The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1884-02-18
SAFETY TO LIFE AND PROPERTY
VIII Ne BETTER Assured Under the
Now MennIniinna A Tn Hllnfa.

Will Ne BETTER Assured Under the
New Regulations AS To Pilots.
captain, what do you think of tho regu-
lation just adopted by the Board of Super
vising Steamboat Inspectors, requiring
everyone who applies for pilots license TO
have served three years in the business ?"
THE CRITIC asked ola pilot who for the
last 40 years has seen service on the Pc.
tomac.
tits good thing" he replied. at is
clearly In the interest of safety to life and
property. In fact together with steamboat
owners in New York we advocate tho
measure. l expect that another provision
will be added that an application for license
must BIO signed by six pilots.'
WHAT Is represent law on the subjeo p"
well, u man after paying fifty cents and
getting the signature of two men, supposed
to be pilots, to'his application, goes and OBJ
tains his license. In the past forty years
fused n license, and that was for color
blindness. Formerly pilot had to pay $40
year, but that was claimed to DO too
much so II was reduced to fifty cents. The
local inspectors have no means of examining
pilots They can examine engineers, but
not pilots. so tho matter has been left to
the good nature of tho pilots here, who
sign, suppose, in many cases because they
don't wish to appear unfriendly to the APP
plicant. Now, our association has taken
hold Of the matter, and expect our exam
pie will DO followed throughout the coun.
tryp
as the Pilors' Association hero tho only
one Of the kind ?" was inquired.
Yes; thoro are other associations, but
they concern regulation of wages, and do
not relate to the incompctency of pilots. OF
course VIC expect that one brother will not
take tho job of another at less wages but
beyond that tho association doesn't concern
itself so much about wages as about the
ability of the men who run the boats.
With the adoption Of this regulation the
examining board of the association will ex-
anime tho qualifications of applicants,
and If they ne satisfactory, they will BIO
recommended for licenses"
do you know of any cases of iucom-
petent pilots on this river ?"
Tho Captain smiled slightly as no replied
IA man recently obtained q pilots license
who had never been on the deck Of steam
boat in his life except as a passenger. His
application was signed by two men who are
not pilots. The case is to be investigated
Why, when he ran his boat down to Alex
andria he didn't know how to get 1t away
from the wharf and had to call ON other
men,"
"But it is claimed" said bystander
chat his boat is only tug, and that his
case doesn't amount to much. Little dam
age would be caused in case of collision
"Hc might not be able to sink tho Cor
coran,' the Captain replied, but he could
cause the Excelsior to do it by getting IL
the way. You have either got to run
ashore, run over him or into the other boat
If he gets in the way when you meet an.
other boat"
The Captain added that he wished the
supervising inspectors would make the
regulation more stringent, granting only q
second-class license after three years ser.
vice, requiring one years service undeEsg
head pilot .as1<S<~