Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-12-17
Communicated
TO TIE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF VIRGINIA.
DECEMBER l6, 1873

| for placing before you our facts and views
| in regard thereto:
First. They say the Board Of Pilot Com
missoners is appointed by the courts OF
Norfolk and Elizabeth City county; that
| TO become pilot one must serve au ap-
prenticeship Of FIVE years and that there IS
| no law compelling the pilots TO accept an
apprentice, and the present pilot associa-
/ tiOn "have a close corporation ana mOno-
| poly Of the most pronounced type.
We say it is true the Board Of Pilot Com
missioners is appointed by the courts
named and have been since virginia mas
/ been State: that though never before
questioned lin moro than one hundred
/ years. we would not object to the Leglsla-
! ture putting the appointing power in the
/ hands Of any other responsible authority;
/ that il is true to become pilot an appren-
ticeship of FIVE years Is required. ana we
/ think il must be evident to any mind ehat
/ TO acquire absolute skill IN handling yes
! sells Of all classes--both sail and steam.
from small sail-bOat TO three-thousand-
ton sailing ship, from a small steam-tug 10
/ the largest steamship that ploughs the At
/ lantic-to have accurate knowledge from
sea to all the ports of Virginia as TO
soundings, courses, shoals, and sets OF
currents or tides in the waters thereof, It is
/ absolutely necessary 70 require such an APP
/ premiership. and such an apprenticeship
i required by law in every maritime state
of this country and of all other cvlllze.d
nations. That as TO having "a monopoly
and close corporation OF the most pro-
nounced type We say az an incontrover'-
bic fact. and challenge successful contra
diction. that no list complaint has
over been made OF the efficiency or
suliciency Of numbers of the pilots
of this State for every need of COM
merce: that last year apprentices became
pilots: that there are apprentices now IN
/ the pilot service; that there have always
/ been and are now sufficient TO take the
places of pilots who die, become disabled,
| or in any way disqualified for service; that
the same law governs in this as III any
other business. that Of demand and sup
Ulv: and we ask where and when has the
law ever required fixed number OF ap-
Drentices to be taken in any trade, bust
ness. or occupation? that body OF men,
limited by law as 20 their charges, required
TO perform the most arduous services WI II
/ the skill, courage. and tMthiuiness OF the
highest tyne Of manhood, istO be considered
/ bv the Legislature "a monopoly and close
corporation.n because their numbers are
not multiplied beyond any cXigency OF
the service or business in which they are
engaged. We will not argue nor insult your
. inteilicence bv further notice.
Second. They say that the pilots, with
fees fixed by law. received from JOItiWi
vessels last year $4,000, that these ices
are paid them whether any services are
rendered or not; that they do not pro-
pose to change this provision OF the pres
ont law, &C.. &c.
We say they are about right rs 70 the
amount, but that the same was received
from both coGsirise and foreign vessels;
that unless % vessel Is spoken H se1 hy a
pilot that no fees can be collected, but II a
foreign or cOa.tWise vessel, without a
license. is so spoken at sea, and the YES
sci refuses To take a pilot. tnat
then the pilot Is entitled 10 ms
fees because such vessel IS required 10y
law To- take pilot. and lt refused, the
penalty imposed upon the master OF sueh
a vessel for .he disregard 81 the law and
the wilful cudangcring Of life and property
is for him 10 pay such an amount as hc
would have paid had he Contormed 10 the
law n seems TO us, however, as lt was
not proposed " 10 change TINS provision ol
the present law II was Useless To make
mention thereof. unless 10y a statement
without explanation. somebody mind wa'
intended to be prejUhced against the pt
lots.
Third. They quote from the fourteenth
section Of the present law and say that th'
pilots last year received from the cOastwls,
trade $1,000 and rendered absolutely nc
service therefor. and that this is what they
propose 10 change, and then their arsu
ment for tho change.
We say they are about right in the tota
amount: that the amount paid by vessels
trading with Richmond this year l.
S2,75j.30; that Richmond, which paic
ahOu, ONE SIXTH OF the whole amount, l.
the oniy one Of the ports asking for th,
change: that vessel having paid th'
license at Norfolk or Newport News coulC
trade .or the balance OF the year W.T.
Richmoud without the payment of one
cent. II Richmond offered sufficient ~
duccmcnts these vessels would 20 there
rather than t. the other ports in the State
but whom it is considered that RchmOnl
IS one hundred and torty-four miles from
sea, and Newport News Is twenty-five mile
from sea that for a large part of the dis
tance 60 Richmond the vessels are ObiigeC
10 be towed by htJ boats. who make then
charges without restriction. except as tl
the necessities of the case and the shrcwd
ness OF the Yankee skipper. while no tug D
required for Newport News. II can berCadl
ly understood why the cOastWise trade q
Norfolk and Newport New. has greatly IN
creased, while that 10 Richmond has dc
creased. We submit II is simply absurd t'
say hat the commerce Of Richmond Is Sc
ri0usig affected, much less to be- destroyed
as ti|'f lNifN IT, u A-af A'lht'sA' ANN' A+'
repeal the license OF 10cent, per rsgistereC
ton on cOastwise vessels per year. Iih'
license is legislation in favor of tine co9st
wise trade. Let us exemplifyit: Tie average
Coa-tWise vessel would be, say. 800 tons
drawing thirteen feet OF water. the regulal
pilot fees would be $50 for coming in gn'
S3J fOr going out for each trip made. the
license for one year on the same NeSse
would be $50: one years. license would b'
M. fsan q .fH.H H.
one trip. Now, we say that TINS ten cent
per ton per year lcense-taX is not felt by
any interest in Virginia. sailing yesse
can and does easily make ten trips yea
between Virginia aud the northern states
which would make the tax equivalent Z
one cent per ton. Now as q vessel carries
one and and one hall tons Of dead weight t'
one registered ton the increased rate o
freight would be two thirds OF one cen
per ton. an amount that coal and lroi
would not feel, and which would be map
pr.ciably small IN general merchandlse
when generally the slip itoker IN Richmon'
would get at least fire cents per ton Tor th'
cargo on such vessel, and the fU,-5o0i man
hoic much None but he and the master o
the vessel can tell.
They say that many thousands Of dollar
are thus wrung from our shlp-Owners lO
the bare privilege of trading IN the waters
of the Commonwealth"
We say, and arc ready to verify the same
that on the entire tonnage owned on th'
James river (Richmond included) the
amount of license tax paid to the pilots fol
the year 1889 was the magnificent sum o.
S12779. 1t will therefore be seen how
GENEROUSLY this tax bears upon our ship
owner" the shp-Owners Of Richmond, ant
We charge that John A. Curtis, the prime
mover in this and other attacks upon th'
pilots, ship-owner Of Richmond. is a
this time asking subscriptions to build Z
sailing-yessel or vessels. alleging that 1t II
Grst-rate paying stock.
Now as TO the assertion that for tins tai
the pilots "rendtrcd absolutely no Sercice."
DO the citizens OF Kansas. Nebraska
Illinois. and all the inland States receive
any benefit from the lighthouse establish
ment or lite-saying stations, for which I'M
mense sums Of money have been and are
yearly spent 10 establish and maintain
Absolutely no s9'rice Is rendered item, and YET
they pay into the public treasury thel
proportion of the taxes levied for The
same. DO the unmarried men or women
or the childless married ones, receive any
benefit from public schools established
throughout our land? The teachers reade
absolutely 40 seycice TO them, and yet they al
have to pay taxes 20 support these
schools and teachers. Tile inland cite
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