The Portland daily press., 1900-12-05

there are no inspectors and the under
writers fssi that they take greater
chances with caFgoss shipped from Port
land than they do with those shipped
from Boston or New York whsle these
matters are looked after very carefully.
Then the underwriters feel that they
have been very unfortunats In their
risks taken on ships sailing from FORT
land and for this reason and all OF the
other reasons given above the rates are
placed at a higher rate. -~..-s
Mr.. Hall said thar the thing to DO was
to convince the marine underwriters that
they have a false impression regard
many OF these things and u should be
possible to oonvice tnsm OF this fact, and
SO bring abaus o reduction. He thought
the matter concerned the steamship peo-
pie more than It did any one else and
he thought it was the steamship people
who should act In the matter. Mr.. Hall
also called attention TO the Californian
disaster and also that of some other ships
which have met with misfortune. None
CT these things can be charged against
the safety Of this port, but they are 30
charged by underwriters and the port
discrimiuated against, II &c is discrimi-
mated against, on this account
MIR. Heating called MIR. Halls attention
to the fact that oil OF the ships coming
to Portland were classified by Lioyds as
A. NO. i. the highest rating a ship could
be given, and the ships coming to Port
land are equally as good as.those which
come to Boston. Then Mi. Heating
went on to say that lie considered this
port as safe IL not safer than Boston,
and recalled come accidents which had
occurred there to British ships.
President Boothby then read a letter
he had received from man who had In
vsstigated the matter for him In Boston
and who gave the same reasons for the
higher rate of insurance to this port
that was given by Mr.. Hall
In reply to MIR. keating's statement
about the Lloyds classification OF ships,
MIR. Hall said that the underwriters were
not forced to take rating Of ships and
did not take 1t. They had their own
private classification based on their own
reports which they used In fixing the
insurance rates on vessels. He said that
there were no insurance companies In
Boston, but one in New York and one
In Philadelphia, but the larger part OF
the marine companies were in England,
and the thing to do was to place all Of
these facts before the American mana
gers of these companies who have the
power to regulate the matter,
MIR. Charles +. Libby made brief
speech in whioh he urged the appoint.
ment of committee which would be
willing to go to Montreal, New York
and Philadelphia, II necessary, to person
ally interview those who have the fixing
of these rates and endeavor to bring about
some change for the better or to at least
put Portland ON the same footing with
Boston as to the rates, Mr.. Libby con-
rending that the ship sailing from Port
land was not following course bit
more dangerous than does ship from
Boston.
There was some further discussion OF
OF the subject. and after ex-Mayor Baxter
and ex-Alsyor Randall had spoken regard
ing the matter ana urged Immediate
action, President Boothby appointed as
the special committee to take action on
this matter, Hon. q. r. Libby, Capt.
John W. Deering. Mr.. GA. Hight, repre-
senting the q. L. H.; MIR. A. b. Hall,
representing the insurance companies,
and MIR. John b. Heating, the British
vice consul, representing the steamship
people.