The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-03-14
THE PILOT sCHOONERS,
The Matter Before the Portland Board
of Trade.

At the last meeting of the Portland
board OF trade Mr.. Mckee laid the
following letters, addressed to him as
member of the committee on COM
merce, before the board:
ASTORIA, March 5.
E. d. Mckee, Esq.-DeGr SIR
After having read the schedule rates
for towage and pilotage, issued by
the o. r. &. N. company in the Ore
gonian, we find that there is not a
possible show for any of the pilot
schooners to exist, and as conse-
quence the pilots have to Withdraw
and seek other employment. The w.
T. pilots have concluded to send
their schooner. up north sealing or
to dispose OF the vessel. The Oregon
pilot schooner cannot be maintained
If the O. r. & N. company carries
pilots on their tugboats, because
then the same discrimination will
take place, which gave the Columbia
river bar such q fine name some years
ago. There was proposition made
uerbalLy by the Portland board of
trade to MAINTAIN the pilot boat Coz
ernor Moody at all hazards, and
publicly made so by the Hon. d. T.
Thompson on the floor of the house
Of representatives at Salem on the
day OF the passage Of 81. B. 81, that
he would be personally responsible
that said schooner should be main
tanned on the bar, come aOhGt mag.
Knowing you to be member OF the
board of trade, I take the liberty to
ask you the favor of having the mat
ter brought before your honorable
body, and we will anxiously wait your
reply. ]. E. CAMPBELL,
for Oregon Bar Pilots.
ASTORIA, March 9.
E. d. Mckee, Esq.-Dear Sir:
Have received your kind letter and
contents noted, With regard to
cost of maintaining pilot schooner in
active service would first state crews
wages, which amount to the following
figures: One boat keeper, $50; two
deck hands at $40 each, $50; one
cook, $40.
Provisions and other necessaries
have never been below $125 per month
as yet.
At the commerce committee meet
ing it was agreed by Mr.. W. H. Cor
bett and Mr.. d. P. Thompson, that
$3.50 per month was not by any
means too much, and that they con-
sidered that amount just fair COM
pensation. There are now six pilots
to the schooner, aud any
less number would not be sufficient
to do the work satisfactorily.
J. E CAMPBELL.
The appropriation from the state
of $500 per annum is devoted to
pay the insurance on the vessel,
which amounts to 1896, and the re-
1855 will be fully expended
in recaulking the vessel outside, as
she has not been caulked since new.
.---- j. E. G. .
DISCUSSING THE SUBJECT.
Mr.. Mckee said the board had
promised to maintain the pilot
schooner and he thought the inqui-
ries in regard to the matter should be
answered honestly.
Mr.. Dodd said he supposed the
pilots we're O little angry and prob
ably wished to punish us for procur.
ing the passage Of the pilotage bill.
He would like to have some more
: on the subject. He
would move to refer the communica-
tions to the navigation committee,
and that Hon. 81. w. Corbett and
Hon. D. P. Thompson be added to
the committee.
Mr.. Pope said he understood that
the o. R. & N. Co. pledged them
selves to maintain the pilot schooner
when she was wanted. At
some seasons there was very little
use for her.
Mr.. Mckee said he wished to cor
rect Captain Pope. Mr. .Cookingham
had stated at the meeting of the
board that he had not power to say
that his company would maintain
the pilot boat, but he thought they
would do so, and on this understand
ing the board had pledged them
selves.
The motion to refer was put and
carried.-Oregonian II.