Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-04-22

his life.
Anything from a druggists label up
to a three-sheet poster done with
neatness and dispatch at the LEDGER
job office. Prices as low as the lowest.
Damnant QuOd Non Intelligent.
Correspondence PUBLIC LEDGER
To the steamboat men Of the Mis-
sissisSippi valley and the public
generally: [ see that the board
of supervisors have seer fit to saddle
upon us, ii. e.), steamboat men, a law
that all pilots know is not proper or
just. The color blind act is wrong
and it is arbitrary to compel pilots to
be experts in distinguishing all the
combination of colors. We do not
use but three, if l may call white a
color. The red, green and white are
the lights that we look for on an APP
preaching boat, but the pilot sees a
boat, fire doors and cabin light sew
eral miles before the signal light
shows, and if the boat
is ascending, and the pilot
blows the whistle for either side, the
descending boats pilot can, if so.
minded signal the ascending boat pilot
that he wishes to 60 in the opposite
to his signal. All pilots know that.
the law as now in the rules for the
government of pilots, is that the de-
scending boat has the right Of way,
and it is wrong to try to unlearn a
man what he has been learning for the
past twenty or thirty years. | think
it is absurd for men to alter or make
laws for the government aud rules o.
navigation, when in fact none of the
board were ever employed, or have held
a u. S. license on the rivers of this
country. Now is it not a greatdeal Of
impotence for them to try and make
laws for steamboatmen, for the pro-
lection OF lite and property
For instance just think Of it, the
United States makes all steamboat
captains, pilots, mates and engineers
have a United States license, and
compels the steamboat to have a com
plement Of crews, and is licensed
officers, before she leaves the port.
Now if the great United States should
happen to give a mar his license that
is not competent and the said man
should meet with an accident, does
the gov Ar .ment pay the damage? No.
Who does pay? Why the board
of underwriters always has
the bill to foot, and | am
of the opinion that the board
of underwriters may if SO inclined
have the person or persons that are
licensed examined BY experts, to see
if they were or he was a competent
pilot, captain or mate. In the old
times a pilot had to be known by the
board of underwriters for the cargo
to be insured, and pilots had to have
a good reputation to be hired by CAP
tains and owners. But now all that
is required of a pilot is to show his
!, United States license. The govern
ment ought to hold herself %accounta-
bic for all the damage that may &C
crue from her officers that she
licenses, if they are competent or
not. The United States receives
the boat hands money all the
same, ETC.; and again, the laws in in
speetion of steamboats, reads, in Sec
ton 4404; THE supervising inspectors
shall be appointed by the president.
with the consent of the senate. Each
Of thom shall be selected for his
knowledge. skill and experience in
the uses Of steam for navigation, and
shall be a competent judge of all quail
: titles of steam vessels and all parts of
machinery employed in steaming.' -
Now how many of the ten supervisors
have had this experience? The law
} that is steamboat inspection law says
that If Esel. 44l6l q man
who has not the gualiica-
tions and aequirements prescribed
by this title of section 44l5, and il any
such person shall attempt to exercise
: the functions Of the office of either in
spector, he shall be deemed guilty of a
misdemeanor, punishable by 0 fine of
five hundred dollars, aud shall be dis.
| missed from ONCE. Sow how many
Of the men in the thirty-ope offices
can I'll the bill as peE section 4ll5?
: There are sixty-two local Inspectors,
ten supervising inspectors, and one
: supervising inspector.general. These
are seventy-three men that the steam
boatmen are taxed to pay. Now,
what those men pay, aMoAnts to the
round SUN OF one hundred and
six thousand and two hundred dollars
per annum; even that is a pretty good
{, sum to &c taken away IRON the steam
boatmen. Just to think that every
! boat pays to the United States govern
ment fifty dollars, that is the officers
do, each year. For what? For the
, privilege to pursue a civil occupation.
Now this is ridiculous. Now if lwould
enumerate the amount that each
I steamboat pays into the United States
r it would look impossible that this
great and good United States would
stoOp to rob hoatmen, and give to the
+ railroads all they may ask. Thanking
: you, Mr.. Editor, for your kindness in
I. publishing this, | remain yours, etc.