The Portland daily press., 1886-07-14
COMPULSORY PILoTAcE.
Dilemma of a Norwegian Captain
In Philadelphia.
How Vessel Owners are Plundered
by Useless Pilots.
PHILADELPHIA North American,

philadelphia North Amercan.)
The captain of a Norwegian bark climbed
three flights of stairs to the North Ameri-
cans local room the other day to tell tale
of woe. After he had puffed literally for a
time he told his name, which promptly burst
the tympanum of the ear Of the reporter who
was assigned to listen to his story, and then
dislocated his jaws as he attempted to repeat
| it. Then in broken English the captain told
his tale. He said that it was such an expen-
sive matter for him to come to Philadelphia
with cargo that he did not see how he
| should be able to return. He should like to
| do so, however, if he could find any way in
which it could be done without running him
self, and he wanted to know If the North
American could not help him out. The
trouble that he complained of chiefly was
that he was compelled by law to employ a
pilot and pay him about hundred dollars,
when he had tug-boat that answered all
| necessary purposes. 1.-THE pilot" he said,
''comes aboard, and then if l conclude to
come up the river without tug he wants to
know why don't get one. But really | can
not afford to come up without tug-boat for
their charges are much more moderate than
those OF the pilots, and lose more in time
well, so get the tug and it goes ahead
of my vessel, and then all the pilot does is to
put two men at the wheel, tell them to fol
low the tug, and sit around the deck and
smoke cigars"
"There are other expenses" the Norwe-
gian went on to say, 'for Consul fees, etc.,
which all help to swell the bill, and most of
which are in a measure necessary. But this
pilotage L do think is an eXtortlOn, and IL
pilots fee were reduced from twenty-fiy to
fifty per cent. when tug-boat is taken /
think that this would be the least that could
be granted in justice to the vessels which
make Philadelphia's commerce, but cannot
long continue to do so if their expenses are
so great"
The case was laid before Secretary Gilling-
ham, of the board of port wardens, who said
acted, it is matter of law and not personal
extortion. '.The law" said he, provides
compulsory pilotage because it is maintained
that without this system there will not be an
efficient service. All foreign vessels must
pay full pilotage fee if spoken outside of
line drawn from Cape May to Cape Henlo-
pen light while ten per cent reduction is
made if spoken inside. of that Line. Coast
wise vessels, when spoken outside, may re-
fuse pilot, but they must still pay one-half
the regular fee. The fee varies according to
the draught of the vessel, from $29. go, the
regular rate for one of eight feet, and $24
outward to $112.32 for one OF twenty-seven
feet, and $81 outward. Coastwise vessels
are not obliged to take pilot in going out,
but it is obligatory upon foreign vessels to do
so. There is no doubt that this compulsory
system is improper, but | cannot discuss its
desirability. / have given you the facts in
the case, and / will merely add that compul-
sorry pilotage is feature of commerce all
over the world
"Yes," said F. A. Churchman, president of
the Tow Boat Owners Association, ''it is
true that compulsory pilotage is feature of
our commerce, but there is now bill pend
ing in Congress which applies to inland wa
ters, and if passed will reduce the burden of
the service very greatly, as it allows the cap
tain or mate to take out pilots license, and
permits tow boat captain with United
States license to tow without licensed
pilot This is thing that | sincerely hope
to see accomplished, and L consider 1t the
most equitable way there is to relieve the
vessels from what is certainly heavy tax
upon their earnings. consider it equitable,
as have said. because Philadelphia tow
boats are now charging very moderate prices.
The rates of towage here, in fact, are the
cheapest by twenty-five per cent, of any
foreign captains will unanimously testify to
this, and not only are the rates low, but we
never allow man to overcharge, or If one
does SO and we learn Of it, we compel him to
refund the money. As Fan instance of the
low rates, will just add that vessel of
1900 tons is towed 1O3 miles for $104, and
larger or smaller vessels in proportion, and
these rates are about the same as at New
L
miles.
''Now the majority of vessels that bring
commerce to this port are coastwise vessels,
and there is not one of twenty OF their cap
tains who does not know the way up the
river. Many of these men, being obliged to
take an unnecessary pilot sail all the way
up the river to save towage, when if they
could but have dispensed with the pilot they
could have taken a tug for $50 or $40, and in
that way saved great deal of time.
"Oh, this talk about not having an efficient
pilotage service unless it is compulsory,
amounts to nothing. A vessel can always
get tug and it is the tug boat captain and
not the pilot who is responsible.
William A. Young, who is in charge of the
Pennsylvania pilots office, said: "Oh, the
law cOmpels these captains to take pilots,
and that's all about that part of it. As for
the expense, they needn't take tug if they
don't want to. They do it to save time, and
if they want to do that let them pay for it.
The pilot is responsible for the safety of the
vessel he takes in charge, and it is a mere
matter of saving money or saving time"
But suppose a tug runs vessel ashore
when she has pilot aboard. Who is re-
sponsible then?"
''The pilot, of course. If he doesn't attend
to his business, and keep the tug in the chan
mel it's his lookout
you may put it down as an axiom that all
vessel owners are opposed to compulsory
pilotage," said Henry r. Edmunds, who is
largely interested in vessel property, and is
counsel for the Vessel Owners and Captains
Association. ''AS far as there not being an
efficient system of pilotage unless it is com
pulsory is concerned, | would simply say
that it is matter of demand and supply,
and like every other kind of labor, the latter
will regulate itself to the former"