The Portland daily press., 1897-12-03


contemplated COST
Seth Il. Larrabee, Esq, advocaseo
agreement upon a definite location before
going before the government officials WIN
a plea for dry dock. committee
should be chosen. plans formed, surveys
taken and a definite line of action foi-
lowed. Mr.. Larrabee said that as one
who assisted in getting the appropriation
for the dredging of Portland harbor. ne
was not satisfied with the way in when
that work Is going on. He believed Poro-
land is not receiving the substantial bene-
| fit that it should; it Is the duty of some
body to see that the city gets what be-
longs to it, in view of the generous ap-
preparation made by the government Tor
deepening and improving our harbor.
| There should be committee raised ana
instructed to inquire why the dredging
contract is not being more satisfactorily
carried out. The big dredger is at present
idle. The work ought to be going on
without interruption. The Engllsh
steamship season has now begun, and no
time should be lost. Here is live topic
for the Board of Trade to take hold OF.
| Mr.. Baxter explained that he did not
wish to be understood as being sole ad-
vocate of Fish Point AS "a location for
dry dock. But he believed, whatever may
come of the dry dock movement, the city
ought to utilize the deposit from the
dredging.
| Secretary M. N. Rich said the business
men of Portland should not slumber a
DAY over this important question. Officers
| Oh the army and navy who have visited
Portland have enthusiastically expressed
their approval of this port as a location
for naval station. Maine has the largest
stretch OF exposed seacoast ON the Attain
TIC seaboard, and next to Boston, Port
| land ought to be the best defended. This
state furnishes more native seamen than
any other in the Union. He hoped the
board would take immediate action to-
ward expressing it's sentiment in favor of
| the establishment of dry dock here.
Ex-President E. B. Winslow of the
| board, supposed the Cape shore was Ethe
| more desirable location here for q dry
dock, however, there need be no oontro-
| yersy over location. The board should
appoint strong committee to go before
the committee on naval affairs to urge
the matter. They could not expect to ao-
compiish much, however, without some
thing definite to show in the shape of
plan of the proposed site. He, too, strong
| ly advocated some action on the part Of
the Board of Trade with q view to follow
| Ing up the dredging operations. At the
present rate of progress, years and years
will have passed before any benefit is de-
rived from the work. A small dredge is
still at work in Back bay, but the one in
! the front harbor is tied up at the wharf
| If the parties doing the work had means
and machinery it would not be necessary
| for them to wait for their money from
Washington, but they would keep ahead
of their appropriation. He had no per-
| sonal feeling against the contractors, but
he believed the matter ought to be sharp
| ~ followed up, SO that no time would be
| lost.
The following resolutions drawn up by
Secretary NJ. N, Rich, were submitted
! by him for the board s action:
Whereas, The citizens of Maine along
With its great line of exposed sea coast,
nTe becoming more and more profoundly
| impressed with the gravity of its situation
and keenly realize the considerable words
| of the honorable secretary of the navy in
! his recent communication to Congress on
the subject OF dry docks, wherein he says:
New England, which has a bold sea
coast lined with large towns and cities,
would be the first to attract the attention
| OF any naval power with which we might
be at war, and that it seems to be the
univel sal opinion CT the various bureaus
of his department, so far as he has been
informed that there should be one or more
large dry docks in New England, that
portion being more exposed than any
other to foreign invasion, and in case of
war the naval and commercial inteTes ts
OF this region should not be dependent
upon one great dock in New York, so
liable to accident as forcibIy demonstrated
| recently, when one of our largest war
ships had to be sent to Halifax for repairs
for want of a suitable dock on the North
Atlantic coast, and,
Whereas, The @seoretary of the navy
further informs us that the number of
first class battle ships is to be increased
the coming year or two by the completion
of five more now under construction. and,
Whereas, The United States naval board
establishment of several docks on other
C casts has not, we think, given this
great frontier state that full consideration
that her situation and Importance in
STRAIT getio light presents itself to the eyes
of the world, now therefore
Resolved, That 1t is the urgent desire OF
this board of trade that members of Con-
gress from this state, who have full
Knowledge of the situation and oompre-
bend the great Importance of establishing
facilities for a naval rendezvous on the
coast of Maine, at once renew their efforts
in behalf of having dry dock and repair
shops at Portland, as not only needed
| prudential measure, but necessity that
the increasing navy will demand as soon
as such works can be constructed.
| Resolved, That this board by its action,
voices the sentiment of the business men
OF the entire state as unanimously ex-
pressed at meeting of the state board OF
| trade few months since, urging the
building of a dry dock and other appli-
anoes for taking out and repairing naval
ships at Portland, and 1t is also in behalf
| OF this general expressed wish of the
people Of the state that we now appeal to
its representatives to use their early and
I -SA-- Nr.Nx