The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-06-16

Coastwise sailing vessels, as Seaboard
has many times pointed out, are still re-
quired in all Southern seaboard States to
pay tribute to the demands of the State
pilots, even when no service is rendered
therefor by these local pilots
A bill has passed the United States
Senate, the terms OF winch exempt YES
sells engaged in the coastwise trade from
being obliged to employ. and from being
forced to pay, State pilots, whose ser
vices are not required, provided the mas
| ter or pilot of the exempt vessel shall
| mold license from the local inspectors
OF steam vessels for the waters which
they desire to navigate
Senator Frye, of Maine. in addressing
the Senate upon this bill. pointed out
with startling distinctness the fact that
the system of compulsory pilotage, as ap-
| piled to vessels engaged in the coastwise
trade, and sailing under enrolment, is
not only most frightful wrong, but is
simply and completely a contribution
| forced by law from these vessels, without
any corresponding benefits whatever
Hundreds OF thousands of dollars are paid
out annually to the different local pilots
at the different ports along our coasts bv
| both American and foreign vessels As
sells engaged i'll foreign commerce, the old
law still stands, The new law-if such it
may become only provides for the ex-
I emption of those vessels that are fire.
| quently using the different ports along
the coast, and only then when under the
| charge of men holding licenses granted
after examinations which have proved
their competency.
The Southern coastwise States are the
only ones that now maintain the system
of enforced pilotage against American
coastwise vessels-the Northern States
having abandoned it years ago. Instances
of payments made cited by Senator Frye
are as follows: The schooner Genevieve,
entering and leaving Charleston. S c.,
drawing Is feet of water, paid the pilots.
whom she did not use, $50. and to the
tugboat which she did use, and which
had two licensed U. 5. pilots on board,
beside their crew, but $50 to tow in and
out. Think of it, The same schooner
paid to Savannah pilots whom she did
not employ Sl31 IS, and to the TUG which
towed her in and out thirty miles. but
SOS. The schooner Kate V. Aiken, draw
ing ID - feet, paid Sis to the pilots of
Wilmington for no service whatever. and
to the tug that towed her about fifty
miles, $50 What an iniquity. The sch.
Angie l.. Green, drawing Is = feet. paid
to pilots at Brunswick, Ga, who We're
not used, So. 50, and to the tug for nine
miles of towage 50. What an outrage
on our eountrymen \ vessel bound into
Fernandina, Fla, light, and out, loaded,
paid to the local pilots, o15 and to the
tug which towed her out SO. And in
Galveston the schooner Oscar c. Schmidt
paid 500 to the unused State pilots. and
sJ6 to the tug that took her in and out
But in Mobile. where already 81. 900. 600
has been spent on harbor improvements
by the Government and - o00 900 are
provided for in the pendin. bill. the
schooner Mile $. Derby paid the sum OF
500; TO State pilots for no service. and to
the tug for twenty-three miles OF tUwage
in and out, Sl25-making total of >:;2s
tribute to city whose people are clamor-
Gus for revival of American shipping.
What paradox. What a barefaced fraud
and infamous iniquity.
In the interest of America 5 cUaStwi,e
| commerce We cannot sufficiently denounce
| this monopoly. Another shameful phase
| Of IT is the arrangement for the payment
of il stipulated annual tonnage tax bv the
owners OF barge> towing in and out of
| these ports. which blood money. fo,, no
~eJricF ~hdterfT, be it remembered. ranges
| between II and 30 cents per ton per wear,
No other government in the world al
| lows such eXactions to be imposed upon
domestic vessels. and none but the ten
Atlantic and eiulf States south of Mason
and Dixon line; and to think. notwith-
standing these glazing exposures OF rob
berry. / 900 pilots can stirle adverse lecis-
laton in ten American States lind de-
Tenders and advocates in and out Of Con-
| DRESS and SltrCppu for r. wears 1,tAl,4tf1-
inc its abolition by law. Bv what means,
we wondcr9
What shocking. shameful story. And
how many more wears will eniiplttene,l lol
Instances yprn cirl l,+ >una+.,. L,,-o
| l,sa,.,;,, : ''''N ~ -