Totalexpenses to June 30, 1904 (including outstanding liabilities). 1, 233, 592. 61

Estimate.

Amount (estimated) for fiscal year ending June 30, 1905..

Balance from allotment for preceding year (in round numbers).

Additional allotment required for fiscal year ending June 30, 1905...... 74,000. 00

Expenses for operating and care of St. Marys Falls Canal, Michigan.

Receipts:

Statement of receipts and expenses for fiscal year ending June 30, 1904.

Palance at close of fiscal year ending June 30, 1903 (including outstanding liabilities).

July 18, 1903, allotment.

Expenses....

$26, 677.01 87,000.00

113, 677.01

93, 248. 47

Balance at close of fiscal year ending June 30, 1904

20, 428. 54

ABSTRACT OF CONTRACT IN FORCE DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1904.

Emergency contract dated August 26, 1903.

Name of contractor: Vulcan Iron Works, Chicago, Ill.

Amount and character of work: $6,856; furnishing 10 valve engines for Poe lock. Price per unit: Four at $679 each, and 6 at $690 each.

Date of beginning work: September 5, 1903.

Date of expiration: December 31, 1903.

COMMERCIAL. STATISTICS.

Statistics of lake commerce passing through the American and Canadian canals at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Ontario, during the season of 1903.

[Compiled from official records at St. Marys Falls Canal, Michigan.]

SOURCES OF INFORMATION FOR TRAFFIC DATA AND VALUATIONS.

Freight tonnage and passengers.-The freight unit used and designated as a "net ton" means in every instance a ton of 2,000 pounds. The data relative to freight and passengers were compiled from reports made by vessel masters when passing through the American and Canadian canals. As a daily exchange of these reports is made with Supt. J. C. Boyd of the Canadian Canal, both offices have record of the entire lake traffic to and from Lake Superior.

Registered tonnage and vessel valuations.-The registered tonnage, as given, was obtained from vessel papers and blue books. Vessel valuations were obtained from Inland Lloyd's.

Freight rates.-These were compiled from quotations published in the Marine Review, and from information obtained from shippers, owners, and carriers of the several classes of freight. The freight rates given are for lake transportation and include cost of loading and unloading.

Freight valuations.-The unit values used for the various items of freight were derived by taking the mean for the season of each monthly average as obtained from daily or weekly prices current.

The sources of the valuations given are as follows: Coal, quotations in Coal Trade Journal at Duluth and Superior; cereals, Daily Commercial Record, published by Duluth Board of Trade; flour, daily quotations in Duluth, Superior, and Minneapolis journals; iron ore and pig iron, weekly quotations in Iron Trade Review, Marine Review; salt, quotations at Lake Superior ports; copper, general merchandise, lumber, building stone, and manufactured iron, quotations by the principal shippers, owners, and carriers.

To quotations given at point of shipment, freight rates are added to lake ports of destination.

The compilation was done by the clerical force in the United States canal office at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., under the general direction of General Superintendent Joseph Ripley.

American and Canadian canals.-The total freight traffic of 34,674,437 net tons for the season of 1903, when compared with season of 1902, the maximum in the history of the canals, shows a decrease of 4 per cent, or 1,286,709 tons; but in comparison with the previous maximum year, that of 1901, this year's traffic shows a gain of 6,271,372 tons, or 22 per cent.

The items showing an increase are coal, grain, and salt. The falling off in the movement of iron ore largely accounts for decrease in total traffic.

The total number of passengers was 55,175; a decrease of 4,202, or 7 per cent. Vessel passages through both canals numbered 18,596, showing a loss of 4,063 passages, or 18 per cent, as compared with the 22,659 passages of 1902. The total lockages numbered 11,642, showing a loss of 1,204 lockages, or 9 per cent.

The season of navigation continued for a period of 8 months and 14 days, during which time the average monthly traffic was 4,095,406 tons.

American canal.-The traffic through the American canal was 84 per cent of the total freight and 42 per cent of the passengers carried, the amounts being 29,172,252 tons of freight and 23,156 passengers. Compared with the season of 1902 there was a decrease of 2,060,543 tons of freight, or 7 per cent, and an increase of 378 passengers, or 2 per cent.

The American canal opened April 11 and closed December 15, 1903, making the length of its season 249 days.

Canadian canal. The traffic through the Canadian canal was 16 per cent of the total freight and 58 per cent of the passengers carried, the amounts being 5,502,185 tons of freight and 32,019 passengers. Compared with the season of 1902 there was an increase of 773,834 tons, or 16 per cent, and a decrease of 4,580 passengers, or 13 per cent.

The Canadian canal was opened April 2 and closed December 13, 1903, making the length of its season 256 days.

The depth of water in entrance channels and through the canals and locks permitted a safe draft of 17 to 19 feet.

The growth of the Lake Superior commerce during the past half century has been phenomenal. The estimated amount and value of articles which crossed the portage at Saulte Ste. Marie in 1851, to and from Lake Superior, was 12,600 net tons, valued at $1,675,000.

In 1861, a decade later, the traffic through the State locks was 88,000 net tons, valued at $6,000,000.

In 1871, 585,000 net tons, valued at $13,000,000.

In 1881, through the State and Weitzel locks, 1,567,741 net tons, valued at $30,000,000.

In 1891, through Weitzel lock, 8,888,759 net tons, valued at $128,178,208.

In 1901, through Weitzel, Poe, and Canadian locks, 28,403,065 net tons, valued at $289,906,865.

Thus the percentage of increase in tonnage of each year's traffic over that of the preceding year has averaged as follows:

1851-1860.

Per cent.

21

21

101

1861-1870.

1871-1880.

1881-1890.

1891-1900.

Average, 1851-1900..

19 121

163

East and west bound commerce passing both American and Canadian canals at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. and Ontario, for the season of 1903.

Distribution of the foregoing freight tonnage, by calendar months, during season of 1903.

[Classified with reference to American and Canadian vessels and ports.]

Estimated value of total freight passing both American and Canadian canals at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. and Ontario, for the season of 1903.

The value of grain, other than wheat, as given in the above table, is computed as follows:

Freight charges upon freight transported through both American and Canadian canals at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. and Ontario, for the season of 1903.

Classification of American and Canadian vessels, showing valuation, and the tonnage and passengers carried by each of them through both the American and Canadian canals at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Ontario, during season of 1903.