TABLE II.-Average annual commerce for the 5 years 1914–1918, harbors on east shore of Lake Michigan.

1 Sand and gravel carried on lower 16 miles of the river averages 96 per cent of the total traffic, and logs and other forest products 2 per cent.

Averages for 4 years, 1914-1917.

It will be seen that since 1910 there has been no marked improvement in trade except in 1914, when there was a big receipt of stone. This harbor was built for the shipment of lumber and in former years there was a good commerce, as will be seen by the following:

1869-1873, average vessel tonnage about 82,000 tons, mostly lumber, cordwood, etc. 1874-1878, average vessel tonnage about 63,000 tons; character: lumber, etc. 1879-1889, reports are meager; average uncertain; about 40,000 to 50,000 tons, mostly lumber.

1890-1894, reports uncertain; average about 87,000 tons, though 1890 alone gave 280,000 tons, mostly lumber.

1895-1899, average 21,000 tons; lumber 50 to 80 per cent.

1900-1904, average 18,000 tons; lumber decreasing and farm products increasing. 1905-1909, average 5,171 tons; canned goods, fruit, etc., probably more than 50 per

cent.

1910-1914, average 5,347 tons; stone, fruit, and miscellaneous.

1915-1917, average 2,933 tons; fruit and agricultural products about 50 per cent 9. Terminal facilities.-The Pere Marquette Railway has a small wharf or landing near its depot, where light traffic has been interchanged when there was a regular boat line. On the north side of Pentwater Lake, at the village, is the wharf, with warehouse, belonging to the Pere Marquette Line steamers; also a wharf, without warehouse, belonging to Sands and Maxwell. Several private firms have wharves which were used in former years. There is no wharf with railroad track where freight can be directly transferred between rail and water. All heavy freight, including coal for all purposes, has to be hauled to the village, crossing the harbor channel on the ferry.

10. There are no questions of water power, flood control, or other related subjects which could be combined with the harbor improvement to decrease its cost to the United States.

11. Desires of the community and local cooperation.-Inquiries sent out in October, 1917, to interested parties failed to bring any definite information. At the request of the local interests, the Chief of Engi

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neers postponed the preparation of the report until about September 1, 1918. The district engineer called a public hearing at Pentwater on April 25, 1919.

12. Public hearing. In accordance with previous notice this hearing was held by the District Engineer in the town hall, Pentwater, Mich., at 11 a. m., Friday, April 25, 1919. There were present about 70 representatives of Pentwater and vicinity. Among those present were:

Hon. J. C. McLaughlin, Member of Congress, of Muskegon.

Mr. L. W. Goddard, United States assistant engineer.

Mr. E. H. Daggett, village president, Pentwater.

Mr. Wm. H. Sears, of Sears & Nichols Co.

Mr. Leo Spellman, Shelby, farmer.

Mr. B. F. Beach, county farm agent.

Mr. W. E. Snyder, Hart, prominent fruit grower and liveryman.
Mr. Benton Gebhart, Hart, prominent fruit grower.

Mr. Sidney Fuller, Mears, prominent fruit grower and supervisor.

Mr. F. S. Verbeck, Pentwater, hotel man.

Mr. G. T. Sands, Pentwater, of Sands & Maxwell Co., merchandise.

Mr. D. C. Wickham, Pentwater, assistant superintendent United States Coast
Guard Service..

Mr. M. D. Girard, Pentwater, prominent citizen.
Mr. F. W. Fincher, Pentwater, prominent citizen.

Mr. Bert Purdy, Hart, produce buyer.

Notices of the hearing had been sent to the Pere Marquette Line Steamers, Manistee, the boat line supposed to be most interested in the improvement of the harbor, and to the Federal Manager of the Pere Marquette Railway, but neither interest was represented in any way at the hearing. No written communications were received. The District Engineer requested information on the average size of farms, average tonnage of fruits and vegetables per acre, the various freight rates by rail and water, whether boat lines would be guaranteed, and for statistics as to these matters, including probable tonnage, etc.

Synopsis of remarks are as follows:

Mr. Sears stated that vessel interests had not been able to use the harbor in previous years, as the dredging was not done early enough in the season, and with uncertain boat service it was not possible to develop a large tonnage; that traffic facilities must be permanent from year to year in order to develop business; that Oceana County is the greatest fruit section of Michigan; that the value of fruit, which now forms part of the traffic, is ten to twenty times as much per ton as lumber; that the Sears & Nichols Co. has furnished a considerable tonnage in the past, and, finally, that when a permanent harbor is assured then the commerce will grow. He also stated that the Pentwater Machinery Co. was located here.

Mr. Leo Spellman, Shelby, stated that some tonnage was hauled from Shelby to Ludington in order to get water shipment.

Mr. B. F. Beach, county farm agent, said that fruit farming is extensive rather than intensive, and that farms average from about 100 to 120 acres.

Mr. W. E. Snyder, Hart, said he had operated a team line between Hart and Pentwater, averaging from five to seven loads of fruit per day, for a season of two to two He said that others had also hauled fruit to Pentwater for and one-half months. shipment; that the haul to Ludington is 24 miles and is too expensive, but that a haul of 15 to 20 miles was not objectionable to get to water; that rail delivery of fruit to Chicago is difficult.

He Mr. Benton Gebhart, Hart, stated he had been a pioneer in the fruit business. At the present time, to ship by water it is necessary to haul from Hart to Ludington. has an orchard of 75 acres at Hart and considers Milwaukee as his market. For the past three years his 75 acres has been capable of producing five or six carloads per year. Commission men from Milwaukee are anxious to get the fruit of Oceana County. He objected to the shipment of fruit from Pentwater to Ludington by a small coastwise boat on account of the damage due to transfer to the larger boat at Ludington. Stated He said he had paid $80 (time not stated) for trucking to the water rate was various. Ludington so as to ship to Milwaukee, which is a desirable market, while Chicago is not.

Mr. Sidney Fuller, Mears, stated that a haul no longer than 20 miles was satisfactory.

Mr. E. H. Daggett stated: There will be plenty of boats when the harbor is open; that with good roads the haul would increase to 25 miles. He called attention to the important local summer resort business. He said there were 80 or 85 cottages within 2 to 2 miles from Pentwater, used by Chicago and other nonresidents, who wish direct water transportation to Pentwater. He asked all present to prepare and submit to him as complete statistics as possible of the tonnage which would go by water if the harbor is open for use.

Mr. F. S. Verbeck explained the advantage of a direct boat line to Milwaukee to be the arrival of perishable fruits at 4 or 5 o'clock a. m., ready for the best market. He said that he helped to get the Hill Steamboat Line to run to Pentwater and that it operated for three seasons and made money, but that the owners were afraid of the shoal depths of the harbor and gave up the run. He said that while they were operating large numbers of farmers came to Pentwater with fruit, coming even from Ludington so as to get the advantage of the early morning delivery in Milwaukee by the Pentwater boat.

Hon. J. C. McLaughlin spoke at considerable length. He had been interested in the harbor for a long time. It was built originally for the lumber business, but changes have taken place in business operations which now call for a better transportation. There is no better fruit section in Michigan than Oceana County; it is capable of the very best development. But there are difficulties connected with the marketing of fruit, as it can not be trucked far without damaging it.

Pentwater is the natural outlet for this section of the country for the shipment of fruit and vegetables, including beans. But the harbor has not had fair treatment. It has not been dredged early enough to accommodate boats which wished to come here, and the depths were not enough to make it safe to enter. For a regular line of boats the harbor must be kept open all the time; this has not been done. The change which has been taking place from lumbering to agriculture has not been appreciated in the Engineers' reports.

In 1909 the department made a recommendation as to the money needed for Pentwater and White Lake harbors, as these two harbors were carried as one project, and recommended $101,000 for the two harbors, to be divided as decided upon by the Engineer Department. This recommendation was followed in subsequent appropriations, and had it been continued Pentwater Harbor would have been maintained and better conditions would have followed, but the harbor got into a bad condition. After 1909 lump-sum appropriations were made and all of the balance of the $101,000 was diverted to the general fund. He requested a recommendation for Pentwater similar to that recently made for White Lake Harbor, viz, for definite maintenance for a period of years. He said that people had been encouraged to develop farms due to the existence of the harbor and that a failure of the harbor will bring great loss to these people. Further, that boat lines have desired to include Pentwater in their runs, but the condition of the harbor did not permit this.

Mr. L. W. Goddard, Assistant Engineer, explained that the original recommendation for $101,000 stipulated that $67,000 was required for White Lake and $34,000 for Pentwater; that projects for the expenditure of these amounts were approved; that $67,000 was actually allotted for White Lake and $34,000 for Pentwater, and that of these amounts $45,000 of the $67,000 for White Lake was transferred to other harbors, and $3,000 of the $34,000 for Pentwater was transferred to other harbors. To repeat, of the $34,000 recommended for Pentwater, $31,000 was allotted and expended on the harbor during the years 1909-1915, and $3,000 was transferred to other harbors.

Mr. B. F. Beach, county farm agent, stated that the county is developing rapidly and that the big problem of the future is intensive farming; that the biggest problem of both the farmer and the consumer is distribution, and that both must be satisfied. Mr. D. C. Wickham agreed with Congressman McLaughlin in all he said, and stated also, that if Pentwater Harbor were improved and kept open, the farm products from the south tier of townships in Mason County would be hauled to Pentwater for ship

ment.

Mr. M. D. Girard stated that if the department condemns the small harbors, it must ultimately condemn the larger harbors also.

Mr. F. W. Fincher indorsed what had been said and also referred to the summer resort business, stating that lack of water transportation is bad for this, as passengers can not readily reach Pentwater by rail.

Mr. Burt Purdy, of Hart, was introduced as one of the largest fruit buyers in the county. Last season he used three to four auto trucks to haul fruit to Ludington, but said it was not satisfactory as the fruit arrived in bad condition. He considered transportation by water as the best for fruit. He considered Milwaukee as the only satisfactory point to ship to, Chicago being unsatisfactory. If water transportation were available, he did not think 10 per cent would go by rail.

Mr. Daggett also submitted on April 28 the following letter:
"Following are some of the statistics relative to Pentwater and vicinty:

"There are about 25,000 tons shipped by boat to Milwaukee and Chicago via Ludington. The balance of all shipments goes by rail to Chicago, Milwaukee, and other points. The amount of tonnage that would go through Pentwater Harbor if we had a suitable harbor-all commodities-would be about one hundred twelve thousand four hundred and fifty-one tons.

"Incoming freight consists of merchandise, and would amount to at least 12,000 tons per season, as a great amount of Milwaukee freight comes to Pentwater, thence by rail to Hart and Shelby. Also, with plenty of water we could have from two to four shiploads of coal, which would amount to five hundred or six hundred tons additional.

The Sears & Nichols and Roach Canning Companies ship by boat their pea seed, which amounts to five thousand bushels per season, or 150 tons.

"Express rates to Chicago, Ills., are $0.82 per hundred. To Milwaukee, $1.03. Lake boat rates to Chicago are 35 cents, and to Milwaukee 29 cents.

"We have a public wharf."

13. Résumé.-The commerce of this locality is that of an agricultural and village population. Oceana County, with an area of 583 square miles, has a population (1910 census) of 18,379, of which 4,340 is in the villages of Hart (the county seat), 1,560; Shelby, 1,260; Pentwater, 1,150; and Walkerville, 370. Outside of the villages the average population per square mile is about 24. The largest manufacturing industries are the fruit and vegetable canneries at Pentwater, Hart, and Shelby, but these, so far as can be told from Table I, above, do not receive or ship a noticeable tonnage.

There is no probability of any large commerce in Pentwater Harbor even if the harbor were enlarged and the project depth maintained. This is apparent from a study of the other harbors on the east shore of Lake Michigan, with a knowledge of conditions as to agricultural development, manufacturing, population, etc., at each. In Mr. Daggett's letter of April 28, he gives the radius of Pentwater probably too large, as Ludington and White Lake should naturally take the truckage nearest these localities. Ludington, only 16 miles to the north by road, shipped in 1918 only 811 tons of fruit; White Lake, about 30 miles to the south, shipped only 172 tons of miscellaneous merchandise; probably some fruit.

The annual tonnage (112,451) estimated by the local interests would scarcely all go to Pentwater. Such harbors as Saugatuck, White Lake, Petoskey, and Portage Lake have had better facilities for water commerce than now asked for Pentwater Harbor, but have had a steadily decreasing traffic, and, with the exception of White Lake Harbor, none of them is being maintained by the Government at the present time.

Most of the fruit is nearer the railroads, and in addition a great deal is shipped east and south, so that the expected tonnage at no time would ever exceed 2,500 tons.