The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-04-09
CALLS LODGE A PYGMY
Concluded from First Page.S


tain individuals In idlencss-to pay them
for services never rendered?
II is conteuded that many of the
southern ports are rendered dangerous
by the shifting channels and by the
changing conditions of the sand bars
and that man must be upon the ground
every day in order to know the danger
Gus places IT Is hard to believe that
this Is true in the ports of Virginia. Geor-
Eia. South Carolina, Alabama and Tex
as. as the Legislatures of those States
have declared that their ports are safe
without the services of pilot If the
owner paid q tax annual or otherwise
There is not the slightest danger that
the services will go down or will even he
seriously crippled by the proposed
change. When pilots are necessary and
can render real service they will he
employed. When they are not neccs-
sary and their services are not used.
they should not be permitted to become
charge UPON Interstate commerce"
The principal complaint made to the
committee cams from the pilots OF Pensa-
cola, Fla. and yet Il appears there that
fc;e!gr vessels paid pilots fees amount
Ing to $40. 221. Ia also appears that during
the last year and 4 half. Notwithstanding
the fact thai any American steam YES
Sci may go into any port free OF pilot
age. yet every American steam vessel
cmploye0 u pilot every time It entered
the por. of Pensacola. The simple. plain
fact remains, that where Il port is easy
of access thu pilotege system will depend
as it ought to depend, upon foreign ton
mage for its maintenance: that in every
port difficult or dangerous OF access the
master will Sill employ the pilo, and the
service VIII thus be maintained"
Mr.. Miner (R:p), OF Wisconsin. who
had Joined with the minority. explained
What his opposition 10 the bill was based
on the belief that 1t would not and could
not be made practical-that the board
OF Steamboat Inspectors were not quail
iisd to license sailing vessel pilots. and
# they We're they had not time 10 do the
wo:k. Mr.. Miner asserted also that the
cost of pilotase was added to the sche-
dulc of freight rates, so tina; ultimately
the shipper paid for pilotage and not
the Sh,powncr He advocated no change
in the present law. leaving the States to
regulate the matter of pilotage in their
several ports.
Mr.. Eimpkins 2 gued that tho existence
of the laws in the nine States where the
compulsory p!lotage system still obtains.
is a violation of the constitutional hihbl-
t.o1 Of class legislation. He said that
vessel owners had notobiection TO pay
isc for pilot services rendered, but they
d.5 object TO being compelled 10 pay
pilots for services not rend red
Mr.. Cummings (Dem0, of New York
opp sing theb III, said 1t had appeared
In every Congress of which he had been
a member. and was defeated IN the Fiji
ty-frst Congress on a question of con-
sderat!on. 1T was bill. he said. drawn
IN favor of the vessel owners and against
the pilots. Was not the Shlpowncr al
ready sufficiently protected? he asked.
The coastwisc trade was In the control
Of the New England ship-owners. who
paid no tonnage dues, not even clearance
and entrance fees, n gratuity of seven
or eigh; millions year from this gov
ernment. Mr.. Cummings called utten-
ton L the fact that the exemption OF
steamers III the coastwise trade from
the operation of theH pilotage charges
was made by means of rider on an
appropriation bill "sncaked through the
house, he said. and we see the same
hand al work in regard TO this bill"
Mr.. Cummings said that Congress. while
enacting plentiful. generous protection
Tor the Ship-owner. had done nothing for
me Pilots. rslegating them to the Legis-
latures Of the several States That was
where the advocates of the bill, ne said
should nave gone fer the relief they seek
that would have been the manly thing 10
90. He reviewed the history of pilotage
in New York. showing that the Stale
maintained compulsory pilotage to all
vessels until her foreign trade was II
such volume as 20 maintain the pi!o:
system ana when ii was taken off The
coastw!sa trade, but not until then The
same right that New York and o,he:.
States nave enjoyed, and exercised. AIR
cummings insisted. should be accorded
10 the States which still maintain tho
compulsory system. until they see fit
- voluntarily rel!nquish 1t, when their
lore!Sn commerce shall be sufficient 10
maintain the pilot system.
referring to the statement Ly MIR.
Payne and by Mr. Simpkins. that the
P!lot Association had sent Representa-
ives 10 Washington to lobby against
the bill. Mr. Cummings said:
i nave seen in the corridors anu 7
know two or three members whom u.
has importuned in behalf of this hin
myriniuon OF muSwumpery namcd
Chamberlain. said to be the Commits
sioner of Navigation. Grover CIey,-
land. President of the United States
has removed from the office of Governnr
OF Arizona MIR. Hughes, because he
was charged with sending kilograms IN
congressman asking them to vote for
some school bill l say to gentlemen ON
the other side that If they are friends
of Mr.. Chamberlain they will allow ,his
biz 10 be killed. for If II should mass and
ME- Cleveland hold to the rule he lai6
down in the Arizona case. Mr.. Chamber
lain viii navigate ont of Washinp,on
very speedily" (Applause.)
At $50 the House adjourned
-------------------------