Daily Kennebec Journal

The Shipbuilding Relief Bills.

The committee on ways and means devoted the greater part of the session Friday morning to a hearing upon the bills of Messrs Lynch and Hale for the further relief of American ship building by allowing drawback duties on all materials entering into the construction of vessels, instead of only those named in the last tariff bill. All the Maine delegation, except Mr. Peters, were present and advocated the relief proposed, and in addition increasing the time in which vessels in foreign trade might do coasting business from two months in each year to four. Favorable opinion was also expressed in regard to allowing the amount of drawbacks on home material when that is used instead of imported. The views of the Maine delegation were opposed by Mr. George T. Snow, representing the Revere copper company of Boston, who objected to the removal of duty from copper and its manufactures and by Mr. Marshall of New York and L. A. Plummer of New Bedford, who urged the same reasons why duty on cordage should be retained. The committee took no vote on the matter.—Boston Advertiser.