Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-04-05

ping papers. 20 cents: entry, 80. so; blanks.
40 cents making Se more. Then for entry
entry. So. so; hospital money, five men, one
month. 50. A little schooner of liz tons pay
ing S24 year hospital tax, while the English
tax is only two cents month, aud they have
as good hospitals as we do.
Mr.. Bayard-May I ask the Senator a
question?
Mr. Frye-Certainly.
Mr.. Bayard-The fees he is reading l un-
derstand. are exacted under the laws of the
United States!
Mr.. Frye-Under the laws of the United
States. Tonnage. ll2 tons at so cents ton,
making this little schooner pay $500 every
time she happens TO go from Calais across
to St. Stephens. That was nothing but war
tax. never imposed before the war. and still
Congress permits it to be kept on these coast
ing vessels. Further, for permit to land, 30
cents projections, 80 cents; bill of health.
with report, 20 cents; blanks, 10 cents, max
ing in all $3.50. Again. charge to enroll
ment and license: enrolment and bond, ST.
10; license. Sl.20. making $3.50. That Amer
lean schooner of ll2 tons burden is obliged
to pay. under our laws, all those immense and
burdensome taxes and the attention of Con-
gress has been called TO it again and again.
and vet no relief has been offered.
mere ms neeu talk III tne congress OF tne
United States for 10 years about relieving
American commerce and restoring it to its
old ground. admit it has been nothing but
talk. Nothing has been done, but there is
hope that this Congress will, by paving at
least half as much to American steamers for
carving United States mails across the ocean
as we pay to the stages that carry the mails
across the prairies, or to little steamers to
carry them down the Mississippi river; say
there is some hope that Congress may do
something for their relief in that direction.
But that does not touch our coasting trade at
all, nor does it help our sailing vessels.
What does the Louise A. Boardman have
to pay if she gets out papers over in St.
Stephens instead of Calais: She would be
compelled to pay two cents month for hos
pital tax per man and 50 for admeasurement,
and no other namable tax whatever. Where
a schooner made 10 or l2 VOYAGES from our
ports to Canadian ports in year l have
known her under our law to be compelled to
pay one-tenth of her whole value for United
States taxes
Mr.. President | ask the Senate why a
eoasting vessel shall pay hospital tax of 40
cents a month man 1t was formerly only
20 cents a month. There is hardly sailor
TO be found on an American coasting vessel,
who is not an American sailor with home.
If he is taken sick or is wounded he goes to
his home and out of 1000 of these sailors
you will not find ten going to the hospitals
when they are sick. Our vessels engaged in
the foreign service, on the contrary, are
manned almost entirely By foreigners without
any homes to go to, and there is reason in
their paving the hospital tax; but there is no
reason that can be given why little coaster
of l12 tons should paw S2s year hospital
H. =
can sailor should pay 40 cents a month for a
hospital tax. 1t only goes to build up mag
nificent erections near your great cities, and
support high-toned superintendents and
learned surgeons looking continually for
higher salaries. That is what becomes of
the money. I say the sailor should be re-
lieved from every cent of that hospital tax.
| say. again, they should be relieved from that
tonnage tax. There is no propriety or sense.
in imposing either upon them. The owners,
of course, pay them, and the burden falls
upon the vessel.
WHY do YOU not tax the railroads? There
is the European and North American rail-
road. making its two voyages every day be-
tween Bangor and st. John. DO you i'm
pose any tax upon that? Not one cent of any
kind. Do you require any papers! Not
paper that can he named; and yet that line
completes with these very coasters of ours
doing business with St John and the Do
minion of Canada. and you by law compel
them to paw about one-tenth of their value
annually. if they make dozen VOYAGES in
that time.
have letter here from one Of our United
States customs collectors, who knows entire
ly what he is talking about and he gives me
the old fees as compared with these new fees.
The old fee for measuring was 80 cents ton
for a vessel of five tons and less than 20. II
20 tons, and not over 20. it was 75 cents if
20 tons. and not over 100. 81; and il over
100 tons it was 81 so; and yet the Louise A.
Boardman, under your laws imposed since
the war, was compelled TO pay SIS for that
admeasurement instead Of 81 30. Yet while
Congress is talking about reviving American
commerce and building up American ship
building it takes not one step TO repeal that
enormous and burdepsome tax, For enroll
ment under the old law, so cents now 81. 25.
For license under the old law, % cents
not over 20 tons, 80 cents where the ves-
tons, 81. He SAYS of this hospital tax
at is too much to try for. bot there is no
sense in the hospital tax. The true way is to
treat sesmen men. collect nothing from
them, and make no hospital provision for
them. The great portion of the fund is used
up in maintaining costly buildings and large
salaries. and like everything else. the Marine
Hospital Department, is steadily laboring to
enlarge its powers and the influence Of its
head
have a letter from the collector of the
port Of Saint Andrews, which is port on the
Canadian side. l desire to read few words
of it, touching fees. showing the distinction
between theirs and ours. Remember, their
coasters have the privilege Of coming to our
ports continually. They bring lumber and
granite and coal and all the heavy freights
over into our ports and see what they are
subjected to. He says:
II am glad to know that at least move
ment is about to be made to get the tonnage
tax of vessels running between the Domin-
ion and America, (or rather United States
ports.
here inclose official papers which answer
your first question for measuring vessels.
There is no charge for furnishing papers or
for registry of the same.
Answer to second question: There is no
charge for entering vessels. There is .
charge Of two cents for sick mariners: that
is, hospital dues. Vessels under one hum
dred tons pay this but once in q year; over a
hundred tons. three times
While ours paw forty cents man every