The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-27
The Piiotass Laws.

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Among these are the pilots of New York.
skilled labor Of unique type In whose
welfare all our citizens take lively interest.
They belong to those known to poetry and
romance from the very nature of their calling.
The services they render to commerce,
guiding the richly laden vessels from
all chimes to snug haven, caring
for life and property over the dangers
Of the deep, and bringing the welcome budget
of news to the inbound ship after her long
voyage, are things which every one who has
had reason to cross the Atlantic will be CRATE
full for in his list of pleasant sensations. In
storm or calm, In cold or heat, the white
winged vessels with their broad numbers NAV
be seen beating out, ay, Eve hundred miles
from port, in the track of the incoming
merchantmen. Familiar with trade whose
full knowledge requires years of constant
application and trained observation which
can never cease collecting its store of facts,
they are one Of the most necessary adjuncts to
great commercial port. Anything which
tends to impair their efficiency or lose to the
Empire State so valuable breed Of men as
these weather-bronzsd, hardy toilers Of the
sea, may be looked on as blow at the inter-
ests of the community.
The Pilotage laws now in force are ample
and protect all the best interests of those who
Ego down to the sea in ships" From time to
time we have resisted attempted inroads on
the rights and earnings of this brave body of
one hundred and seventy-fve men, because
we saw that the changes proposed were not
in the public interest, but to suit the notions
of class, and always small one at that
The rules under which the Sandy Hook pilots
ply their perious vocation are stringent, and
bristle with fines, penalties and suspensions in
case Of carelessness, intemperance or wilful
violation of the regulations. Their efficiency as
class may be conclusively drawn from the
small number of accidents which happen In
the devious channels of the bay to the vessels
under their direction. Their remuneration for
this exacting service, outside of the heavy ex-
penses they meet in finding and keeping their
fast boats-the best pilot boats In the world
is not more than with every economic care
will support family in decency. These facts,
as we state them, are admitted by the under
writers and captains, and are only disputed by
few of the shipowners who, however. do
not represent the American side of the ques-
ton at all, being chiefly, we understand, the
foreign steamship owners and few part
owners in American bottoms.
A mean-sprited bill is now before the Com
mittee on Commerce and Navigation, of the
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urging to favorable report. The grievance
that they complain of is their being precluded
from making choice In pilots to suit them
selves. Their particular object is to have the
following portion of the existing Pilot law Of
1853 abrogated or changed in their favor -
Any pilot bringing in vessel from sea shall, by
himself OF his boats company, be entitled to
less in the meantime Complaint for misconduct or
incapacity shall nave been made against such pilot
one Of MS boats and PROVED before me
ever, that II the owner OF any vessel shall desire to
change such pilot, then the said Commissioners may
assign any other pilot on the same pilot poat TO
pilot said vessel 10 sea.
| The injustice to worthy body of sea toilers
in annulling this clause will perhaps be better
made apparent by an explanation of the mode
| in which their earnings are divided. A certain
number of pilots are attached to certain
boat, which they own. They are jointly
responsible for its expenses, and after these
are paid from the joint earnings, the surplus
| is divided equally among them. Going
first, then, on the ground that all our
pilots are competent, the law provides some
] thing which, under ordinary circumstances,
seems perfectly ctionable-namely, that
the pilot who is able to take vessel in
should take her out again. To provide, how
ever, for incompatblities between captain
and pilot, compromise is allowed by which
the captain can, on complaint, obtain another
plot, with the single restriction that he be
from the same boats company to which the
original pilot belongs. ff'-'''- -sA'-'' ......
But there appears to be "a niger in the
woodpie," in whose behalf all this revolution
is demanded. The parties interested In the
change have encouraged few of their pet
pilots to separate themselves from their breth-
rem and take their outward bound vessels to
Sandy Hook, returning thence to New York
Immediately and never running the risks that
the steadfast old salts do who go far out
to sea and bring the vessels in. The
discrimination thus attempted to be set up
would, if carried into effect at once
reduce the earnings of the offshore boats by
one-half and ultimately force them to abandon
the business altogether. In breaking up the
pilots of New York these selfish and crafty
few would attain their object, which would be
to avoid the payment, in whole or part OF
plotage fees, which protect alike the passenger
and the merchants cargo by the increased
safety they insure.