The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-12-11


not united In the scheme to use the New
York affair to beat app0rtionment and that
there will not be serious opposition to the
passage of the Dunnell bill. This bill gives
an undeniable advantage to the Republicans
for the next ten years, but as that advantage
has been earned by growth of population in
Republican states there is no good ground
for attempting to nullify it in Congress.
There are several bills on the dar Of
the House which the shipping interests of
the State of Maine would like very we'll to
see passed, and which will probably come up
before very long. The first Of these is the
pilotage bill introduced by Mr.. DiDgley at
the first of last session, and pressed by him
at that time. At present our coastwise
trade Is seriously troubled by pilotage dues
exacted in ports like Baltimore and New
York. 1t matters not that the captain OF
the Maine schooner Is perfectly able to take
his vessel into harbor, he must nevertheless
hire pilot, or, If he refuses, pay for ones
whether he has 1t or not. Perhaps he hires
tug to tow him into the harbOr and that tug
isssteered by regular pilot. The Maine cap.
tain must hire another pilot to steer the
schooner which the tug Is towing 1t has
been a long time now that the cOastiDg
trade has been trying to get law through
Congress abolishing this compulsory pilot
age; but the great lobby which the New
York pilots have here in Washington has al
ways managed to defeat legislation. Amos
Cummings, the New York congressman, has
also been very active In opposition to the
pilotage bill, and prevented its considera.
will probably try again this session. The
bill is very reasonable in its provisions, pro-
vidiDg that the master or mate of any sail
ing vessel of the United States employed iD
the coastwise trade may be examined. and IL
found competent may receive a license for
two wears a q Mint and that his vaSspl NAV
during this time, be exempt from the pilot
age fees of waters iu which he Is licensed as
pilot. The bill further provides that a
vessel t0wed by tug steered by licensed
pilot shall be exempt from the necessity Of
taking or paying for an additional pilot.
The pilotage bill has not passed the Senate
being House measure, but there are before
the House two measures which have passed
the Senate and only await action in the
House. These are the so-called shipping
bills" The first of these is the Frye bill, ''to
place the American merchant marine, en-
gagged in the foreign trade, upon an equality
with that of other nations" This bill pro-
vldes that to any vessel OF more than 800
tons gross register, whether sail or steam,
constructed in and wholly owned by citizens
of the United States, or registered pursuant
to the laws thereof, and which shall be en-
6d6Cu III tLO iOltlBu plgluB DcbNtCn
the ports Of the United States and foreign
ports, there shalt be paid the sum of 15
cents per gross registered ton for the
first five hur dTed miles or fraction
thereof sailed outward, aud the same sum
for the first five hundred miles of fraction
thereof sailed inward, on any voyage or
voyages fifteen cents per gross registered
ton for the second five hundred miles or
fraction thereof sailed outward, and the
same sum for the second five hundred miles
nr fraatinp tharaof caflnd inv ard. and fhirtv
cents per gross registered ton for each thOus
and miles thereafter, and pro rata for any
distance sailed less than one thousand miles
after the first thousand miles sailed,
There are in the bill other
provisions, prescribing for in
stance, that the officers of vessels aided with
| this bounty shall be American citizens, that
Of the crews proportions varying from one
sixth to one-half shall be American
citizens and that there shall be a
| system established of training up
American apprentices upon these ships.
The second shipping bill is for allowing
| special compensation for carrying United
| States mails on United States steamboats,
between this luntry and foreign countries.
| The object of the bill is to build up the lines
| of communication so necessary in order to
| push our manufactured goods into the mar
kets of such foreign countries as the South
| American states. The principal difficulty
| that our merchants have had in trading with
the South American people has been the
| lack of adequate transportation facilities.
| To get goods to South America it has here-
tofore been necessary to send them on slow
| or irregular sailing vessels. or If by steamer
| around By way of Europe. This, of course,
| has been serious bar to trade.
Congressman William E. Mason, or
BILLY" Mason as he is more Familiarity
| called returned to Washington this week.
| He will be remembered in Maine, particu-
larly in the first district, for the witty and
stirring political speeches which he made on
the stump in the recent election. Mr..
Mason himself was defeated in the Chicago
| district which he represents, but this has not
| In the least diminished his enthusiasm on
confidence in the ultimate triumph OF the Re-
publican party on the lines laid out by this
Congress. Having freely given his time on
the stump all through the fall he was in the
time which he had reserved for his own dis
trict. kept in Washington by the sickness
and death of his little son. He did not make
speech or spend day in his district; and
this absence the enemy took advantage. Of
Mr.. Mason has very pleasant remem
brances CT his visit to Maine. Speaking o
his tour in the first district he says, When
first went in there l did not know what 4
make Of the people. Before the meeting il
one Of their towns or villages some of tn
leading Republicans of the place would ap
| pear at the hotel and. bewiug yery cere
moniously would say, Mr.. Mason we expec
to be present and hear you this evening" an
with this v ould bow again very ceremoL
iously and retire. | thought they were tn
c0ldest blooded people had ever seen and
was In despair. But after the meeting thOs
same OLD fellows would come up to me, shak
my hand and sapplng me on the back say
you did well, old fellow; and what YOU sa,
Is the truth They had listened to the ar
guments, weighed the situation and decide
what course TO pursue. They are one OF th
; dressed, and little likely to be stampeded b.
Democratic bugbears. ! shall always Il
member that Maine trip with pleasure"
Governor Gear Of lowe, who was defeate
In November, says he was beaten by hi
vote on the original package bill Goyerno
Gear was one of the most active men In aic
ing In the passage Of that bill. whieh IN
better sentiment Of his state and district de
manded. He did not dream tnat ne Woul
, have any trouble on account oi vote 80 !
| accord with temperance sentiment as wa
| the bill to nut down the business OF sellD
| liouors in original packages in prOhibitiO
states like Iowa aud Maine. And he pr0bS
| blV would not have had trouble could tn
issue have been drawn on that vote alone
Rnt while the Democrats were fighting hiI
i on other issues like the tariff bill, the liquu
: interests quietly sent money into his distri(
q and used it against him with enough succeS
, | to beat hlm'
o Probably there are many other Republ
war furnished to their opponents by tn
=