The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-03-03
IN BEHALF OF THE LOBSTER GAMERS
General Mattocks Of Portland Labors
With the Congressmen.
OBLIGATIONS Assumed by the Bath
Iron Works to Uncle Sam.
A Solution to the Question of the
African MackereI Catch.



Mattocks. who has been in Washington for
the past week has been doing some good
work with the Congressman in putting be-
fore them the interests of the Maine, Massa-
chusetts and New York packers of Holsters
10 the maritime provinces. This industry is
great one, and as nearly all the Holsters
packed by these concerns ia the provinces
are brought to market in the United States,
the rate of duty levied upon the product is a
matter of vital interest Under the present
tariff law duty of one cent pound is levied
upon the tin of the can in which tho lobster
is packed. The lobster itself comes in free.
The House committee on ways and means
has not reported bill yet, but it seems prob
able that in the bill which they will report
the lobster will be left feee as at present, but
that the duty upon the tin can will be in
creased to two cents pound, and that the
duty on the cans will be made to cover not
only the tin but the cost of the manufacture.
General Mattocks is of the opinion that this
rate of duty would be about ten cents
dozen on cans of the ordinary one pound
size.
The remonstrance of the Gamers repre-
sented by General Mattocks was against any
excessive duty on their product in the prov
inces, and more especially against any tariff
to take effect during the present year, mas
much as the lobster pack of 1890 has already
been in great part sold in advance An i'm
position of duty on the 1890 pack would un-
justly affect many contracts already made.
There seems to be no likelihood now that
tariff will ha mn ON ha loh 4bo
cans only being protected. The object of the
proposed duty on the cans is to make it cor
respond with the duty to be levied directly
upon tin In plates.
This industry which General Mattocks has
been representing here is very large one
The Dominion and United States bureaus of
statistics practically agree that the quantity
of Holsters imported into the United States
in cans is in round numbers about 4,4OO,OOO
pounds yearly, valued at upwards, of $780,,
the Provinces, and the Maine, Massa-
chusetts and the New York FIRMS them
selves pack in the provinces about this
amount The bulk of this, so far as actual
packing is concerned, is done by Maine firms
in the business upwards of $500, 900 The
leading Maine firms engaged are Burnham
d Morrill,, Portland Packing Company, III.
l.. Foran, ,. p. Mattocks, III. B. Webb, III, G.
Baxter & Brother, H. f. Webb & Co., D. w.
Hoegg 81 Co.
The Bath Cunboats.
The bond required of the Bath Iron
Works, to which has been awarded the con
tract for the new gunboats, will be Is per
cent of the total cost price, which is $6S5,O0O
for the two vessels. The company will have
49, r.
case they are not ready at the expiration of
this time forfeit must be made to the gov
ernment of $25 a day for the first three
months. $50 per day for the next three
months. anf so on with an in.
until the daily maximum Of $500 shall have AVE
been reached. This of course would be for
delays OF the contractors only, any delays
Tor Which the government might be respon-
sible not being, taken into account in levying
the fines. There are also penalties for ex-
ceeding or not coming up to the contract in
other things. For Instance, the weight of
the machinery Of each vessel must not ex-
ceed 14S tons on pain of a penalty of 5000 for
each ton in excess. and a. further penalty of
$1,000 in case the weight shall be exceeded by
5 per cent: The speed developed by the yes
sells must be 13 knots per hour maintained
successfully for four consecutive hours, dur
ing which period the air pressure in the fire
room shall d.os not exceed one half inch Of
mean draught of 12a feet of
an inch. For every quarter of knot that
the vessel fails to show under this speed
there is a penalty Of $1,000 until the limit of
II knots is reached, when rejection is the
penalty. There is also, however. a premium
of $4,000 for every quarter of knot that the
vessel may show above the stipulated 13
knots.
The Landing Of African MackereI.
The question Of allowing an American
fishing vessel to land mackerel during the
time from April to June while prohibiting
the same privilege for foreign vessels seems
to be solved by the established principle that
the deck of an American vessel Is American
territory, wherever that vessel may be.