The Portland daily press., 1900-12-05
Discussed By Board Of Trade
Yesterday.
An Agent Gives The
Reason For It.
Committee Chosen To Secure
Reduction III Possible.

That tins insurance underwriters have
long Disseminated against the port OF
Portland has been known, but no action
to bring about a reduction OF the rates
here was made until yesterday after
noon when the Board of Trade took up
the matter at q meeting called for the
purpose In the Common Council cham
Der, City building. The purpose OF the
meeting was to arrange some plan OF
action By which the injustice which is
being done Portland by the high rates
which ara maintained by the marine I'M
derwrlters might be brought to the atten-
tion OF the underwriters and an effort
made to have the insurance rates from
Portland placed on the same basis with
those of Boston and New York.
some curious facts were developed at
this hearing and at the conclusion OF
the discussion q committee was appoint
ed by President Boothby to investigate
the matter still further and bring about
some change.
The meeting was largely attended. Not
only were the steamship companies
well represented, but the Grand Trunk
railroad and many prominent citizens
of Portland listened to the proceedings
with interest. Ex-Mayors Baxter aud
Randall and Mayor Robinson were prss-
emit ana manifested much interest in the
matter under discussion. Capt. John
bennett of the U. s. Revenue Cutter
Woodbury., Deputy Collector Farnswortn
and some other federal officers were
also present.
In calling the gathering to order Presi-
dent Boothby explained the purpose OF
the meeting, stating that Portland was
being Disseminated against by tAe I'M
derwriters in the matter of insurance
rates and that the port was suffering
from 1t He called upon British Vice
Consul John b. Heating, who had some
interesting Information to give. Mr..
Heating read a letter which he had re-
ceived from people In Montreal, saying
that there was an insurance pool there
which kept the rates up in Portland and
that this was materially affecting the
business of the port and It's future de-
velopment as well. While the rates In
Boston ara at 55 hundred in Portland
they are 20 and even higher. In fact the
Portland rates are higher than those OF
any other port in the United States and
the result is that shippers who would
natu rally send their goods through
Portland, ship them from Boston to New
York, where the rates are not as high
He read letters from People In Canada
who called his attention to one instance
where the rates on cheese from Portland
wers SO much higher than they were
from Boston that the shippers refused
to send their goods through this city.
though they would have preferred to DO
SO under ordinary circumstances.
Mr.. Heating called attention to the
fact that Portland Ia far safer port to
sail from than is Boston and some other
places along the Atlantic coast and that
there have been very few marine acci-
dents in this vicinity. He thought that
it was his duty to bring these facts be-
fore the Board OF Trade as the interests
of the steamship companies and the
Grand Trunk railway, were suffering
on account of this unjust discrimina-
ton.
MIR. A. b. Hall, who lie an agent for
some OF the marine insurance companies,
was called to speak by President Booth
by, and gave she side OF the case as 1t
might be presented by the underwriters.
He said that one reason why the rates
are higher than are those of Boston IL
because the shipping from Portland is
nearly all done in the winter time when
the risks are greater. Then the ships
which sail out OF Portland in this Eng
lish carry ing trade are not as large and
are not rated as high as are those which
sail from Boston and New York. Then
the fact that the Portland ships, or some
of them, are calling at Halifax, has
much to do with the high rates from
Portland for the winter steamship busi-
ness. The strong currents In the Bay of
Fun dy which the ships calling at Hall
fax feel are considered very dangerous
and the course taken by these ships as
they go by Cape Sable, is considered a
very dangerous one. Then again, the I'M
derwriters in other ports have inspectors
who see that the cargoes insured by them
are properly shipped and cared for. Here