The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-06-13
SOME EXTENDED REMARKS
Regarding Towage and River Pilotage

ASTORIA, June IL. '89.
EDITOR AsroRIAN:
The Oregonian and the o. r. & N.
Co., think that the board of pilot
commissioners act queerly.
The duty of the board is to main
tain a sufficient number Of pilots on
the bar and river to furnish efficient
service.
The schooner Coz. Moody has
enough regularly licensed pilots for
the bar. The o. r. & N. Co., have
tugs land are unwilling to affiliate
with the pilots on the schooner, so
hired some of them aboard their tugs,
and branches were renewed to those
30 attached to the tugs.
There are and were enough pilots
for the river-more than can make
good wages under the old law; more
than can make a living under the new
rates.
Branches of the old pilots have been
renewed. Some new applicants have
been presented to the board, but
their consideration has, for the time be
ing been postponed. The appointment
of new additional men will starve out
the old pilots, men who have faith
fully followed this avocation for many
years, and against whom there is no
complaint. The new men cannot
work cheaper than the old, but they
are to be paid by a corporation
and to perform other service for the
corporation and be really in the en-
ploy Of said corporation though nom
inally acting as state officers.
The river pilots think the new law
invalid and have brought a suit to
test it.
If invalid the o. R. & N. Co. will
probably not be willing to carry out
the plans it proposed to do on the
passage of that law.
II the law is valid it is quite prob
able that no one will care to run
against the o. r. & N. Co., and the
board of commissioners will find it
necessary to appoint pilots from the
o. r. & N. Co.'s employees, because
none others will act.
Just what motives control the COM
missioners in their actions I do not
know, but looking on dispassionately
with the interest of the state at large
1 do not see why they should be as
sailed or browbeaten for moving
slowly. .
The new law will be tested in a few
days.
At this time of the year but few
ships come into the river SO that the
o. R. & N. Co. can be but little hurt
if the old pilots carry the vessels up
and down the river for a few days or
even weeks.
But to show that they do not pro
pose to oppress the commerce of the
Columbia river, the pilots have offered
and l doubt not that they are as
good as their word-to pilot for moth
ing until a decision shall be reached
IN the present suit to test the law.
Then whichever way the suit may
be decided the pilotage question can
be more readily determined and
settled to the satisfaction of the pilots,
the owners OF tow boats and the neces-
sIties of commerce at large. Thus,
at present, it does not seem fitting for
the owners of tow boats to rush at the
commissioners and demand" the is
suance of licenses to men, some of
whom have never been examined, Just
as il the board were appointed to
simply do the bidding of the o. r.. &
N. Co.
The commissioners were chosen by
the state of Oregon, sworn into Office
to maintain an efficient corps of pilots
and not to hastily appoint the en-
ployes. .sf tow boat companies.
Historian.