The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-04-19
American Shipping interests
Work in their behalf at the National Capi-
toll.
Correspondence of The Journal.l

Work in their behalf at the National Capi.
! toll.
Correspondence of The Journall
WASHINGTON, D. c., April IS, 1906
Many of the Maine people who come t.
| Washington nowadays find as much in
terest in the Merchant Marine Com
mittee as anywhere else. 1t is because
in that committee are being fought gu,
some battles that are of great import
ance to the cities and towns along the
| Maine coast. The committee room is
''under the terrace" big, rect angular
room, with plenty of light coming in
from windows to the west. Gen. Chas
H. Grosvenor of Ohio, the chairman,
who has often stumped Maine during
the campaigns of the last twenty years,
is not attending much these days. But
Representative E. S. Minor of Wiscon,
sin, great friend of shipping because
he has been intimately associated with
the shipping industry, sits at the head
of the table. Half way down the room
is seated Representative Littlefield OF
Maine, who has been fighting for some
kind of shipping legislation every SEES
sion since he came to Congress. Gen
orally close by Mr.. Littlefield, and
watching every word of the testimony,
pro and con, is Mr.. F. s. Pendleton,
president of the Atlantic Carriers AS
ISOLATION, who is a Maine man and
who is known all along the Maine
coast. Often, too, Nh E. c. Plummer
of Bath, Secretary of the Atlantic Car
rier's Association, is there and he
watches the proceedings closely as any
others and suggests questions. Men
closely allied to the seafaring life are
accustomed to giving and taking hard
blows. In dealing with Seafarlng ques-
tions in this committee hard blows are
undoubtedly given and taken, SO that
these hearings of this session have
come to be known around the Capitol
as stormy affairs. Sometimes the lie
passes and there is a show OF hight.
That was the case some months ago
when the bill for the abolition of com
pulsory pilotage was being given hear
ings. The contending forces fought
every inch of the ground and the Maine
men and those with then won out, so
far as the committee was concerned.
Then the fight was transferred to the
House and preparations have been in
progress for the test of strength. In
the meantime the Committee took up
the Ship Subvention bill and the stormy
sessions of the past ten days have been
on that measure. There VIII be a hard
tussle in getting that bill out of the
committee. but the Maine men are all
working to help it along. MI Pendie-
ton is there every day. A number OF
working men from shipyards in differ
ent parts of the country have been
called in to testify, including Alexan
der J. Cochran from Bath, Me. 1t is
very interesting testimony that these
men give-all of them being convinced
of the necessity of some adequate pro-
lection for American shipping.
The atmosphere in that committee
room throbs with intensity over ship
ping questions. Still other shipping
bills have been discussed there during
the present session OF Congress. One
is a bill to restrict the admission to
American registry of foreign wrecked
ships. The Maine members OF the
House-ex- Gov. Bur.eigh, Representa-
tive Littlefeld, and ali the others
have been lighting the abuses in that
direction for years. The Shlp-oWners
along the Maine coast have contended
+ that it was rank injustice to them
BY repairing these wrecked ships, ano
then getting them admitted to Amer
can registry by special acts of Congress
number of men have been making d
pretty penny and furthermore have
been able to secure ships, tit for carry
ing service. at much cheaper figure
than would be possible if the ships haG
been built in American yards. AS only
vessels of American registry can engage
in the coastwIse trade the opposition
built up by the admission of the rebuilt
wrecks has been much felt by the build
ers and owners of sailing vessels along
| the Maine coast.
The defenders of Names ship indus
| try have been quite as active in the
Senate as in the House. Mr.. Frye has
been the special champion at that enc
of the Capitol, because he is chairman
| of the committee on commerce, which
has that particular kind of Legislation
in charge He and Senator Hale to
gether have been able to get man.
measures for the help of shipping
through at that end of the Capito
which have been halted in the House
simply because the inland interests ar
stronger in the House. Many of TIN
inland States, with but two Senator
| each have large DELEGATIONS in TIN