The Portland daily press., 1896-01-18
COLLECTOR DEERING
Emphasizes the Necessity of Deepening the
Harbor
To the Editor of the Press:

To the Editor of the Press:
Reference is made in YOUR issue of
Tuesday last to remarks made by mo be-
fore the Board of Trade in regard to
deepening Portland harbor and widen
ing the ship channel, and the CORE
spondenoe with Mr.. Reed on the same
subject. Will you kindly permit me to
say that / did not criticize adversely
the letter to Mr.. Reed, or the spirit Of it.
But I did not think that letter was
sufficiently explanatory of what is re-
quired to deepen and improve our har-
bor, if we are to retain the commerce to
which Portland is naturally entitled,
because Portland harbor is unquestion-
ably the most accessible, the nearest ana
safest port for the carrying trade of the
transatlantic service on the coast of the
United States, and is, in fact, the chief
winter port for those vessels by which is
transported the commerce of Canada.
That our harbor should have greater
depth OF water and a much wider chan
mel, to facilitate the handling of the
large vessels now visiting this port that
are engaged in carrying our trans ATTAIN
tic commerce, is a fact requiring no ar
gument for its demonstration.
l also called attention to the report OF
the SECRETARY of the Board of Trade, in
which there was no alIusion whatever to
this important matter. Consequently !
deemed 1t proper to direct attention to
this su bjeot, OF such vital interest ia
Portland, that had been left to the Rar-
Dor Commissioners, and to the Signatures
OF the Governor of the State, the Mayor
OF the city, the President of the Board of
Trade and the Collector of the port,
affixed to letter whose contents do not
express what is required to improve our
harbor so that these large ocean steamers
can be accommodated from the Grand
Trunk railway wharves along our harbor
front to Portland bridge, and are not
sufficiently explanatory to enable our
Representative in Congress to define to
the satisfaction Of the Federal authorities
the necessity for carrying on the work of
deepening our harbor. This is .matter
second to none in Importance. il we are
to retain our com meroe-not to mention
the desirability of increasing the same
by every legitimate effort. Nevertheless
L signed the letter, stating at the time
that it was matter in which some
movement should be mad by our Board
of Trade to call attention to the fact that
Portland harbor is the natural harbor of
Canada and the great Northwest of our
own country.
] believe it is of sufficient moment for
our Board of Trade to take up the matter
and push it-as the Chamber of Com
MERGE of Boston has already done-and,
ii necessary, urge the Importance of this
work and the appropriations needed for
its accomplishment upon our delegation
in Congress.
do not mean to say that the Board
of Trade is not conversant with our ne
cessities, but do think the people Of
Portland should awake to the fact that
the ocean steamers are twice as large as
they were ten years ago, and through the
Board of Trade present a strong, deter
mined and respectful demand that Port
land shall have its harbor-in common
with other great ports--made easily and
safely accessible for the largest ocean
steamers
1t must be remembered that Halifax,
Nova Scotia and st. John, New Bruins
wick, are moving for the very commerce
that Portland now enjoys. On the other
hand. Boston is also making great efforts
to enlarge its commerce by offering SUI
perior facilities for transatlantic steam
ships.
+ Yours respectfully,
j. w. DEERING.