Daily Republican., 1881-08-15
THE PILOTAGE TROUBLE.
Talking about tOe Matter in the
Quaker CITY.

| Qu6A~r Sbsys
Philadelphia Record.
The announced determination Of tn,
delaware pilots to lake three Of theil
six bOats out of commission on the frs
of next month unless an improvement
in their business takes place within the
uext two weeks, vas generally discussed
in shipping circles Friday, and varie
ty Of opinions concerning the Ultima,
tum was expressed. Master Warden
Christian X. Ross, when interrogated
on the subject, said that from what in
formation he had received the pilots
were losing money since the new act
aad gone into operation. 'There is 10
doubt" he sain, that maritime men
generally thought that pilots could
make decent living on the new rates,
but the results have proved just the op
posito. If their resolution goes into Ell
feet the result will be to seriously ham
per the commerce of the port and ineon-
venieDce both outward going and in
coming vessels in the way of delays. -
The general drift of opinion in ship
ping circles, however, tenaea in the
other direction.
An extensive ship broker who is also
member of the Pilotage Committee Of
tho Maritime exchange, and who took
an active part in the passage of the new
bill, said yesterday afternoon "rhe
decision of the pilots is simply intsnd-
ed az a piece OF bull DOING. Tie boats
which they intend to put out of serv ce
are really next door to useless, and this
they themselves admitted at Harris
blrg. The new law compels the pi.
lots 10 cruise, and these boats are no
more fit for cruisers than a atilnler. box. I"
This pilots side of the case may be
given in the words of 0 c Of the par
Elephants in the Cape May meeting on
Wednesday, when the resolu ion was
adopted. "Tho simple truth is" he
said, that under the nav aw we cam
mako both ends meet. have been laid
off at the Breakwater for nearly three
weeks, paying 81 day board, and the
trst VI sstl got paid the only SIS We
intend to take off the boats, because it
is absolutely necessary TO lessen our
expenses. Where we used to receive
81 SO for taking pilot Oft we now get
but So.
On vessels carrying coal and mer-
chandise to foreign countries we former
Iy got IS to S.; now we get nothing. We
have lost our winter pilotage, which a.
mounted to ~ per vessel. The highest
amount we can receive on any one ship
is $50, and the lowest $2S. Out OF this
we have to pay one third to the boat,
and keep our families when we are laid
of two Or three weeks at u time, and as
none OF US average more than two and
IL halt vessels d month you can see
what chance we have OF becoming opu-
lent. In New York thoy pay $50 per
foot 20 take = vessel twenty miles to sea
while we get o. for a distance Of l03
miles, and are sometimes five or six
days getting down. We lose also by the
fact that when Il vessel once crosses The
line we have no C0ntrol over it. Ere
quently we chase a vessel for miles
and she gets aheAd of us by crossing
the line in the darkness. We shalt
ta q OIL either one cruiser and two sta
boats or two cruisers and one of the
Others. The "details, however, have yet
to be fixed.
We had to DO this once before prior
TO the enactment OF the law just altered
and by which our Rates OF comp nsa-
lton were increased III is u mistaken
idea to suppose that the vessel owners
are saving anything by this reduction
i'll pilotage, The ship WintertIide,
which went ont few davs ago, spent
$l9 mpIr tt.an ..ould have been neces-
snry unde.' the old law. The towtoat
men got the advantage, and whatever
we are losing they are gaining