The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-02-15
THE rRorosnp rrIorAan LAW.


SeastIe. Wash. Feb. n 1877.
To the Editor: Estns interested IN this
rzstte- only ss Cart. Mcfarland i=-frers
TIE mariners point os vfew-t would
deem Il favor Z ycu would allow me 4
few remarks. afr. Barneson says VITO
rracttexE seaman pf1eTs cruising
ground several rratles irssas 90 TIRE chpe
Is simply farce and imposition" Sec
ftsn twsnty-f0ur - the Bill reeds thus.
That re pilots ShaM RI Az tfgzes Seer
q boat or boats in good condition cTsiis-
irg az SEA outside % Care Fiastery and
on rts~s straits One egest ofT az sea %
put pilots on hoard ~ ships sna ere IN
the mouth 81 the straits 20 take them or
when t1e ship t. outward hound. The
discretionary line. loatsiae OF which tie
inside heat nsGst crn3se9 which the Op-
pcRenss So much s2ffafe. 81 solely far
the guidance OF tNe 3rSseae Neat Et sinapiy
marks the ianerg1cst limits ~ her
ground. There IS no reason WHY any ons
should make uffSleadseE assertions about
this bin or aay other Ii IS pisfn enough
that shere SIRE selfish Interests ~ stake.
The puolic demands tae facts and sffal
have 2heTn.
Mr.. BarneSan. speaking or tae tovheats.
SAYS further; AZ ali times day or nsghf.
rain or shine wind ar RS wind the Puget
sound tags are cruising oE Cape Fiat.
terry Again be IS WronE. TIE writer.
himself master. has on three different
occasions IN the last two years PASSED 81
nv CaEie rlatteTy and sailed clear 80
Port Angeles without seeing n tag. One
OF the ABOVE mentioned times WAS in last
October With no rud8cr wN PASSED in
BY Care FfatteFy; called at Neah Fay.
telegrapned 70 Angeles fer a tug. and had
20 proceed on our journey IN crippled
condition. TIE ts2ss were ALI busy up
sound. He SAYS: ships very eften sail
M 70 Townsend when they have a fasr
wind. These are American vessels. whose
masters are acquainted. Foreign sfins
could san M tust well u they had \
plot on board Mr.. Barneson tries to
justify the tow boat combine in its con-
duct OF affairs ny telling you that they
have $3.50 600 invested. An Investment 81
s5ea oon ea1 would not Justify any combine
in eorneriug a trader 60 the injury IL
every other person in this commonwealth.
Again re sayss 'If ne IL a stranger hts
charts and sailing directions viii tell him
that there is no rock shosl or bar that
he cannot see on the whole expanse ee
our water from sea 20 Point Defiance"
How about the British ship Kilhrannan.
which was almost total wreck on Point
Wilson about year agof
The master OF that ship states over his
own SiFnaturs that ff he had had rilot
on board his ship would be afoat today.
The promoters Of this measure could not
hope for more than a good living, which
every man is entitled 10. much less tho
coed, fat position spoken OF in the COM
nfunieation. And those who are sc-
quainted with the pilot service know that
the life OF pilot Is anything but a sine
cure at too great a length TO re quoted
here he explains that a pilotake tax on
ships would mean an increase Of freight
rates to the amount of 10 cents ton on
grain and 20 cents par thousand on iam-
her shipped TO foreign ports. Let uE In
vestiEate. Does II cost any more To
freight on the ~. Y. X. line. because 10
employs a pilot at a good yearly salary.
or on the Northern Pacific Steamship
Company, OF Tacoma. which takes thu
services OF riIots Would you have ths
Paefnc Coast Steamship Company dis
pense with the services OF fits two COM
petent pilots az a large salary and bring
your freight from San Francisco at 30
cents per ton instead OF the 81 that yon
pay now? That IS Mr. Barneson's esti-
mated reduction.
DO not the above nlcntloned lines paw
their amploycs-thelr stevelores and ell
who come in contact with them-as much
for the same service. rs sailing ships
which do not take pilotsP Ships that 30
70 Portland ray pilotage ard towage
Sfevedorss and iongshoreYnen set as much
for their services "a they do here. and yet
the ship viii take her cargo from rortlsnd
for as little or less than she viii bere-ona
ship having chartered for less than IL
shiIlingS. The opponents 81 this measure
say that Portland has q barred harbor
and winding river and cannot dispense
with the pilots They are rizht. No place
ought TO be without the services OF n
pilot system The tow boat masters on
thu Columbia river are just "a ca pable OF
doing the double duty of towing and Pilot
ing as those are on Puget sound Yet the
ships want a pilot service. They know
when they buy the services OF pilot
they Get value received for fheir money
and ara satisfied with their purchase. It
does not cost Tho people of the state one
cent. Mr.. Barneson says the enactment
OF this law would ie&isiafe these staam-
ship pilots out of their jobs Let me call
the attention OF Mr. Barneson 90 the ex~
empfion clause IN section twenty SIX.
which reads thus: THAT all vessels trad
ing on Puget sound who masters shall
first obtain license 70 pilot their own
vessels as provided IA section eighteen,
shall be exempt from tha provisions of
this section" II he VIII take the trouble
to read that he viii soc that Pacific coast
boats are exempt from piiotage, and for
Information Of the public VIII say that
the other foreign lines have regularly
licensed state pilot. The passage Of this
Bill win not affect them IN the least. The
only objection that any one seems 20 have
TO THIS law r. that 70 VIII be compulsory.
Are not al laws ccmpuisory2 A disere-
tionary law Is no law AZ ail. Let me call
your attention 20 the United States law
relating 20 pilots. Il says that ell steam
vessels when not on the high seas~-ez-
cept vessels sailing under rsgster-shalf
be under the control and direction Of a
pilot licensed by the Inspector 81 hulis
Now this IL a compulsory pilofsgs. Yet
We DO not hear any protests. nor should
We. II - for the protection ~ life and
property. HSw many people IN this state
would want 10 repeal that iaw7 RI the
people ara satisfied with the protection
extended 70 our own steam vessels ought
they to object TO extending tho same pro-
lection 20 foreign sailing ships.
MARINER.