The Portland daily press., 1867-12-20
Maine shipbuiiders' Convention.

BATH Dec. 10, 1857.
To the Editor Of the Press: aa - .lIs'-I - 4.
The org ,nization which meets here to-day
has been formed during the present year. A
large number of ship owners and ship build
ers assembled at Augusta on the 3Oth of
last January, to take into consideration
the vlrious depressing influences which
have SO seriously affected the ship
ping interest of the country. The dis
cussion took a pretty wide range, but the
convention, composed of practical, business
men, wisely undertook to do but one thing at
a time. The most grievous exaction under
which our shipping was then suffering was
undoubtedly the duplication of the tonnage
duty in certain cases, contrary, no doubt to
the expectation of the trainers of the law but
required by the lettor. The brig L. Staples,
for example, launched in October or Novem-
ber, 1865, paid this duty of 80 cents ton,
amounting to about $110 on the 29th of De-
cember. In the first week of January, 1866,
within ten days after the first payment, the
same vessel cleared from Portland and on
taking out her papers was compelled to pay
the same tax again. This was by no means a
solitary instance. The instructions from the
Treasury Department were clear and expli-
cit. The letter of the law required this two
fold tax, and there was no remedy except by
legislation. The convention accordingly ad-
dressed a memorial to Congress, setting forth
the hardshipof this exaction, and asking for
relief and Hon. N. G. Hitchborn of Stockton
was appointed to present the matter to the
proper committees of the two Houses of Con-
gress. a sf q a
In April Mr.. Hichborn was ready to report.
and on the 10th of April meeting was held
at Portland to hear his report and take such
further action as might seem necessary or de-
sirable. Mr.. Hitchborn was able to state that
Congress had granted all the memorial asked,
and had provided that the tonnage duty should
be paid only once in three hundred and sixty
five days. So the first move had been entire
ly successful, and has unquestionably saved the
State OF Maine dtring the year more than ten
thousand dollars. The advantage of co-opera-
ton having been so signally illustrated, it was
natural that the convention should next pro-
vide for a permanent organization, which was
accordingly done under the name of the Maine
ShipoYners and Shipbuilders Association, and
that is the body which meets here to-day.
The special object of the present meeting is
to consider the best means of presenting to
Congress the facts respecting the operation of
the revenue laws as they affect the shpbuild-
ing interest Mr.. Lynch's bill, already before
Congress, provides the remedy which it is
thought will relieve the disadv antages under |
which our shipbuilders labor in their necessa-
nv competition with foreign builders. The du-
ties on imported materials and the taxes ON ar |
ticles of home manufacture not only enhance |
the prime cost of vessels but their valuation |
and subsequent taxation. Unless these bur-
lens are removed, it is impossible for our
builders to compete with foreign builders who
are not subject to such drawbacks. The case
is plain, but the object of the convention is to
make it SO plain, by illustrative facts and fig
ures drawn from actual experience, that Con-
Eress cannot help seeing the imperative neces
- y of doing something to save the commercial
iihin iinairnlne of the cou, try. Meetings have been
iieiu ireuo IN New York and Boston and shipowners
Ine:e are ready to cooperate with Maine in
and wise action.
Ihe meeting this morning was brief and in
formal, ad]ournlng till afternoon The major
ity of the members of the Association have not
vet arrived 1t is two hours yat bafora tbe
irst passenger train arrives from the east and
Lhree before the passenger train from tba yast
s due. A few gentlemen arrived " sterJay
md it is understood that the Programme f.,
he meeting is already arranged, subject of
course to the exigencies of free and frank
discussion. l close this letter in season for the
asst mail for the day, and shall send you re-
,ort of this afternoons proceedingst to morrow.
SEBATTIs.