The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-27
TEE MARINE soARn
TIE Project Now before Congress for Res
uiatine Our Maritime Interests.


TIE Project Now before Cersrsss fer Reg
uiating Our Maritime lassrests.
WASHINGTON. Feb 2o-The bill which the
Senate has passed for the establishment OF q
Marine Board In the Treasury Department
aims to remove three objections which might
have been urged against II had II taken less
restricted form. It creates no new offices. Its
members are to consist wholly OF existing
Government of1cers including an Assistant
Secretary Of tho Treasury. the Chairman OF
the Lighthouse Board. and the chief oficers
OF the Steam ship Inspection. the Marine Hos
pital, the Life Saving, the Coast Survey. the
Navigation. the Hydrographical. and the Rev
epue Marine services. In the next place. all
these officers IRE to serve without extra COM
pensation. Finally. they are TO remain subject
to tho Secretary Of the Treasury. instead OF
forming q new department
Whether these concessions. involving con-
siderable modification Of the plan for creating
q Department OF Commerce. will render the
pending bill acceptable to the House. can
hardly be foretold. But the shipping and COM
mercial interests OF the seaboard are very evil
IDENTIFY in its favor. In New York representa-
tives OF the National Shipping League. the
Board Of steam Navigation. the Vessel Owners
and Captains Association. the Lake Carriers
Association. and OF some marine Insurance
companies and admiralty lawyers long ago
visited Washington to urge 1t.
Some weeks ago. ut tho first annual dinner
OF the Massachusetts State Board OF Trade.
Assistant Secretary Nettleton went so far as to
advocate new Executive Department.. to be
intrusted with commerce. on tho ground that
the Treasury Department was overburdened.
He showed that 1t had seventeen divisions. OF
which seven only could be described as prop
erly related to the finances. These are occu-
pied with the Treasurer's office proper the
handling OF tho debt and circulation. tho Gus
toms. tho internal revenue. the Mint. the office
of tho Comptroller. and tho Bureau OF En-
craving and Printing. But besides these
there are ten divisions. including tho Light
house service. the Life Saving service. the
Bureau OF Navigation. the Revenue Marine.
the Coast and Geodctic Survey. the United
states Marine Hospital service. the bureau Of
STATISTICS The insGsGt9n ASST SER
te et' and the Immigration service. The whole
he said S"s o nsaes its anS charge s
:" "foye @ssn and else&Hore iGS5 In ali
pressure. Of these multifarlous duties would
retaries OF tho Treasury. while he was at that
moment representing IL fourth. whose illness
for believing, that secretaries Folger. Man
ming. and Window would not, under the strain
private. have been living IN health day,
And apart from that consideration he urged
that no c29d wss bat
the commercial and allied interests. Of tho
fed to EsSs RRey o the
vital questions OF financial policy,
One OF the numerous memorials laid pc;
ground that 1t was not until Great Britain had
systematizel her commerce, by her Board OF
power of the world It also argued that for
want OF governmental aid our vessels were
only CARRYING about IA per cont q al our for.
estimate si50. OOo.UoO a year that should be
saved to tho country by governmental care
But " what would a Marine Board. constituted
like the one in the pending bill. and having no
eos snd
and could place before Congress
statements Of how our own and foreign laws
main duties would undoubtedly be that o: try
ing to introduce harmony into the various
nd o ths Wod and
Ing from only single one Of the bureaus to no
been suggested that these duties might fairly
.ome within its score:
It should prepare soi,,e.,on Of the Law. IssnI.t:ns
y.,ematizs Tue orsaton e he n.rns and 6 .n
max. Equations sstahi,sh,nx standard. tor lights and
Rn aling apparatus required by law As well as for
,hArts. cumpasses and instruments OF navigation: es
ablish systems for marine signalling. for inquiry into
he causes and circumstances OF shtpurerks and
and officers of vessels and suspendng or revoking
he same: for examinations respecting visual defects.
Internal oal buoy and coast lights for marking
Jumping and ob.trictons to channels and .houid ts
ae us for sn s es IN log and
The House. however. in which the bill is now
pending. should not hesitate to alter any pro-
vision which may operate as an undue restric-
ion on existing rights and privileges.