The Portland daily press., 1891-10-22
PRIDE OF THE SEAS.
American Ships We're Once and Will
Be Again.
Shipping Men Organize in the City
Of Shipyards.
Stirring Addresses By Messrs. Diugley,
BOutelle and TWi!ehell.
Especial to the Press,1

loptcldt 10 Inc fTeSSsl
BATH, October 2i.-The first days session
of the conference of American shipping men
opened here this afternoon at g. 20, President
Fuller of the Bath Board of Trade In the
chair. 1t had been expected that President
Snow of the American Shipping and Indus
trial League, would be present, but on ac-
count of Illness he was unable to leave his
home. OF the Maine delegation in Congress
Hon. Nelson Dlngley, Jr., and Hon. Charles
A. Boutelle were early on the ground. SEN
ator Frye sent the following letter of re-
gret:
LEWISTON, October 20, 1891.
Dear Sir:-I fully expected to have been pres
ent at the council OF the Bath Branch OF the
American shipping and Industrial League, and
to have particlpatedia 10 It's discussions, but am
prevented by a severeeold, accompanied by Sc
rious trouble with the throat. presume it is un
necessary for me to assure you that your council
has my hearty sympathy in its endeayor to re-
store our merchant marine to its proper and legit
innate position on the oceans. l sincerely hope
there will be no discsuragement and no cessation
Of effort on account of the failure in the last Con
gress to enact into law the tonnage bill. 1he I'M
mense advance in fayoring sentiment toward the
purposes of the League, as indicated by the votes
Of that body ought rather to inspire courage and
hope. AS chairman Of the Senate committee on
commerce, 1t will be TO me an agreeable duty to
do anything in my power for the promotion of the
interestof American shipping, knowing that
ON thus acting in entire harmony with those who
would would increase the prosperity and securely es-
tablish the power OF the republic. g
Very sincerely Uy0sv yours, p Fnvr
The exercises were opened with prayer by
Rev. 7. F. White. Then Mayor Twitchell
extended the following hearty Welcome to
the convention in City hall:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen Of the Ameri-
can shipping and Industrial League:
In behalf of the city of Bath, 1 have the
honor to extend to you hearty and cordial
welcome. trust that this meeting, called
In the interest of protection to American
shipping, to be followed by similar meetings
In other cities may result 10 bringing about
sentiment among the people Of this country,
which will demand or our senators and rep
reSentativeS in Congress such legislation as
will tend to revive this suffering industry.
making it profitable for US to build ships to
engage in foreign trade, profitable to own
this country where 1t belongs-at the head
OF the maritime nations on earth.
They tell us that shipping bill such as
we want is legislation for the benefit Of a
few individuals and few localities. So
far as dollars and cents go. this may be, to a
certain extent, true, and this may, and
probably does, account for the lukewarm-
ness of the representatives from the interior
and southern states.
But the same is true of any single industry
OF the country Is protection to American in
dustries (all kinds of industries, mind you),
and If Shipping Is not an industry, what is
it? and why is 1t that 1t alone is singled out
for an exception to the rule?
Great Britain is a free trade country; yet
she recognizes shipping as an industry and
makes her exception of 1t by granting subsi-
dies Of enormous amounts. Were 1t not for
the little, Insignificant navy we have our
flag would be unknown to foreign lands.
hxyc IN IN ntrr otf fNrtd onH
patriotism should be sufficient to give ship
ping Industries all the assistance
and protection needed, If for no other rea-
son, simply that the flag of the United
States should become as well known and
respected. as often seen the world over, as
the flag of Great Britain, France or Ger
many.
Gentlemen, Bath takes a deep interest in
this meeting and in the results that may fol-
low 1t. We are, essentially, shipping COM
mHnlty; we build, we sail and we own ships,
and almost every family in this city Is inter-
ested in the question which you have come
here to discuss.
Time was when we bad a score OF ship
yards in this city building vessels to engage
in the foreign carrying trade. Today we
have the yards. some of them busy most of
the time building vessels for the coastwise
trade, but none building ships; and simply
for the reason that. so far, the government
has been unwilling to afford the same protec-
tiOn that was declared good for glass facto-
ries, woolen and cotton mills and other in
dustries.
One firm has persevered amid all these dis
couragiug features, having confidence that
the principle of protection, which has been
accorded other industries would eventually
be granted shipping We honor them fol
their pluck and sincerely trust that they
may be rewarded by sati sfactory legislation
in the coming Congress, so that the three
large ships built here and launched the past
three years may be the first to reap the bene-
fits.
am aware that the president of the Board
Of Trade simply intended for me to extend
welcome In the name of the city to this con-
vention, and he probably thinks am ex-
ceeding my instructions in talking about
shipping at all. He is, undoubtedly, correct,
and Will simply add that, as / said at the
commencement of this address, you are well
come to the city Of Bath, and we trust sue
cess Will crown your efforts In behalf Of
shipping.
The North Atlantic Branch of the Ameri-
canShipping League was org anized this eve
President-Hon F. II. Twitchel.
Vice Presidents-HOn. j. III. Manley, Augusta;
Ben. VIM. K. Chandler, New Hampshire; Hon.
Massachusetts,; 1. s. Manton. Rhode Island; N.
b. SperTy, Connecticut; q. b. Potter, New York;
George III. Brewer, New Jersey; II. +, Cause,
Delaware; Andrew Wheeler, Pennsylvania.
Letters were read from Hon. VIM. P. Frye,
Hon. Eugene Hale, and Hon. VIM. e. Chan
dler. The memorial of the National Ship
ping league previously printed was adopted.
City Hall was packed this evening for at
at the last minute Congressman Dingley had