Daily Republican., 1881-05-06
DELAWARE PILOTS.
Meeting Of the Pilot Commission.
ers-What They Propose Doing.

The Board of Pilot Commissioners TO
this State held a meeting yesterday a
the Office of Homer Barr on Water
street. Charles Moore, the chairman
presided. About the only busines!
transacted was the selection Of Captain
Henry s. Nirdcn of Lewes, to be exa
miner for the Board. Captain Virden is
one of the commissioners, and is an old
, pilot. He was chiefly instrumental in
having the new law passed. 1t will be
the duty of the Captain to examine all
applicants for license upon all branches
Of the profession, and upon his report
the applicants will be granted or refer
red as the case may be. 1t is the inten-
tiOn Of the Commissioners to license
none but capable pilots, and none will
be given authority under the Delaw are
law who cannot answer all the ques-
tions OF Captain Virden's rigid exami-
nation. Thus they hope to have only
competent pilots working under Della.
ware licenses, and men who will be
more likely 10 insure safety to vessels
than the majority Of the Pennsylvania
pilots, licensed as they are after no ex-
animation but the very imperfect one of
the Philadelphia Board ofPort Wardens
who have no experience in practical
pilotage.
To IA REPUBLICAN, reporter President
Moore OF the Board said the Pilot Com
missionerS had fully decided to license
all pilotS who applied and passed OK
animation rs TO competency. When
appointed there had been IA question
with the Commissioners as TO the right
OF Delaware to pass II pilot law, and
consequently aS to the legality of the
act under which they had been appoint
ed. He would have resigned had he
teltCOnvinCed that toe law was unsounh,
but all the Commissioners had fully
made up their minds that it was not.
"lt is my impression, SaidMr. Moore,
that much OI the opposition to our
Pilot law comes from prejudice against
Delaware. The Pennsylvania people
will be unable, in my opinion, to do
anything which will prevent Delaware
from asserting her rights. | have no
reason to apprtheud that Congress will
be asked to take the matter in hand.
We purpose licensing none but Compe-
tent pilots (l think about dozen will
apply to lis Tor liCcnse) and if vessels
DOund TO Philadelphia do not want to
take pilots licensed by Delaware there
is nothing to compel them lo so. | am
inclined to think thatthe pilots licensed
here can be depended upon even more
than those licensed in Philadelphia,
because the examination will be much |
more rigid. When the Philadelphia |
people find out that we will not sub |.
init to be bullied think the whole mat
ter will settle down and will be regard |
ed as fair transaction, and that we |
will be allowed to assert our rights over
our own river equally with Pmladel-
phia without any more trouble. A
good many years ago, when ] ran YES
sells in here to Wilmington, the phila-
lelphia Port Wardens sent an old pilot
lere to collect half pilotage from all
vessels coming to this port, and he
made his living in thar way. 1t seems to
ne that if the PennsylvanianS could do
his with us here in Delaware, they
'hOuld not object to us passing Il law
us 20 license pilots living in
'ur own State to pilot craft on u river
of Which is under our juriS-
LECTION.