New-York tribune., 1884-02-24
DUTIES OF THE HARBOR MASTERS.
TESTIMONY BEFORT THE SENATE COMMITTEE on
COMMFRCE AND NAVIGATION.

TESTIMONY BEFORE THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON
COMMFRCE AND NAVIGATION.
The Senate Committee on Commerce and
Navigation, of which J. 9. Fassett is chairman. met
Yesterday morning IN the Produce Exchange build
ing examine Witnesses, in pursuance OF resolution OF
the Senate which authorized the COMMITTEES 10 Di out
"by whom the duties Of the Captain OF the Port and
Harbor Masters Of the Port of NewYorl have been per
formed since May o. 1883, and what fees ealarics and
perquses II any, have been paid 0 persons claiming to
have performed such services since that time" The
chairman was present with the following members: II,
q COggeshall, c. T. Vedder J. Hampton Robh, John d.
Herman and Timothy J. Campbell The first witness wa.
Chester y. Cole who testified that he was appointed
Capan OF tho Port January 10, 1850, aud had held
the office since then. His duties to divide the water
fronts OF NcwYOrl and Brooklyn into eleven districts
10 assign a Harbor Master to each district, to
superyse the arbOr Masters work and 10 adjust differ
enees between those officers and shpmssters or Others
lie knew OF attempt by persons who were not Harbor
Masters TO perform their duties since May a. 1882 He
had received no compensation for his services since that
time and had met the expenses OF his Office out OF his
own pocket There had been complaints against the
Hartor Masters by shpmasters. lie had come from ste
ber NewY York. ako the Office VI Captain of the Port,
and he lived IN Corning and went home to spend Two
or three days every week.
General Henry A. Barnum tho next witness sald that
he was Hsrbor Master in charge Of the Eleventh Dis
rict which contained all the water Of the port out
side of the clips He was appointed on May 22 1872
and had served continuously since then His duties were
70 enforce the regulations OF tho Captain Of the Port FOR
the ANCHORAGE OF vessels certain parts Of the harbor
He had performed the duties OF his Office since May o.
1893 in the same way and to the extent before
taat date. He had heard Of no attempts Of others
to perform his duties. lie had received no faes
or rewards OF any kind since last May At different times
he served I'm different srbor Masters districts Shore
IRE duties Of those officers receive applications for
to keep warves and slips free from encnmbrances OF all
kinds and in all ways to facilitate the passing OF vessels
I'm and out of the slips He knew ~ conflict between
the Harbor Masters and the Dock Department nor lid he
know OF a case In which shipping company had ques-
toned The Harbor Masters authority He thought that
chaos and would result In two days from Withdrawing
the supervision Of those officers over the commerce OF the
hsrbor In performing hs duties IN regulating the an
chong he used tug which was owned and main
tanned by the Pennsylvania New Jersey Central and Erie
railroads and the HobOsen Land and ImpTOy ement Com.
pany Those companies had found their traffic mpeded
and their property endangered by vessels anchOrng ut
will in any part of the haI bor and had offered years
ago 10 maintain the tug Il Captain Cole wOud make deii-
mite and general regulations concerning anchoTdges out
side of the msn lines Of hbOr travel These regulations
were strongly urged by transportation lines Of all Kinds
and by merchants and shippers of tile city, lie had
nower 10 order tho arrest of s6ipnastes who refused
r0nIy with the regulaong and st one tune had four
fIacory captains in the Ludlow Street JAIL The Captain
of tho Port had authority tO alter the regulations
M will He WAS unable to ind the names Of any mer
chants or shipping agents tho protests that had been
sent to the Legislature against the HarbOr Masters The
signature of the Hon. James Otrlen" protest
did not look like I-Shcrn O'Brien'a signature.
Tine other HarbOr Masters who testified were John
Simpson o. Chesebro. Charles A. MoRell, p +. Cady,
and H. Drew T1ey all suore that they bad performed
their duties since MAY "a 1888 before that date that
10 ono questioned their authority that they had
ciyed no fees p1nlnsites rewards OF kind and
that they had paid the expenses Of their offices them.
selves Thcr duties kept them hard at work from or
o. till late i'll the afternoon and often into the even
Ing They all said also that 80 per cent OF tho applca
tOns which they received came froIu steve lOres MI
CheaehrO knew only whose name appeared on
one OF the protests and tat had told Mr. Chcsehfo
that he did slgn IT, He knew that fifteen whose
et No IL south Another man whose name appeared
he didn't believe could write. Senator Campbell said
thai that the OBen signature did not belong
F. w. yosburgh agent of the Schuyler
Line OF steam tow-boats at No. 10
with the Hgrb0r Masters; that they rsponded promptly
and willingly when called upon 10 a In the line Of their
duties that the present board the best hat had been
m Office I'm the twenty years OF his experience win Hsr-
bOr asters that beard OF their authority be
Ing 0uestoced and that the anchorage regulations wcr"
of vital Importance tho uf tho har5or. He
had red In vain to get Captain Coles two predecessors
10 make similar regulations. He said that William
Reeve or Buffalo BILL he called on the wbsrvos,
who had claimed he had been acting FOR the past year IA
Uarbor Master, hired man, day aborer employed
by OF persons to haul canal boats about In the
clips. 1850. o
n b. Sinclair ". c. Hynard, William 0strom ana sev-
era other vedOres testified that the iarhOr
Masters did their duty faithfully and efficiently ani that
their work could not be sparnd without cpnlueiJn and
| great loss resulting 10 commerce.