The San Francisco call., 1896-03-06

the amount necessary to maintain, under
rational provisions of law, pilot service at
this port adequate for all the necessities OF ltS
commerce. And. first, in this connection,
your subcommittee calls attention to the TACT
that, under rational pilot laws, ten pilots are
enough TO do all the work of the port. In
former years, when there was greater need OF
pilots than now, the number was kept at
fifteen, a nd it was raised to the full limit or
twenty, allowed by law, simply to relieve the
then Pilot Commissioners from the nuisance
of being bothered by applicants for positions.
Ten pilots, selected for efficiency and not OF, OF
superannuated age, can readily do all the
work actually necessary to be done al tnls
port.
Your subcommittee. holds that 5000 per
month is an exceedingly liberal compensation
for pilot. The highest wages paid to ship
masters on this coast is $125 per month. and
the duties OF a pilot require no greater skill or
intelligence than the duties OF the master OF a
irst-class sailing vessel.
With this standard in view, your sub-com-
mittee submits the following estimate OF the
necessary expense of pilot service Tor this
port per year:
10 pilots at S24OO per year. 900
Cost of maintaining pilot-boats lS,0OO
Salary of Pilot Commissioners. 5,oOO
Salary OF secretary Or clerk. I2OO
Office rent and sundres es.....,......,. 500
Total. % f,ooo
Your subcommittee calls attention to the
fact that this estimate Is 500 600 less than the
amount given in the statement of the Pilot
Commissioners as the average yearly amount
actually collected, and is more than $loO,o0O
less than the amount of pilotage collected In
1892 In estimating the compensation of the
Pilot Commissioners and their secretary or
clerk, your subcommittee has kept in MIND
that under the provisions OF the proposed law
submitted below the Commissioners would re-
ceive large sum from the fees for granting
special pilot licenses.
Your suD-committee believes that any meas,
to regulate the pilot fees of this port sh ould
take into account the fact that it has become
the custom for vessels passing through the
Golden Gate to do so in tow, and that when in
tow pilot is altogether superhuous The
masters of tugboats belonging to this bay are
good pilots as the regular pilots themselves;
and where a vessel has secured the services OF
one it seems to your subcommittee to be an
unnecessary burden. to make the vessel pay
for BOTH In framing the following outline OF
the proposed amendments to the State law
governing pilots your subcommittee has kept
this in mind.
1t is also to be borne in mind that the COM
petent master of a steamer regularly trading
with this port who has, upon examination,
shown himself thoroughly familiar with the
harbor, is much more competent 10 pllot ms
steamer than is any regular pilot with equal
knowledge by reason of the TACT that he knows
his own steamer best and can best handle her.
Your subcommittee recommends that
amendments to the pilot laws OF this State be
drafted which will embody the following
features:
First-For purpose of classification pilots to
be designated as general and special:
Second-The number OF general pilots to De
reduced to a maximum of ten; the reduction
to be brought about by the simple process OF
not making appointments to I'LL vacancies as
they occur.
Third-The masters of all tugboats regularly
cruising the waters of this bay and the ap-
proaches thereto to be examined by the Pilot
Commissioners and licensed as special pilots.
Fourth.The masters OF all steamers and
steam craft regularly trading with this port to
be examined by the Pilot Commissioners and
licensed as special pilots.
Fifth-The masters of all sailing vessels reg
ularly trading with this port to be examined
by the Pilot Commissioners and licensed as
special pilots
Sixth-Any sailing vessel or other craft in
tow, having as master a licensed special pilot,
to be exempt from all pilot fees, unless gen.
eral pilot be actually employed.
Seventh-Steam craft under the command of
master licensed as pilot to be exempt from
all pilot fees, unless general pilot be actually
employed.
Eighth-Any sailing vessel under the COM
mand OF a master licensed as special pilot to be
exempt from all pilot fees, unless general
pilot be actually employed
Ninth-Every master examined by the Pilot
Commissioners and granted special license to
pay fee of $40.
Tenth-A special pilot license granted to the
master OF any tug, steamer or sailing vessel
shall entitle the holder to act as pilot for the
vessel for which the license is granted only;
masters duly licensed to act as cial pilot for
one vessel may, however, have their license
transferred to act for another vessel upon the
u
ELEVENTH. provision making it q misde-
meanor, with proper penalty, for pilots to make
any discrimination in the collection of pilot
fees or to pay any rebates except such as are
expressly provided for by law.
Twelfth-A provision requiring the Pilot Com
missoners to make each year to the Governor
of the State full report of all the pilotage col
lected, with other necessary statistics.
On motion of T. J. Parsons, the SUBJ
committee on pilotage was instructed to
employ competent person to draft bill
in accordance with the report for presen-
tation to the next Legislature.
Captain Thayer was appointed COM
mltIee to prepare resolutions suggesting to
the Merchants Exchange that tide clock,
indicating the hours of high and low tide
in the harbor, be erected on the floor of
the exchange.
The secretary stated that Congressman
Loud had received promise from the
Committee on Ways and Means that it
would recommend the appropriation of
money for surveys of the more dangerous
rocks in the bay of San Francisco.
The report of the subcommittee on
finance showed that the total monthly
subscription to date was $252 20. 1t was
adopted, and George Plummer. treasurer
of the Ship owners Association, was
elected treasurer of the committee.