The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-12
Washington Men succeed, and VIII
Pit On Another Boat.

South Bend. Jan. s.-Special.-The recent
purchase of the racing yacht Jessie by the
Washington pilots on the Columbia river
bar has created CONSERVATION on the Ore
gon side and among the Oregon pilots.
About four months ago pilots licensed by
the Washington pilot commission first put
In an appearance on the Columbia river bar
with the thirty-ton schooner Loyal, pur
chased in Seattle. They have had an up
hill fight from the first. as the Oregon pilots
have an arrangement with the tugboats on
the BAR whereby. in return for As per cent.
of the gross earnings, the tugs take them
off outgoing vessels and return them to
the pilot boat. The Washington pilots
have therefore been at a serious disadVan-
tage in this respect and have been discrim-
mated against in many minor ways. They
have pluckily stayed with the Oregon pilots
and have succeeded so well that they now
go them one better and give up" TO one.
Before January Is ended the new pilot boat
being built al Hoquiam for the Washing
ton pilots viii be on the Columbia bar.
She is expected to be even swifter than
the recently purchased Jessie. Either one
will outsail the Oregon pilot boat, and this.
coupled with the advantage that they viii
act as tenders for each other, and there
fore make no division of earnings with the
tugs necessary, makes the outlook bad Tor
the Oregon pilots The latter, by the way,
have a pilot boat furnished them by the
state whereas the Washington pilots have
had to furnish their own boats and pay for
their branches. Seattle parties are gener-
ally understood TO be back of them. Fur
thermore. the Oregon pilot commissioners
are salaried officials, whereas the Washing
ton pilot commissioners receive only per
diem for the time actully spent on Official
business.
Years ago. Washington pilots had the
same monopoly Of plotting on the Column
Nl..r H. s=aFa q n
ioyed In some my sterious way the W ASH
ington pilots gave way 10 the Oregon pilots
and the Washington pilot commission dld
the bidding Of the Webfooters and granted
no more branches The pilot service de-
teriorat ted. The oregon pilot boat did not
go 10 sea II the weather was at all rough
and as a consequence vessels would wait
for weeks FOR a pilot. This condition Of
affairs continued until Gov. Mctiraw ap-
pointed the present board Of commission
ers. consisting Of Capt. FL Spencer and W.
T.. Brown. OF South Bend. and \. +. King.
OF Ilwaco. The fact that Washington Is now
getting her share Of the plotting business on
the Columbia is due 10 their pluck perse-
verance and independence. All manner OK
influence and pressure has been brought 70
bear on them TO follow in the footsteps or
their predecessors but without avail
Late Developments have thoroughly
aroused the WebfOot pilots ID the Tact that
the Washington men are GFttiiE "~1l
with them. They have enlisted the aid OF
the Oregonian. which IN recent editorial
charges the Washington pilot commission
OF working in the interest Of Puget sound.
and that they intend 10 run the oregon
Pilots off the bar and then put up the blot
age rates. It happens that the Wash. ston
law allows pilots on the Columbia - charge
s. rer foot draurht up 10 twelve feet, and
$40 for each foot over that limit. The ore
gon law limits her pilots TO = per loot
draught and cents per registered ton
This makes the Washington limit about
double the Oregon limit. The Washington
commissioners however. required the'r
pilots to sign a contract 70 charge no more
than the oregon law allows. The commits
slone~s saw they propose 20 keep the rates
at that figure. They are columbia river
men. and as deeply Interested IN having
good pilot service on that river ana Oar as
anv resident Of oregon. They say that over
ore-half the wheat. lumber ana other pro
duets carried out over that bar come from
Washington. and II IS only fair that THIS
state should have q share Of the pilotase-