The Portland daily press., 1890-02-19
WASHINGTON NEWS FOR MAINE PEOPLE.
II Looks AS u TWO Cunboats Would
Be Built In Bath.
Speaker Reed Still Receiving Con-
gratuIations From All Around.
Formallties of Bridge Building-Pay
of Steamboat inspectors.


Especial to the PresSl
WASHING TON, February 1S.-A bill has
passed the Senate and is now in the hands of
a House committee, to change the rate of
recompense and define the duties of the in
spectors of hulls and boilers in the customs
districts of the country. The law at present
provides that there shall be in each of GER
tain enumerated number of customs districts
In the country, Portland being included in
the number, one inspector of hulls and one
of steam boilers. The recompense of these
officers varies in different districts, for Port.
land and several districts about the same
size, the salary of each officer being $1,000
year A mileage of 10 cents mile is also
allowed for travelling expenses. The bill
now before the House abolishes the fixed
salaries in specified districts, ubstituting
therefor rates graded according to the
amount of work to be performed
In districts inspecting less than 100 steam
ers, the salary for each officer is to be $1,000;
If over 100 and less than $50 are inspected,
the salaries are to be $500; from this up to
the 200 limit the salaries rises to $500; and
from the 200 up to the 800 limit the salaries
are $4,000 year. Where the inspections are
above 300 and less than 500 the salaries are
$225O; and above 500 vessels year brings in
salary of $2500 to each inspector. The ba-
sis for the fixing of these salaries shall be
the annual report of the Supervising Inspec-
tor General. In the larger districts, where
there are to be inspected each year 225 or
more steamers, assistants may be employed
at certain fixed salaries. The new bill,
moreover, reduces the mileage from ten to
eight cents mile. The first day of July of
this year is the time fixed for the act to go
into effect If it shall pass the House and re-
ceive the signature of the President.
Compliments for the Speaker.
The resolution of the Republican State
Committee of New York, commending the
ruling of the Speaker, was one of several
compliments of that kind from states where
the state committees have met since the par
liamentary battle. The state committee of
Indiana took similar action several days ago
The flood of congratulatory letters does not
as yet abate much, the more remote states
now taking their turn at the.mails. The
cranks in the country are also improving the
opportunity afforded by a man rising into
great national prominence, and are extend
ing all sorts of advice and asking for the ac-
complishment of all sorts of things. The
Republicans in the South continue to mani
fest their delight; but the Democrats are
getting madder and madder in that region,
as their denunciations of the Speaker as an
usurper and bulldozer fall short of annihi-
lating or disturbing him, and have turned to
the last resort, the comic valentine, A con-
siderable collection of these missiles of strife
have found their way through the mails
from various parts of Dixie.
May Get Both Cunboats.
It seems very probable tonight that Bath
will get both gunboats. Today Secretary
Tracy definitely rejected the bid of Samuel
S. Moore & Sons, of Elizabethport, N. j.,
on the ground that they had not the plant
to do the work. This leaves the bid of the
Bath Iron Works, 1927, 200 for one gunboat.
or $637, 900 for the two, the lowest. The ap
preparation for the two gunboats is 100000,
and there is also an appropriation of $780,
600 for practice cruiser for which Bath did
not bid, although the Elizabeth people did.
The fact that Secretary Tracy must read
he might also readvertise the two gunboats.
There is reason to believe that this has been
thought of in the department, but Secretary
Tracy has received from Congressman Bou-
telle and others such full and reliable ad-
the latter seem pretty sure to get the con-
tract.
Bridging the ST. croIx.
1t is requiring little more formality to
get bridge across the ST. Croix, between
Maine and New Brunswick, at Barring, than
1t does for Major Dlckey to prevail upon the
Maine Legislature to build bridges on the in
definite frantier of Aroostook at Fort Kent.
The United States is to bridge the st. Croix
at Barring, that is, if the House passes a SEN
ate bill for that purpose, and the President
signs it. The bridge is intended to connect
the town of Barring, in Washington county,
with the town of Upper Mills, in New
Brunswick. Three thousand dollars is men,
toned in the bill as the sum that Uncle Sam
is ready to give, provided the Province of
New Brunswick shall give like amount.
The work must be done under the supervis-
ion of the Secretary of War, who is author
lied to detail an officer of the army to COOP
crate with another officer, similarly detailed
by the provincial government of New Bruins
wick.
Pensions for Life Savers.
A bill has been reported to the House fa-
vorably to allow pensions to members of the
life saving service under the same condi-
tions that pensions are now allowed to sail
ors in the navy. The bill defines the rank
Of superintendent in the life-saving service
as equal to that of a captain in the navy;
the keeper being equal to an ensign and one
of the crew to seaman in the navy Pen
sions would be allowed only to such as were
disabled while actually in service; and the
widow or minor child would be provided
for as in the case of seamen in the navy.