Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-10-28

would be E3l0, (sl6.S6); in Falmouth i.
would be f4.o0, (sl9.2s); in France 100
francs, $50 in Spain SIS; Italy sl2 in
Turkey there is little or no pilo,age. Thus
it can plainly be seen what country is most
profitable for pilots. Let the people Of the
United States abolish compulsory pilotage,
and establish government pilotage at one
third Of the present rate, paying the pilots
salary of $500 per year. Place them un-
der the management Of the Light House
Board and you will soon see that 1t would
be self sustaining Institution. Do away
with expensive pilot boats and high saiared
plain of piIo,sge. Month after month We
sail upon the trackless ocean, from the
tumbliug monuments Of ice in the frozen
zone. through the topics infested with Gains,
lsshed into fury by the tempest and the hur-
rcane, through straits. among islands whose
Intricate channels seem willing TO cast us
helpless wreck upon their desolate shores.
until We arrive off our destined port, when
suddenly there emerges from the distant
haze a pilot boat, which soon is alongside
and commands US to heave to and receive
pilot. Does he bring us good news from
our families and friends No, bis presence
means bill for Fifty dollars and II the wind is
ahead bis vision is exceedingly clear in see
ing a tow boat, which means another bill Of
$40. | have nothing to say against the tow
boat, theirs is Legitimate business and they
earn their money. | have paid in the I'm
,ied States in twelve months preceding my
departure on this voyage S2lo pllotage.
Suppose was to deposit that amount every
year for Ten wears IN some savings bark;
would have full hand or flush that would
| surprise my neighbors. Are the interests of
insurance companies 10 be iustered at the
| expense Of commerce? Is i, right for me to
i've a; the expense Of others, or is law Just
compelling YOU to contribute to the support
Of another whose services you reject and
whose presence IS burden and a trouble 10
YOU Commerce viii become thrifty hl It.
self with wholesome laws l. will regulate
'iseif; i nccd' NJ .aw granting pilot mono
poles license to p.unLer Of our nard
earnings. This i the most obnoxious
Iaw in sxi,tcGc-. Can you fnd one
IN America worse, or more to the dl,ndS an
iage Of shipping The captains Of ,us
boats are Obliged to be licensed pilots he-
fore they can command lug boat Almost
every ve,,e! Of any size employs Tow boats
entering and departing from port. The
pilot must have something to say, he goes
forward and superlulrnd, getting out aud Ia
the tow line. ihe tow boat that doe, tie
work get. about three fifth. as much IS the
pilot. II the shpmA,ter > no, qualified TO
bring his ,rsse INTO por, with the assistance
Of tux boat without employing pilot he
s certainl. unfit person ,o command.
| The government, is very ready 70 clear any
obstruction from our harbors that IN any
way endangers or jmped-, ma, CATION. There
i,,howeyer, one other obstruction, which the
government has overlooked and which i
should clear out Of every harbor in the tu-
tied States infested Win the nuisance, com
puisory plIo.se. Pilots prey upon com
merce al every pon from Maine 70
Gexas They only have their existence from
shipping. This compelling one to pay for the
services Of another whom YOU do not require
IS agains, the common sence Of This enlght-
ened age Let the government take the
pilots under It's fostering the same
in other countries Rio Janeiro i nearly If
not quite, the largest seaport IN the south
ern hemisphere | suppose much, Il not
more, tonnage enters and departs from Rio
during twelve months, as from any other city
south OF the equator, and there IS not such
person as pilot here, nor never was. |
never heard or read Of vessel being
lost entering or departing from Rio. The
harbor is not more than commonly easy Of ac-
cess, nor are the approaches remarkably safe
or easy. The water is deep, close to TIE
shore and the land very high. which usually
kills the wind as you approach the entrance
which is narrow, With strong tide constant
iy running. Sometimes vessels lind great
difficulty in anchoring outside, when being
set out Of their course by the tide when there
is a calm owing to the deep water and heavy
swell Still vessels do not get lost because
there are no pilots; on the contrary there
never is vessel lost here entering or lea,-
ing the harbor. Santos is another port
| wherein are no compulsory pilots although
that city lays seven miles up narroa river
and is difficult of access. You can hire
pilot, if you require one, from - to SO.
Ia the most dangerous navigation in the
world there are no compulsory pilot laws.
Around the islands OF Java and Sumatra,
through the Maacca Straits, the Java Sea
and Straits Of Sunda, (Soerabaya exceptedl,
how seldom do we hear of vessel being
lost 1t is deuson founded totally on a
| Misrepresentation of the case that pilots are
necessary for the preservation Of life and
property Pilot laws are made exclusively
for the benefit Of the pilot monopoly, and
wholly against the vessel. hope to live to
see the toll gates Of our American ports
thrown open.
Let pilo,age, like every other business,
depend on the willingness of those appealed
| to, to receive or reject their services. If
the great and eminent men who pretend to
exercise such a parental care over shipping
| think it necessary to force the services of
pilots upon us, let them enjoy the privilege
Of paying them. Such thing as compel
ling people to pay for the services Of another
whom YOU do not require, would not be toll
Grated for one year in any other business
that men could engage in. If the pilots,
| which some contend form portion Of our
commerce, are to have a certain rate of bus-
| ness guaranteed to them by the State laws,
all of which is to come out of the pockets Of
vessel owners, why can not the Government
with the same propriety guarantee Ameri-
can vessels certain percentage of our car
rying trade at fixed rate of freight? What
legal control has the State got over my pock
e, book to say what shall or shall not pay
a man for his services? The person who
earns the money should have some voice
about what disposition he makes of it. /