Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1936-01-10
OF
SMITH ISLAND
GET ATTENTION
Mr.. GOldsbOrOugh To Work For
Bill To Furnish Ice Break
ers For Such Conditions
APPEALS TO RED CROSS
TO SEND PROVISIONS

The plight of residents of Smith
Is. who were isolated from the main
land for ten days due to heavy ice
prompted Representative Goldsbor-
ough, to introduce a bill authorizing
the Secretary of the Treasury to con-
struct twelve United States Coast
Guard vessels, of a design suitable
for ice breaking service, and to render
assistance to marine commerce in the
Chesapeake Bay and other Atlantic
Coast waters.
The Maryland Representative said
he was prepared to wage fight for
the enactment of his bill during the
present session, and that he will re-
quest the committee on merchant ma
rine, radio and fisheries for hearing
on the measure at an early date, with
view to bringing it before the House
for action early in the session.
If necessary, Mr.. Goldsborough will
invite residents of Smith Island and
other sections of the bay to appear
before the committee, to testify to
the need of supplying the Coast Guard
Service with suitable vessels capable
of ice breaking services
Mr.. Goldsborough recalled that
Congress passed a bill in the first ses-
sion of the Seventy-fourth Congress,
providing for the construction of ten
ice-breaking vessels for the Coast
Guard, but the measure failed to meet
the approval of the President. Mr..
Goldsborough said he supported this
bill.
In a statement accompanying the
veto of the bill, the President said
that while it was true that additional
boats designed for ice-breaking could
be used by the Coast Guard, it was
his conviction and that of the Treas
ury Department that the present needs
were not such to justify the expen-
ditures.
Mr.. Goldsborough said, "Ice con-
ditions in rivers, channels and har-
bors of the Chesapeake Bay in the
past two weeks have been brought to
my attention by appeals for aid by
the residents of Smith Island, twelve
miles from the mainland, where pres
ent equipment of the Coast Guard
service has been unable to render as
sistance in breaking the ice for the
delivery of food and supplies"
Mr.. Goldsborough further said, "The
Coast Guard does not have the proper
equipment for cutting through the
ice, which has been in some places six
to eight inches thick. The Coast
Guard cutter Apache, the largest cut
ter on the Chesapeake Bay, was un-
able to cut through the ice to Girls
field, and had to return to open
water and await milder weather"
He also pointed out that he had
appealed to the Red Cross to send re-
lief to the residents of Smith Island,
but boat with food and other sup
plies was unable to get to the island,
and it's cargo had to be transferred to
a mail boat for delivery.
Mr.. Goldsborough also called at
tention to the suspension of naviga-
ton in the Wicomico river, Knapps
Narrows and at Crisfield, because of
the heavy ice. 1t was said that a
steamer with cargo of oil destined
for Salisbury had been unable to de-
liver its cargo, resulting in a short
age of that commodity.
Oyster houses at Crisfield and 9TH
er seafood points have been closed
down, throwing a considerable num-
Der of persons out of work.
Mr.. Goldsborough reiterated he
would exert every effort at his COM
mand to have legislation enacted pro-
viding the Coast Guard with this adj
ditional equipment for use in the bay
and other inland waters along the At
lantic Coast.
Congressman Goldsborough on Mon
day announced that a hearing would
be held on January ID before the
Committee on Merchant Marine and
Fisheries on the bill introduced by him
to provide for the construction of IL
Coast Guard cutters designed for ice
breaking.
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