Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-02-17
The Proposed Repeal of Compulsory
Pilotage.


The PHILADELPHIA Press. under the cap
ton, San Occupation Going" discusses
the pilOtage question, arrives at the con-
clusiOn that the business OF pilots Is
gradually declining. and halls with salts
faction the action proposed in Congress
looking toward the abolition Of COM
pulsorv pilOtage. Our contemporary
avows that the necessity Of pilots
in the Delaware is annually lessen
ing by reason Of Improvements in
the river and more perfect marking OF the
channel. but admits that decreasing
the number of pilots would infiict some
damage upon the commerce Of Philadel-
phia. by driving away vessels strange
10 the waters of the Delaware. What
would be our contemporary view Of the
question were the pilOtage of the
Delaware entirely in the hands of Penn
sylvanians we do not know, but il is fair
TO surmise that its conviction of the
diminished usefulness Of pilots would not
be quite so strong.
The need of pilots is a matter TO be de-
termined by local conditions. Their ser
vices might be needless for certain
stretches Of the Delaware, and, yet, be
very needfll in some less favored
stream. The courts have decided
that pilots are more or less indispensable
To safe navigation. and the State laws
upon pilOtage have been uniformly upheld.
The pilotage acts being perfectly cOnstitu-
tiOnal, it would be a questionable pro-
ceeding on the part Of Congress to step in
and nullify them. Because Congress may
do 80 affords no reason why it should do
50. The people of these United States,
when they clothed Congress with its
powers, were not 10 be understood as con-
senting that that body should make
sweeping use of those powers.
The Supreme Court of the State of
Georgia but the other day admit
ted the need of pilots in Georgia
waters, and upheld the State pi-
lOtage laws. Now, it strikes us that when
the highest tribunal of this State takes
this position, its judgment should be ex-
amined ere Congress sets it aside This
question is a peculiarly local one, and
should be left with the maritime States.
If Massachusetts does not deem pilots
necessary, she has the right to so declare.
ii 6cOI-ld utcluS the SuC ouOuiu
have the right to say so. The abuse of
pilOtage laws would work a cure for any
evil they might cause.
The pilots occupation is hazardous,
and to compel him to bear its hardships
without the certainty Of reward would be
much the same as to compel the Life
Saving Service TO look to the gratitude of
those they rescue for compensation. I'm
| less made compulsory, the occupation of
| the pilot will be precariOus in the extreme.
The system has worked well on the
whole, and the main complaint comes
| from ports like Philadelphia, whose pilots
are forced to take their chances with
those of adjoining States who are within
reader reach of incoming vessels. Vessels
| that actually do not require the services
Of pilots are generally, and should be
! always, exempt from the demands
of pilots, but to provide that
the pilot first offering may be rejected is
| to put a premium on slOth and cripple the
| efficiency of the service. Here, as in
much else of our legislation that has been
| tinkered at, it would be we'll to let well
| enough alone.