The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-01-10

no way Iulufu W. A.Eoofs AAo STU INN
from observation he should say that the
harbor nils up very slowly because thsrs
are no large rivers einptyine into IL anc
20 extend the docks would be rather m
aid than otherwise to the securing out Of
the harbor.
Mr. Il. b. winslow In connection with
MIR. Jordan's remarks spoke of the project
to establish an all .the-year trans-Atlantit
line here. A few days ago. so Mr. Win
slow said, representative OF large
steamship line which desires to make
Portland an M the year round port, had
been about the city interviewing promi'
nent business men ON the subject lie
said that this representative wanted to
secure financial assistance but he didn'
think he obtained much encouragement
from those with whom he talked Before
he had left Portland large delegation
of Montreal people came here for the
ostsusible purpose of viewing Portland's
dry dock and examining the harbor. lie
believed their mi ssion here was merely to
zee how IN UGH tncy had to fear from Port
land rs rival port in the summer time.
These men In Montreal haven't any idea
of losing their summer business from the
steamships II they can help It Mr..
winslow said that the representative OF
the steamship line who saw him said that
Portland's hsrbor was SO easy of access
that II the law did not require them to
tske pilot before coming into port they
could easily bring their steamers In with
out one. Mir. wInslow suggested that the
Board Of Trade follow this matter very
closely and DO all they could to further
the plans of this steamship company.
Captain h. W. Jones said that 1t was
his belief that Browns wharf extended
some one hundred feet out beyond the
harbor commisisissloners' line and he
suggested that II would be q good idea 70
extend all the wharves In Portland out to
this point. Ihe vessels nowadays oil
tow or steam up the harbor and do not re-
auire as much rom as they did when all
vessels were sailing vessels
In connection with this matter Hon.
Charles II. Randall, mayor Of Portland,
read a letter which he received few days
ago from ". II. liAnhyt Ak7d.t NNt''
agent Of the Burgess Sulphite. company OF
Berlin, n. II. In this letter Mr.. Tiffany
said that be had read in the PRESS OF
the interview which an agent OF steam
ship line had had with the mayor In re
gard to establishing summer line to
Portland and he seemed to be greatly In
tereeted In this matter. He thought that
IL such a lima of steamers were established
that /. could secure q large amount OF
business In q short time He wrote that
his company alone now shipped In the
summer $50, 900 tons of pulp to the United
Kingdom, and this is divided between the
Montreal and the Boston lines of steam
ers. II Port land should have summer
line all of this freight, he thought, would
be shipped to England by the way Of
Portland.
Speaking Of the interview which he had
had with the representative of the Thorn
son line of steamers, MIR. Randall said y.
seemed to be the idea of the steamship
repre- sentative that "A summer line would
be operated the first season at loss.
Their idea seemed to be to secure financial
backing here so that the loss of the steam
ship company might be partially shared
in by the merchants of Portland.
This steamship line now only makes a
contract with the Grand Trunk for the
winter and their desire was to make an
all the year contract with this road.
Mr.. L. b. Winslow said that In his
talk with the repre- sentative OF this line
he was told that they had calculated that
the loss per steamer in the summer time
would be at least $1,000. He believed that
this steamship line or some other would
ultimately come TO Portland for the sum-
mer without any financial assistance, in
fact 1t WAS his opinion that they were
anxious to como to this port all the year
round.
President Boothby OF the Board Of
Trade called upon Mr.. W. A. Coates,
manager of the Thomson line here for
some remarks on this matter.
Mr.. Coates said he was present not par
ticulariy in the interests of the Thomson
line. but as member of the Board of
Trade. He said he would like to correct
an impression that seemed 10 be quite
common among the citizens Of Portland,
that the steamship line must have hDan-
cial backing to come here. He said they
wanted to come to Portland all the year
around even If they came here at first
with a small loss, for they believed that a
good business could be built up at this
port. What the representative of this line
desired TO ascertain trom the mayor was
whether or not the line could be subsidized
as are other lines which run steamers in
st. John and other ports. DE said that
the Thomson line had been competing
with steamers which were receiving $500
subsidy psr trip from St John. The idea
of the subsidy was to help the line In case
there should be a loss. He said that run
ming steamers to this port In the summer
time was rather hazardous undertaking
as the steamers would have to compete
with Montreal on one side ami Boston on
the other. He said that the representa-.