The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-09-07
NAMES DECAY.
A Visit to Serasport and Talk with Capt.
McGiIvery,
Special Corresponding to the Boston Post. |

" ~ helghtt It's houses are OF The un11olh
orthodox New England pattern. white painted
and green blinded. with few charming excep,
tons. lis streets are wide and pleasantly
shaded; its public edifces tasteful in their Or
hlmented, part-colored suits; its gardens at
tracive and now eloquent of summer suns
and kindly care The same whitening touch
that has Frustrated many of the other fan
cities and villages of Maine, has lett lis pitess
and DESTROYING impress here To the cries fol
help no succ0r has come. and, heart-sick and
desparing, its inhabitants are leaving then
pleasant homes to seek subsistence elsewhere
some nave sold their property at an immense
sacrifice, others have removed temporarily
still rlinging 10 the hope OF a revival of bust,
ness and Il future return home. In round
numbers over one hundred have thus left The
place within year. OF the once prosperous
>lnp-bullders and ship-owers still left here tc
tel the sad story of former success and present
ruin. none is better known than the
non. WI, M'GIINERY.
more familiarly known as Capt McGilverv
having acquired that tile in many years eNpe-
ricnce as a highly successful ship master.
Since his retirement from the sea he has been
mainly occupied in Ship-hudng and ship-own-
ing. but in connection has been interested in
almost all other kinds of business. including
lumbering, trading, banking, teegraphs and
railroads until he may safely be presumed to
have has much practical business and financial
knowledge rs any other man in the State. Adj
drd TO all this practical knowledge is kind
ness OF heart, sincerity of purpose, shrewdneSs
81 foresight, candor of speech aud fairness Of
Judgment rarely seen combined i'll one inlN id
lhl. rms earnest and noble character has
earned Tor him the commentator OF hi who
know him. lie Is everywhere spoken of in
terms of The highest respect and with no envy
OF the handsome fortune that has been the re-
-ull OF his Sagatll lily and enterprise Personally
ne l. a tail, spare man of a vigorous. muscular
frame. well calculated for the strongest pow
RS OF endurance and resistance, with earnest,
ie'lslve, powerful features that in a man of
harder nature and sterner mould would por-
IIly lnstclity, selfish denomination and yigor-
GUS eNacton> OF will; but here, the high brow
The keen, brown eyes, and wide, firm mouth,
nave been touched and sottened by the kindly
impulses of heneYolence and charity. Having
learned, from reliable authority, that Capt
McGilyery was deeply interested in the let
tors upon the decay Of ship-budng in Maine,
published IN The Boston Post; that he had
privately declared that not one-half the wrongs
ui the case had vet been rected and that he
WAS willing to add the weight of his testimony
10 the already large accumulation of evidence
Your correspondent took special pains 10 visit
@earSport and have a talk with him. The CON
NarSation was rs follows
THE CoLoQUY.
Torres. Upon this subject of Shp-huildine.
apt. Mc(iiNery. | have been assured that
from you shall get as emphatic language as
nom any >hip-builder with whom / have talk
CO.. anu WISH you 10 RENT inltf mat Whatever
Won say shall faithfully report to the Boston
Post for publication.
Capt. McGilVery. The statements which |
shall make will not be exaggerated, and shall
nave no disposition to retracI.
CORES. Well. as it is a matter Of impor-
tance to many OF the readers of the Post TO
Know whether YOU are qualified TO Judge OF
tins business. | would like TO ask you how
long you have been engaged i'll >hip-buildng:
Capt. Mctiiyery. Since 1S47, or nearly a
quarter of a century.
CORES. And previous to that:
capt. MNGlYery. Previous to that follow
ed the sea as >hp-maSter.
ores. surely, then, from your long eXpe-
rience, you must know everything about this
business from beginning 10 end. May | in
luire right here if in all this time YOU have
ever known ship-building to be as depressed
rs now:
cat. McGiNery. Meyer. have known
General business TO be as dull as now hut
never for so long continued time. Business
alWays has its ups and downs, no matter what
party Is IN power. but this depression there is
no inst reason for.
CORES. Just or unjust. what is the reason
oft:
Capt MeGilvery. 1t is the practical result
OF a high protective tariff.
CORES. Then am to understand that there
j, now surplus of tonnage for what business
there is?
Capt. McGilvery. Yes. But reduce the tar
II 50 that we can afford to build ships and
there will he plenty of business for them.
Cores Are the burdens of high protect
i've tariff the only ones OF which YOU complain?
capt. McGilyery. BY no means. We are
most eXorbtantly taxed. our local taxes are
very largely increased, and the ordinary eX-
penses of the state are much greater than for
merry. they are collected, think, at a much
greater expense than necessary. Here the
Captain leaned forward and placed the fore
finger of his right hand deliberately across the
extended palm of his left hand, eXcaimng y
lao -i.tYtl, ln,t
are taxed a no other interest is taxed. 1t is
like this. suppose | build Il ship that once
would have cost me 100000. Under the high
tarltl ii would now cost me $4,000. The ship
j. not worth any more TO me, and yet have
cot to pay taxes on that additional cost Of 500
Uoo Again, when ! insure her ut the high
rates demanded by insurance companies, 9, 10,
II and - per cent. have got to pay insur-
ance on that 100000 extra cost. Then we
have another tax in he shape of hospital mon
ry. that is double | send il ship from New
prl. She may he gone three, four, five years
or any length of time. ON her return the own
~ Of the vessel is responsible for 40 cents a
month, hospital money TO each man she car
ried away, and for all the time of her absence
though She may have changed her crew half
dozen of times. Add these to our tonnage
5ue~ and you can have some idea of what kind
q chance we nave to compete with other
people. | would he glad TO sell my vessel
property to-day at 50 per cent. of the cost.
CORES. About this hospital money. This is
elected. | understand, TO support sailors in
case Of sickness:
capt. McGilyery. Yes.
CORES. ! am told hy many ship masters and
owners that they never receive any benefit
from il.
capt. McGyery, Which is the truth had
vessel lately in the State OF South Carolina; a
~nl, sailor was sent ashore to he taken care of.
IIi9 doctors bill amounted to SD, which the
Collector of the port settled, Snpposng that il
was right for him to do 50 from this same hos
pltal fund. But day before yesterday receiv-
ed the bin, with a request to settle. The Col
lector had found that he had no authority 10
nav it.
Cores. To return 10 the operations of the
tariff upon your shipping materials I would
hke to know how yon estimate its increase up
On their value?
Capt. McGiyery. ! have lust completed
>oma papers TO send to Washington, and find
npon careful computation, that 1t costs Us about
81 a ton in gold for extra duties upon materi-
ais entering into the composition of ship. In
all other commercial nations these are exempt
rom taxation. All supplies are also free. We
can buy all kinds of ship stores, even those
which are shipped from this country, much
cheaper in England than here. Free America
has always been our boast hnt British subjects
to-day are much better protected than Amer-
rana.
Cores. The result of this protective tariff
Capt. Mctiilyery (nterruptingj. The result
is, the country loses all this trade. Three
American vessels is done in foreign ports.
Ceres This must be quite Il loss 10 copper
dealers.
Capt. McGilvery 1t j.. have been agent
for two metal companies, and have sold consid-
cradle metal during the past fifteen or eighteen
years and know all about the decrease of this
business. Their complaints to me now, and
mine to them. is that no metal is sold. A well
known metal company, in Boston, told me last
week that they had not sold any copper for
thirty day.
Cores. | suppose your building is some
what affected by the high rates of labor?
Capt McGilvery. TO large extent. The
prices of labor ike everything else, have be-
come inflated. But our men cannot exist upon
lower rates than now paid.
CORES And the consequence of all this is
that our commerce is being driven from the
ocean?
Capt McGilyery. Exactly. We We're once
the leading maritime nation. and now are only
about 30 per cent. of Great Britain.
Cores. Before closing our conversation, |
would like to ask you what rates of interest
business men are now paying in this section?
capt: McNiyery. From eight TO ten per
cent. in some instances more