. Fuller, Commissioner of Canals and Waterways of the State Department of Public Works. The Champlain, Cayuga and Seneca canals will be closed to navigation at midnight Saturady, December 6.

Much speculation is rife over the possibility of Edward T. Clark, of Boston, private secretary to President Coolidge, becoming an aid to Admiral Palmer, president of the Fleet Corporation. It is believed that Mr. Clark's acceptance of the position, which he has been considering for some time, would mean the permanence of the E. F. C. Vice versa it is believed that if he declines threatened changes in the Shipping Poard may not occur.

City Market Commissioner O'Malley wishes it understood that the erection of a great market at Wallabout, Brooklyn, will effect changes only in piers owned by the city.

Silas B. Axtell, admiralty attorney, is having marked success in winning cases of injuries to and losses of seamen under circumstances hitherto believed of a character to absolve owners and masters of ships from damages. The Federal district court has not yet decided whether or not the rum running treaty with Great Britain, the constitutionality of which Mr. Axtell questions, is constitutional or not.

It is stated that the one cabin ships and immunity from prohibition have grealty popularized ships running between Montreal and Northern Europe, largely at the expense of ships sailing from the Port of New York.

The cost of running New York State in 1918-19, the 1918 appropriations, was $81,525,271.31. The cost of running the State from July 1, 1924, to July 1, 1925, the appropriations of 1921, is $154,870,671.46. The increase is $73,345,400.15.

There are a number of ways of killing a cat besides choking it with butter. A knockout crimp may be put into the Shipping Board, and thus into American shipping, if Congress reduces the appropriation for the support of the Shipping Board and its ships. Until Congress adequately protects American ships in foreign trade it should not curtail the present expenses of the Shipping Board.

A number of important American producers are troubled, it is said, over the doubtfulness of the repeal of Section 28 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, never enforced, limiting to American ships alone lower rail rates on exports and imports. Many American producers who are themselves protected against foreign competition do not wish American ships protected through Section 28.

Before long American passenger steamships will have to reckon upon and prepare to meet the competition of Zeppelins crossing the ocean through the air in two or three days at rates but little higher than steamships now charge, said Roman J. Miller, lieutenant U. S. Navy, an airship officer located at Lakehurst and a member of the crew of the Shenandoah.

Night navigation on the St. Lawrence ceased on Nov. 24 and will not be resumed until next Spring. but a lot of ocean carrying is squeezed into seven months of St. Lawrence River navigation, at that.

Wilred Ayre, a managing director of the British Burntisland Shipbuilding Company declares that the cost of building ships in future will never be less than at present.

The Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, it is said, now has under construction in foreign shipyards twelve 12,000-ton motorships which will be delivered during the coming year.

James A. Farrell, president of the U. S. Steel Corportation, is quoted as saying that an American ship

ping concern has placed an order for the building of four 10,000-ton cargo motorships. It is believed Mr. Farrell referred to his own, the United States Steel Products Corp'n.

Ocean charter rates have been the subject of a careful study by the transportation division of the Department of Commerce, which notes a distinct upward trend. The survey predicts that if existing strength is maintained for the next two months previous losses will be overcome.

Announcement is made by President Palmer, of the Fleet Corporation, of the sale of two steel cargo ves sels of the Shipping Board fleet for an aggregate price of $145,920. A. H. Bull & Co., New York, purchased the Biren, 4,755 dead weight, for $101,920. The 11,724 dead weight cargo-carrier Hannawa was purchased by the Columbia Pacific Shipping Company, Portland, Ore., for $344,000.

The Clyde Steamship Co. has taken the Old Dominion Line's new steamer George Washington on a period time charter until the new Clyde Line steamers Cherokee and Seminole are turned over by the shipyards in which they are now building. Clyde Line sent the George Washingto.: from New York in its coastwise service Saturday, Nov. —.

E. G. Warfield, of the New York Canal and Great Lakes Corporation, states that the steamer Washington of the "Green Fleet" is the holder of the record for the round trip from New York to Buffalo, towing three barges each handling 20,000 bushels of wheat, while the steamer carried 11,000 bushels. The westbound trip actual running time, Mr. Warfield states. was four days, two hours and forty-five minutes. The Eastbound trip Buffalo to New York actual running time was six days and three hours.

Mitsui & Co., Ltd., have entered into contract with the William Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Co. for three 13,000-horsepower vertical I. P. Morris turbines, together with governors, intake pipes and penstock valves. This installation is for the Aso River Station of the Gifu Electric Power Co. The Aso station will be located on the Hids River, which is tributary to the Kiso River. This contract represents the first order for hydraulic machinery placed with the Cramp Co. by Japanese interests and will constitute a part of the extensive superpower developments of Japan.

David S. Kennedy, for three years marine editor of the New York Herald-Tribune, has resigned, effective Dec. 1. He has organized David S. Kennedy & Co. for news syndicating and advertising, with offices at 29 Broadway. He was formerly Washington correspondent for the New York Journal of Commerce. He has also been Washington and New York correspondent for a number of marine and traffic magazines. Mr. Kennedy has established connections with the Kip linger Washington Agency for specialized work, and will also be represented in that city by John F. Richter, attorney in Governmental practice.

The people of the United States have always felt a great pride in their navy, and the destruction of the battleship Washington last month grieved them much. It is becoming more and more apparent that the United States paid an extremely high price for the dis

armament pact it effected a couple of years ago, and many believe this country, as usual, was overreached by Great Britain at that conference.

It will not be singular, therefore, if Congress feels forced at the coming session to make such provision 5-5-3 agreement, from which it has substantially reas will restore the status of the United States in the ceded through our neglect.

One of the serious drawbacks at the Port of New York is the chronic delay in the appraisal of goods at the public stores brought into the United States from abroad, and, from time to time, efforts to abate, if not wipe out this congestion, are made, always with the "warm cooperation of the appraiser and his assistants.” But why do not the reforms necessary ever become effective?

Todd Shipyards Corporation stockholders will receive on December 20 the regular quarterly dividend of $1.50 per share. President W. H. Todd and a party of friends sailed for Europe on the Leviathan on November 15.

If petroleum prices can be kept within bounds and the supply is reasonably permanent it is believed that the merits of Diesel engines will prove superior to any other, but the question is: are reasonable prices and ample supply assured? Taking the negative of these questions many believe the turbine engine is more dependable.

On Nov. 10 Chairman O'Connor of the Shipping Board was quote as saying that the report of the special committee on the future needs of the merchant marine was then ready for consideration by the Hoover committee, but it hasn't yet been made public.

Philadelphia is likely to overtop the Port of New York as the leading lumber center of the East, with its $30,000,000 plant to be located on an 80-acre tract adjoining the piers of the Philadelphia Tidewater Terminal.

Fleet D, a unit of five all steel barges owned and operated by the Transmarine Corporation on the New York State Barge Canal, completed a record run from Buffalo to New York, about Nov. 10, loaded with approximately 70,000 bushels of grain, in 7 days and is hours. This delivery, it is stated, compares very favorably with rail delivery to this port. The Transmarine Corporation owns and operates over the New York State Barge Canal thirty all steel barges and five Diesel tugs as towing units.

Beginning December 9, increased intercoastal service will be offered the shipping public by the Transmarine Line, according to an announcement by George Darragh, southern California agent. The ten to fourteen day sailings schedule that has been maintained by the line during the dull season will be increased to a weekly service by the addition of two steamers to the run. It is expected that after January 1, freight offerings will be heavier, and that several larger and newer vessels will be placed in the intercoastal rade and the sailings increased to more than one a week.