The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-19

These who are back Of the Dingley bill,
which reduces the earnings Of state pilots,
are the New Engls-d ship owners. These
ship owners, on account of their wealth.
are able to exert great deal Of influence at
Washington. They have the means to pay
attorneys and lobbyists, and therefore are
remarkably successful in getting such legis-
lation as they want Within the last year or
two they have succeeded in getting their
vessels released from all custom house fees,
and about all other fees. They have the
benefit Of the lighthouses, buOYs, and other
aids to navigation free Of cost. A few
years ago they paid into the custom houses,
for various things from which they received
benefits, about sl,2OO,O0O yearly. Now
they don't pay cent. These ship owners
don't get any subsidies directly, but they
get them indirectly.
They cannot truthfully complain that
coastwise shipping is suffering. As q
matter of fact, it is prospecting. The ship
owners are getting rich, their investments
in vessels paying them from 25 per cent. to
so per cent Ship builders cannot supply
the demand for sailing vessels. There does
not seem to be any reason why aid should
be extended directly or indirectly to any
| interest that does not need it. 1t is our
foreign trade that is languishing, not our
coastwise trade.
Not satisfied with having been relieved of
about all other charges. tho New England
| ship owners now want to get rid of paying
state pilots their legitimate fees. The Ding
lev bill makes it optional with a coastwise
! sailing vessel to take pilot or not, and
vessel may pay pilot for only the time
that it is thought his services are needed.
Under the state law, however, the pilots
must be at their posts of duty at all times,
and be ready to respond TO any call that
may be made upon them. If the Dingley
bill should become a law, the state pilots
would hardly be able to earn starvation
wages. The board Of trade of this city re-
fused to indorse the Dingley bill, saying in
its resolutions that the pilot laws of Georgia
give general satisfaction to trade and COM
merce.
The committee of the House which h as
charge of the Dingley bill reported the bill
favorably by a vote of to g.. The pilots
had every reason to believe that it would
report against the bill 1t stood to with
one member absent, and it was understood
that that member favored the pilots rather
than the ship owners. That member was
George d. Wise, Of Virginia. Accord
ing to the Marine Journal he had
expressed his intention to vote against re-
porting the bill favorably, not only because
he thought the bill an unjust one to the
pilots, but also because the legislature of his
state had, few days before, passed resolu-
tions requesting the Virginia delegation
In congress to oppose the bill.
The Marine Journal throws out the
insinuation that he voted in favor of the
bill because he hoped that by so doing some
of the New England republicans would
favor him in the contest which is being
made for his seat. This insnuation may
not be fair one. but whether it is or not, it
is certain that he has not obeyed the in
structions of the legislature of his state,
and ne has favored the rich ship owners of
New England in preference to the poor
pilots of Virginia and other South Atlantic
states.
The pilots have justice on their side, but
they have neither political influence nor the
money to hire attorneys and lobbyists. The
justness of their cause may appeal so
strongly to congress, however, that the
Dingley bill will be defeated. 1t certainly
ought to.