The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-09
PIL0TAGE BUSINESS IN PERIL.
THE HOUSE To VOTE ON THE
COAsTNIsE BILL TODAY.

90 the proposed Change-AmOs
Cummings One of the Champions
a. tic PiIOts-The Proposed Adop-
ton of the Metric System Again
Discussed.
Washington. April S.-The House spent
two hours to-day in roll calls upon ques-
lions relating to the bill TO make the me
tr.c system OF weights and measures the
legal system in the United States after
Jan. /. 1891. and finally il was recommitted
TO the committee on coinage. weights and
measures. The first vote was on the mo-
sion 10 order the bin TO a third reading
That was agreed to-yeas. lls; nays, III;
not voting. lis.
motion 10 reconsider and lay that mo-
ton on the table, the ordinary parlia-
mentary device 10 clinch action upon a
measure, followed, and the House refused.
20 to III. to lay the motion to reconsider
on the table. The motion to reconsider
was then agreed to by vote of l42 TO 49,
whereupon the bill was sent back to the
committee.
The bill to repeal the compulsory pilot
age system, still in force in nine southern
states 50 far as il affects sailing vessels
in the cOastwise trade, was then taken up
and its consideration begun under an
agreement TO take a vote on IL al O'Clock
tomorrow. The bill was advocated by
Simpkins, rep, Of Massachusetts, aud OPP
posed by Messrs. Minor rep, Of Wiscon-
SIN anC Cummings dem., OF New York.
Wnen the bill 10 abolish compulsory
piloia &c was taken up, Nj Payne explain
ed tie intent ana scope OF the bill. The
had been passed in l7s9. There had been no
chf -nge in this law so far as cOastwise SAIL
iuf vessels were concerned, though several
sfates had done away with this unjust dis
examination against sailing vessels. He
read from table giving the estimated pi-
HfaH into
ssels engaged in the foreign trade at eigh-
- teen ports in the nino states which would
he affected by the bill, showing that in the
year ended June 80 1898, they were $500 $50.
lie paid a tribute 10 the courage and en-
durdnce of the pilots, but said It was not
superior 10 that of the men who go down
10 the sea in ships" who could not run into
ports always when the wind and storm
bore too hard ana who received compare
lively a trifie fer their services before the
mast 1t had been asserted that if this
Eoill were passed many of the pilots would
Zoe compelled to retire. That might be
true; hut if 1t were true, he asked, was it
the duty of congress TO impose 4 TAX upon
commerce in order to maintain certain in
dividuals in idleness-to pay them for SER
wees never rendered?
1T is contended that many Of the south
WTn ports are rendered dangerous by the
shifting channels and by the changing con-
dluons of the sandbars. and that a man
must be upon the ground every day in or
der to know the dangerous places. 1t is
hard to believe that this is true in the ports
o. Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, Ala
states have declared thai their ports are
safe without the services of a pilot if the
owner paid a tax annual or otherwise.
There is not the slightest danger that the
pilot service would go down or will even
ne seriously interrupted by the proposed
Cnange. When pilots are necessary and
can render real service they will ne em-
pioyed. When they are not necessary and
Tneir services are not used they should not
DO permitted to become a charge upon in
terstate commerce.
The principal complaint to the commit
fa rafNa nf tafats
VA, and yet II appears that foreign YES
sells paid pilots fees amounting to $49,-
ri. 1t also appears that during the last
year and half, Notwithstanding the fact
Ehat any American steam vessel may go
anto any port free of pilotage, yet every
American steam vessel employed a pilot
every time il entered the port of Pensa-
cola. The simple, plain fact remains that
where d port is easy of access the pilot
age system will depend, as it ought to de-
pend, upon foreign tonnage for its main
henance; that in every port difficult or
dangerous of access the master will still
employ the pilot and the service will thus
be maintained"
Mr.. Minor, rep, of Wisconsin, who had
Joined with the minority, explained that
mis- opposition to the bill was based upon
the belief that it would not ana could not
ibe made practical that the board of In
Spectors were not qualified; they had not
time to do the work. Mr.. Minor asserted
also that the cost of piiotage was adder
TO the schedule of freight rates. so that
ultimately the shipper paid for pilotage,
ana not the ship-owner. He advocated no
states to regulate the matter of pilotage
in their several ports.
Mr.. Simpkins of Massachusetts argued
that the existing laws in the states
Where the compulsory pilotage system still
obtains, is violation of the constitt-
1ional inhibition of class legislation He
said that vessel owners had no obiet.-
lion to paying for pilot service rendered,
but that they objected to being compelled
10 pay pilots for services nOt rendered He
quoted figures to show that pilots charges
IN the southern states absorbed from one
quarter to one-half of the net profits of
trips made to those ports by vessels from
New England.
Mir. Cummings, dem, of New York, OPP
posing the bill said it mad appeared in
every congress where he had been a mem
Der, and was defeated in the F'ifty-hrst
congress on question of consideration.
IT was BILL he said, drawn in favor of
me vessel owners and against the pilots
Was not the shipowner already sufficiently
protected? he asked. The cos.stwise trade
was IN the control of the New England
shipowners, who paid no tonnage ues
not even clearance and entrance fees a
sratuity of SO0QO0O or SS,0Cc 900 year from
this government.
Mr. Cummings called attention to the
fact that the exemption of the steamers
IN the coastwise trade from the opera
Ion of the piotage charges was made
by means of rider on an appropriation
bill 'sneaked through the House. he said
and we see the same hand at work" he
continued lin regard to this bill.
Mr. Cummings said that congress, while
Snactlng plentiful, generous protection
for the shipoWner, has done pothing for the
pilots, relegating them to the legislatures
of the several states. That was where the
advocates of this bill, he said. should
have gone for the relief they seek that
would have been the manly thing to do
He reviewed the history of pilotage in
New York, showing that the state main
tanned compulsory pilotage to all vessels
until her foreign trade was of sufficient
volume to maintain the. pilot system
and then 1t was taken off the coastwise
trade, but not until then. The same
right that New York and other states
have enjoyed and exercised Mr.. Cummings
insisted, should be accorded to the states
which still maintain the compulsory sys-
TEN until they see fit to voluntarily reiin-
quish II, when their foreign commerce
system
referring to the statement by Mr. Payne
ana by Mr.. SimplSins that the pilot assoc
citation had sent representatives to Wash
lqgton to lobby against the bill Mr.
cummings said: Il have seen in the cor
rldorS. and | know two 81. fh,-an 49,, -.