Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-05-15
An Appeal from the Branch Pilots of New
York to the Chamber Of Commerce.

The undersigned Branch Pilots, Of this port, hav.
ing seen with regret memorial purpo ting TO come
from your board against tn repeal Of the law Of
Congress. OF March, 1887, beg leave to ask your at
tentisn to the following considerations. IL is true
that we are asking for repeal Of the law which
enables New Jersey pilots to take ships in ard out
Of this port, and persuaded that n candid ex
animation Of will convince all, that
petition is not W thout foundation.
i. As To ourselves.
we have all served an apprenticeship at the BUSH
ness, and the know ledge which we have acquired by
years Of toll and danger, is useless for any other bu
siness than this.
We have ten boats, which cost u, an outlay Of
over S95 600 Yettkc business, with all our indus
try and our capital employed, does not afford us a
livelihood Some Of our best men have already been
driven into other occupations and we do not believe
that il is either the wish the intentions of the
me rchants TO have us continue in such a haz rdous
aud arduous calling solely for their benefit, and not
some for our own
As to others.
IL must be evident TO all that duties cannot be
performed without an intimate acquaintance with
our harbor. Any person Of ordinary capacity, can,
after only few hours study, learn csough Of the
charts 70 pass an examination by persons whose
knowledge 10 derived almost entirely from the
source; but something more than this is necessary
10 conduct ship through our channels a all hours
Of day and night, and IN all weathers This can be
acquired only by losg experience, and that demands
an expenditure Of time and money deserving OF
some ecomTens
Formerly thi- was insisted upon in all cases, but
under the exs' ing law o Congress II ~ not so.
can be admitted a Jersey pilot without
serving an app enticeship.
lie i. examined before a board who are net them
selves practical pilots.
And men who have been rejected on examination
by our board have been admitted the other side,
and now acting as Jersey pilots.
IL is not Tor us to say whether they are likely TO
be rs competent as men who have devoted their
whole lives TO a business where experience is every
thing.
We have now ten boats, about eighty pilots, and
forty appre tees. The New Jersey pilots have
three boats. and some of them owned formerly if not
now, in part, If not in whole, by some Of me r
chants The business was not, in its best days. suf
fcient 10 make any of us rich; but now, in cense-
quence Of the law Of Congress, and he merchants
having themselves engaged in IL, II will not afford q
competence
why are we reduced 10 this condition. II is
owing partly TO a misconce ptien Of the law, but
mainly to eroundless prejudice excited against us
a few wears ago
The memorial Of the Chamber Of Commerce is an
illustration Of the truth Of this remark
Ills there urged that the repeal o the law IF Com
gr,ss will make monopoly of the business in our
hands How can that possibly be, where II is open
TO every man who is mpet,ntl
I is also urged that the repeal of that law would
destroy competition II s true that il would destroy
competition between competent men in New York
aud incompetent men from New jersey. but that
Competition which is most va liable because IL exists
among ourselves, - secured ly the law NJ This State
and not by the iaU Of Congress II Is the law Of our
State, and not e Congress- which prevents the M.
nopolY, and II IL owing TO competition ansng our
selves, and net with the New jersey pilots, that we
now board ships at great distance from port But
" ~ an ertire mistake e. say that ships are row Tor
the fret time boarded az that distance. Some ~ rs
have put pilots beard Of ships 10 miles from port
thirty years ago
II Is asain charged against that the loss of the
Bristol and Mexico wa, properly altrlbu'eu W US