The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-12-03

The pilot takes his charge few miles from shore aud
leaves her There is no labor no hazard and but little
responsibility in 1t. Nothing can be more unjust,
more repugnant to every principle of fairness aud
liberality, than to take from pilot vessel he has
broue in and give her to another to take out IL is
in fact only by taking a vessel out that pilot
can be compensated for the labor of bringing her
in. Accordingly, this privilege is usually secured
provide that the pilot who brought in a vessel
Tor one belonging to the same boat) Is entitled to
Carolina provide, that every pilot taking vessel In
has the exclusive right to take her out except in
OF misbehaviour, &c. Let us see what has been the
operation Of the system in New York. since the act of
Congress passed. That act authorizes pilot from
New YORK. New Jersey be employed to pilot a YES
sci to from New York 1t leaves it optional with
the master of vessel to employ the same pilot who
brought in vessel to take her out. to employ
ther pilot and here the regulations of the Chamber of
Commerce and the Board Of Underwriters come in,
commencing him to employ pilot not certified by
their board or licensed by New Jersey, excluding the
readily seen Ibod in nv hand several lists of vessel,
brought in by New York pilots and given New Jer-
sey or merchants pilots to take out again The
Of the vessels gwen, well the times OF the
transactions There is also list of vessels taken out
by the merchants pilots which they did not bring in
This list is furnished by the secretary of the board Of
commissioners, and Is under his owl hand The nj
lotage on these vessels amounted to So OBS 53 and
must have been taken. from the New York pilots -
There are in addition lists of 148 vessels
the New York pilots during portion of the years 1916
and 1s47, and given to other pilots to take again
merous cases which were omitted for want Of precise
information The average pilot fees for each vessel
are estimated at S25 They are probably little
certainly not less AT this rate, the amount tsken
from the New York pilots the vessels above men
toned and by violating rule of universal Justice
Is $6,6SS. These facts proved by unqueston.
able evidence In the year 1914, before the mer-
chants pilots were appointed, it appears by 're-
monstrance OF the underwriters Of the port of New
YORK." DOG. NO. 60, House of Representatives LIST
session 18th Congress-, that the New York pilots
brought in 1892 vessels, and took out 1,6lO-
amounted to so $50. By the same return 1t appears
that the New York pilots, 81 in number plotted in and
out 1907 vessels or Az vessels each pilot giving them
at $Zo per vessel 90 each, to pay the expsn
Of their boats, and maintain their families sh pre-
1t alec appears that the New Jersey pilots II in num-
br plotted in and out l,la1 vessels, giving them at
5per vessel 81 663 20 seach or $3.50 rs each more
than the New York pilots. A very considerable por-
ton this difference 10 owing to the open in
whlch the New York pilots have been discouraged by
the board Of commissioners have stated these facts
Mr. President in justice to the New York pilots who
(Mr. Davis and the enator from New Jersey, (Mr.
Mer) with sinister motives in coming to Congress to
ask for re- -ai Of the act of I'd March, 1887 have
felt it due to them to show that they laboring
under serious disability, and the objects of q
most invidious distinction under the operation of
this act But proceed to other considerations
SECOND. One Of the great complaints against the
system In force previous to 1887, was, that pilot.
would not go to sea in search of vessels but wait at
NEEDED; but it has been followed both by incon-
veniences and injustice, which, perhaps, fully coun.
H. inconvenience,
Pilots now 60 far out to in quest of vessels 1t is
not uncommon thing for pilot to presen mt himself
two hundred miles from New York. Now, there is no
particular advantage in this. 1t may be safely said
that no vessel requires wishes pilot at greater
distance than twenty or twenty five miles from Sandy
hundred miles from New York he does net take charge
Of her, She is ordinarily given him when she comes
In sight of land 1t is not every pilot who is capable
and carrying her into port The consequences Of the
present over active competition is, that the pilot
reaching Sandy Hook they find no pilots At the yery
place where they are most wanted they often
to be found. ! shall refer to an honorable senator
from Maryland, s(Mr. Johnson1 to know whether, CT
arriving at Sandy Hook in the Great Western, that
vessel was not detained because NO pilot could be
found will read some notes from the log book of the
United States ishtship OF Sandy Hook showing that
1t is very common occurrence for vessels to arrive
here and be detained for want Of pilots. There
which hold in my hand; and in addition the captain
of the ship states on occasion that the1e was
large number Of vessels in sight wanting pilots"
another that several vessels want piots;n
and that there were many other which he saw
himself and of which no entry made in the log.
book While, therefore, the active competition in
plotting has corrected evil it has another
And now sir, will state the injustice of the sys
tenn Under the laws of New York and New
States, If pilot boards O vessel beyond certain dis
lance from the land he is entitled rs per cent in
addition to bis established fees In New 70 this dis
light. This Is called off. shore potage, nd was intena
as compensation for the extra labor and nconve.
nience OF the pilot When there legally establish
ed ~ stem, it could be exacted Now IL caunet, and
shipowners and masters knowing this refuse pay
This remark is not OF universal application but the
practice Is becoming very general 1t Is believed that
four fhs of the vessels refuse pay the of sho-e pi
otage. They are willing the pilot should 60 one or
him the customary addition to his fees II he
himself the first question is Do you charge of shore
!0t'gs ~ And he ref refuses to give i up the
made with him, he is required to deduct It when
the vessel goes out, or she is given to sno-
ther person. Under such q system he has no
legal security either for just liberal treatment.
3. The active competition which has grown out of
the existing system, and which would have grown up
without the act Of Congress under the State law Of
New York, has not had the effect of securing COM
merce against shpwrecks and other disasters very
in number. The cases of the Mexico and the Bristol
were extraordinary occurrences. They happened at
an Indictment season. and even If the old system had
been continued such disasters might not have
red again In half century Since that time there
have been shpwrecks equally DISASTROUS except in the
loss Of life Some Of the property in the Bristol and
Mexico was saved and the DEATH which occurred in
the Mexico were not from drow ming, but from FROST
the passengers, who were emigrsnts, having been
driven TO the deck in winters night of unparalleled
severity. | hold in my hand a list of go vessels
stranded run aground, or wrecked from April 1880,
tenn. OF this number, over thirty were a total loss
and twenty two We're engaged in foreign commerce
Some OF these shipwrecks were Of most distressing
character, account Of the loss Of life with which
they were attended. The ship John Minturp for in
stance, went ashore on Squan Beach, about fifteen
miles from Sandy Hook the captain and his family,
the pilot and thirty eight others having persisted to-
gether and the ship and cargo totally lost. On
the score OF property, it was probably heavier loss
than that Of the Bristol or Mexico have another list
Of III sells stranded aground or wrecked from
February 1S46 commencing where the other list
minated, to the 14th Jan 1884 say years OF this
number twenty four total loss large increase
In the ratio compared with former years and nine
were engaged in foreign commerce In the first seven
years above named the vessels totally lost amounted
TO nfariy hve per annum. During the last two
years they have been twelve per annum-more than
doubled, though the increase of the commerce of
the city has not been in a much larger proportion
state these facts to show that security to property
and life has not increased under the existing system
whatever opinions may be expressed to the contrary
1t Is true have not been able to AXE comparisons
with the period preceding 1887 for want Of data There
is, however an account by Captain Earl, who adj
duced as witness against the New York pilots and
who stated, In 1885, that he had enumerated, from
memory, 30 vessels totally lost within "few years.
Inc number OF years Is left to conjecture but upon