Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-13
TIE PILorAGE QUESTION.
The Ptlotage Commissioners Investigate
the Charges of Excessive Fees-Action
OF the Board.

/
the Charges of Excessive Fees-Actior
| OF the Board.
AT meeting OF the Board Of PilotagC
commissioners, held for the purpose Of
investigating the matter Of alleged eXces'
slVe pilot charges at this port, commit
Tee OF pilots appeared and full investi
gation OF the matter was made. The
SUBJECT was presented by Capt. I. NJ
/ Fleetwood in all its bearings, with
| ngures and facts which satisfied the
board that the charges made
| against the pilots were not based
on lacts. Capt. Fleetwood claimed that
the rates here compare faVOrably with
those OF any port, when the nature OF the
service is considered; that the harbor re-
CURES more skill tnan most harbors and
continual application and study to OBJ
tam Inc best results, as changes are con-
tlnually taking place in the channels. be
showed the great loss OF revenues sus.
tanned by the pilots of this port since 1856,
owing TO many causes not apparent TO
those unfamiliar with the subject, and
ihat the merchant or shippers OF
locaI products cannot consist
emily make any complaint against
the pllotage charges, or in fact any port
charges. The supply Of vessels exceeds
the demand, and the lowest freights have
prevailed for several years past that have
ever been known. II every charge on the
port Is removed. he said, no better result
could be obtained. All ports, he said, pay
these charges, and the cause OF loss Of
commerce at this port is owing to other
than 10 pilOtage fees.
some OF the causes were mentioned by
Capt. Fleetwood. The principal causes,
he said, outside Of the loss of steamers
coastwise" which Is over oue-halt Of the
revenue, are the laying OF the cable TO the
out west Indies, causing the loss Of
almost all vessels which formerly called
for orders at Tybee (some years ago
IL being not unusual to see so
TO Az vessels at anchor at Tybee
waiting orders, while now the number
does not exceed five or six at a time).
The custom of vessels towing through the
inland passage TO other ports is also "A
considerable loss, Capt. Fleetwood
stated that the manufacturing OF cotton
IN Georgia is good thing for the State,
but it is dead loss to pilots, as all such
goods pass out by cOastwise steamers.
The ice mandatory recently erected
here, he SAID, will cost the pilots a loss
IN revenue of at least $1,000 per year.
The railroads are changing their
gauge and will soon carry direct to
all the trade centres a large amount of
the products from which revenue is now
derived by the pilots. Capt. Fleet
wood said that the public or the
board he thought did not wish to offer up
the pilots as sacrifice to the shipOwners
OF Europe OF the few States interested in
shipping.
Eastern shipOwners, under the Unite d
states laws, have a monopoly of the coast
wise trade, and can pay port charges bet
ter than the pilots could afford to lose
their fees. Pilots earn every dollar they
receive at this on any other port, and they
should be entitled to earn, after such SER
vices as are required OF them by this COM
munity and tile State, many OF which
they receive no fees for, an amount per
year equal to that ordinarily paid TO a
clerk in our city.
A statementof the earnings of the pilots
of the port Of Savannah for the past
year was laid before the board. with a
statement Of the rates of the different
ports and statistics bearing on the mat
ter. 1t was the opinion Of the board.
which is composed Of gentlemen alive to
the interest Of the city, that the fees are
not excessive, and the charges of ex-
cessive rates were not sustained by the
facts.
The pilots asked the board to give them
the privilege of allowing vessels going
through the inland route to load at ports
in the State, to pass out free OF charge
when the services of the pilot is not
required, and it was 80 ordered after June
1, 1886. This was done through the sug-
gestiOn of gentleman who is in the busi-
ness, and his plan was agreed to by the
pilots.
The following is the order issued by the
the board: THAT on and after the first
day of June, 1886, all cOastwise vessels
passing through the inland route from
this port TO other ports in this State to
load, viii not be required to employ or pay
pilot outward unless his services are re-
quired oy said vessels. This order to re-
main IN force until further notice from
this board"