, 1881-12-16
PILOT LAW AGAIN.

attempts 10 SuCah Out va i'S
advocacy OF no pilot law, and says:
"Certoinly, let there be pilot law
for Puget Sound, but not n tue
form of the defeated bill" If its
language in the first instance, as re
fcrred to by US, did not convey the
meaning ascrihed to it, then we have
something to learn about the i'm
pcrt of words. The further remarks
of our contemporary relative to the
old law, and its vague objections to
the defeated bill, lead us to hope,
for the good of ats reputation for
intelligence, that neither of the in
struments in question had been read
with any degree of careful scrutiny
bv its editor. The old law was un-
constitutional, and so defective that
an appeal to the Supreme Court
would have been decided against it.
1t had been a source of fruitless and
costly litigation, and left those who
enforced its authority powerless to
prevent fraudulent action, or to car
ry out their manifest duties. The
Pilot Commissioners had been aware
of these defects for the past twelve
years, and have sought from time to
time to have them remedied; but
whenever the Legislatures have been
in session, the same parties who ef-
fected the defeat of the last bill ip
the Council have succeeded, by
means of their lackeys and paid at
torneys, together with the awe their
corporate power inspires, in defeat
ing every amendment or improve
ment proposed. "What influence"
asks the verdant 'Ledger," "worked
the repeal of the old law?" 1t was
the influence OF the Puget Mill Co.,
through its Council members, Mes
srs Hovey and Miller, aided by
Councilman Evans, who had given
his word to parties in this town, we
are informed, that he would support
the new bill, in the face Of which he
not only opposed it but delivered
violent philippe denouncing it. We
learn that his excuse is that certain
board of trade, so called, at Tacoma,
instructed him so to do. We would
like TO ask who this board of trade
is, that It should dictate to the com
mercial interests of Puget Sound, or
if Mr.. Evans did not have a duty TO
perform to the public at large vastly
higher and more important. than any
obligation that cou d possibly exist
toward a petty, local organiza ion
that chooses to call itself by hi gh-
sounding title? The matter looks
more like a subterfuge to avoid res
possibility than anything else.
Now see the result of having no
pilot law. Last week the English
steam tug Eta White, belonging TO
the Burrard Inlet mill, WAS here, and
her owner, Mr.. Rithet, OF the great
house of Welch, Rithet & Co., of
Victoria, stated that after the 1st of
January noxt he intends to keep her
at Cape Flattery to tow vessels to
American ports on the Sound. All
other English tug boats are prepar-
ing for similar duty, and the ''Led-
ger" will soon have the gratifying
sight of English pilots and English
tug boats bringing vessels to Taco
ma. We predict that before the
next Legislature meets the mill own
ers will be tired of such suicidal
business, and the people will know
who not to elect to make our laws.
The Gillian bark Twenty-6rst of
May recently struck on Race Rocks
and proved a total loss-all because
she had not competent pilot. 1t
may he conlidered trivial matter,
by some Of our wiseacres, that Incl
dents of this kind should occur; but
we can assure them that Just such
incidents conspire to give our waters