The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-16
PILOTS As GOVERNMENT OFFICERS.

Opinions OF Pilot Com m tssioners Rela ting
TO the Contemplated Change Of Making
Pilots Government Omcers-The Plan
Pronounced To BE Not Feasible.
An announcement from Washington which an.
peared In yesterdays HERALD caused considera-
BILE speculation and various surmises among Pilot
Commissioners In reference to the subject matter
Of the overwhelmingly that the pilots should be
licensed and employed by the United States gov
eminent, instead OF their acting under the State
system, as at present. The plan proposed would
make the pilots government officers, and the bene-
fetal results OF this step, said, would be to
secure better attention to the equipment OF YES
sells before sailing and better protection against
smuggling after the arrival OF steamers here.
In q conversation yesterday with Captain Snow,
President OF the New York Pilot Commission a
HERALD reporter was informed that such plan as
that proposed by the Secretary OF the Treasury
was not at all feasible, and Captain Snow did not
believe that such step, on the part of the Secre.
tary OF the Treasury, was seriously contemplated.
The present system, he said, was entirely in &C
cordance with the laws OF this State and had
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these, he believed did the work to the satisfaction
OF the mercantile community. He did not think
ingtOn as probable to arise from making the pilots
government ofhcials were likely to follow from
was v said that the presence Of a government
oflicer on board q steamer, some distance out to
sea, would act as check against smuggling. But
1t was well known fact tnat very little snug
Cling, and that eny perhaps at long intervals, was
done while vessels were out to sea, and it was
equally wei known that all, or at least nearly all,
the smuggling done was the result Of an under.
standing with the government officer, and was
done alter the arrival Of the vessel Captain Snow
under this head by making pilots government
officers AS to pilots seeing to and reporting upon
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sidered that absurd. Owners OF steamers and YES
sells, Tor their own SAKE, were likely to attend to
the safety OF their own vessels and to their patrons
comfort TO understand whether or not a vessel
was properly equipped required an examination by
practical master OF vessel or one who had been
master, and none OF the pilots have sufficient ex.
periencc to venture upon decision In regard to
such q matter: Altogether, Captain Seaman did
not see any advantages that could arise from q
change, and did not believe, SO far as he had yet
known OF the intention OF the Secretary of the
Treasury, that the proposed governmental action
Mr. Thomas Negus, Chairman Of the Executive
Committee Of the New Jersey Board OF Pilot Com
mssiOners, was also called upon, anu that gentle
man agreed with the opinion as given above by
Captain Seaman. The New Jersey law, he said, was
and both boards worked harm oniousy in develop
ing the system. New Jersey had seven boats, and
these, with the New York boats. were constantly,
in foul weather as well as fair, out at sea watching
the arrival Of vessels. He believed the system
worked satisfactorily to all concerned. and he could
not see any cause for change or any good that
would come OF 1t. There was slight clashing be-
tween the state law and the powers given to gov
eminent inspectors. The latter in giving masters
OF vessels their certificates seemed also to have the
power to give them the power or the privilege to
pilot their own vessels but with this one point
excepted, he did not know OF any cause for CON-
plant under the present system and even In cases
where the Captain OF a vessel refused 10 accept the
pilot the owners OF the vessel have paid the usual
fees for piotage. He did not believe that the pro-
posed change would in any way diminish the ex-
tent TO which smuggling Is practised, nor could he
see any advantage to be derived from interfering
with the State law.