The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-07-07
Compulsory Pill

To the Editor of the Press
Notwithstanding the low rates of freighting
for shipping the State of ] .Iaware has passed
another Compulsory Pilot law compelling all
vessels that touch at the Delaware Breakwater
for orders to pay pilotage l ask what has the
State of Delaware to do with the Breakwater
The Breakwater was built by the United States
government at the expense of millions of dol
lars and now the State of Delaware says you
cannot come into this haven without paying
us for the privilege. Be it known that the
navigabe waters of each and every State are
under the jurisdiction of the United States
government, and not Of any State. The Legis-
lature of any State would not dare to give per-
mission to any corporation to shut up any of
the navigable waters within the State. If
they did the United States Marshal would stop
the proceeding. The Legislature of any State
cannot make compulsory Pilot law that
would be constitutional with republican form
of government. If there are any improve
ments to be made in any of the nsvigable wa
tiers of the States Congress is called upon to
appropriate money to pay the bills, and then,
the different States say to US, you cannot navi-
gate these waters without paying us for the
right Another point: every shipmaster is
commissioned by the United States govern
ment to command his vessel and it is open
piracy for any man to step over the ships rail
and give command without the permission of
the master-as long as he has not broken the
laws of the nation. And every Legislature
that makes a compulsory pilot law should be
put under martial law for making laws that
conflict with the laws of the United States
government. was surprised to hear that at
the ship owners convention held in Boston
last year that no definite action was taken in
respect to compulsory pilotage. Mr.. James E.
Ward said that he pays the masters of his
steamers 5000 per month, and the pilotage costs
more than the wages of his masters. Why was
there not a resolve passed in that convention
to never pay any more compulsory pilotage,
and the thing would have been killed from
that day. If Legislatures will make uncon-
stitutional laws to give certain class OF men
the privilege to rob ship owners, let ship own
ers take the matter into their own hands, and
make rules to govern their own interests.
This question OF compulsory pilotage has new
er been decided by the full court of the United
they will decide that all compulsory pilot laws
are unconstitutional, as / said in the first of
this article, that the navgable waters of all
the States are under the exclusive jurisdiction
of the United States government. A few days
ago I arrived at the Delaware Breakwater for
orders This completed my 18th time be-
tween the United States and West Indies, and
many voyages to Europe and elsewhere, and
think am capable OF directing vessel into
the BreakWater or out without a nurse. l ar
rived in the early morning, and no Breakwater
pilot spoke me; but the next day, when I got
my orders to proceed to New York, a man
came on board and presented bill for $54.of,
making the pilotage in and out when spoken
Sofa He told me that the Delaware Legis-
lature had passed pilot law giving them the
right to collect plotage from all vessels calling
for orders. In forty years OF sea life this
is one of the meanest attempts at robbery
that ever met with. / have no objection to
pilots when only proper rate is TO be paid,
butno forced pilotage should be paid in touch
ing for orders. Fifty dollars should be enough
into New York or Philadelphia for vessel of
800 tons. About the first thing a pilot looks
for after coming on board is a tug boat, if he
can get the captain to take one, to tow him
| into port, and often when the pilot comes on
board at Sandy Hook he is towed to the wharf
| in three hours and receives $75 to 800 for
| nothing. The captain of the tug boat pilots
| the vessel. The pilot rates have been increas-
| ed from time to time until the burden has got
| to be unbearable Has a State the right to
| blockade her ports in time of peace? |
| ask what is compulsory pilotage but a
blockade? The State legislatures COM
mission a class of men to go out
| side of the ports and demand OF shipmas-
| tiers sum Of money for navigating the waters
| that belong to the United States and which
| the general government has commissioned the
| shipmasters to navigate free. 1t Is astonish-
| ing to see how many men there are that seem to
| regard ships as common plumber. l touched
| at Hampton Roads for orders and paid over
| $121 pilotage, and the distance not more than
| Is miles Let all shipmasters understand that
| they have an undeniable right to navigate in
| all the waters of the United States, and that
| the United States government grants
| YOU that right when you receive your papers
| from the Custom House.
ALVIN HALL,
| Master Brig Carrie Bertha.