The San Francisco call., 1897-02-04


ers' and Producers Association. Frank
led and landed again by asking who were
the representatives of the Board of Trade.
~ decline to answer" blurted out the
now thoroughly exasperated and confused
insurance agent. Being courteously
pressed for civil answer to civil ques-
ton, he stated that I. J. Parsons and Mr..
Esberg of Esberg, Bachman & Co., repre-
sented the Board of Trade, despite the
fact that the official communication from
that organization distinctly stated that no
such delegates had been appointed.
Craig lost control of his temper entire ly
at this iuncture, bnt was recalled to
caimer state by Chairman Gleaves of the
Senate Committee on Commerce suggest
ing that he take a Sunday off and settle
his personal differences. Craig pleaded to
be recognized as being properly before the
committee, and his prayer was granted,
more to humor him than because of any
impression made on the committee by his
representations.
Frank then argued that the present
piiotage system was no hardship on Amer
lean shipping, and showed by authentic
statistics that less than per cent of all
the sailing vessels engaged in grain-carry-
ing. coming and going from San Fran
cisco, were of American register. He
claimed that any reduction made in pilot
age fees would only be putting that much
more money into the pockets of Ameri-
can ship-owners. He showed also that
The principal business of vessels owned in
TINS State was the carrying OF lum ber, and
that for more than year past not score
of lumber vessels had sailed from San
Francisco, while several hundred had
sailed from other coast towns.
he also demonstrated how the reduction
OF pllotage charges would benefit the
foreign vessels now engaged in the coal
carrying trade between this port and
Nanaimo, b. c., to the detriment of the
American vessels bringing coal to this port
from Seattle.
The present law," be went on, "is
working satisfactorily, except to few dis
gruntled ship-owners. l don't impute any
bad Intentions or bad faith to the gentle
man who Is here advocating the new law
but do think he is an enthusiast and has
been misled. He has got into fight, and
II L mistake not q fight to him is as the
breath to his nostrils. / am afraid he is
being carried off his feet"
When the laughter that followed these
effectively Modifying words had subsidized
he submitted the following letter, ad-
dressed to one of the pilots, from gen.
tleman who, he said, had for years been
master of one of the White Star steamers
and was now Lloyd's agent at San Fran
cisco:
Being requested by you to express an opin-
10 as 10 the merits OF the pilotage system and
pilots of this port beg to say that I consider
your body second to none in its standing
and the service good and sufficient, and I am
sure the pilots of San Francisco have been of
81
port on many occasions.
/ should be sorry 10 see it's efficiency i'm
paired by any reduction in the income of the
pilots OF this port, whose duties are trying
ana hazardous, especially during the winter
months, and l think experience generally
shows that service that is poorly paid will
IN time degenerate INTO a poor service and SO
increase the risk of en- tering this port, which
| take tor grented is extremely undesirable.
am, yours fait thfully,
l. METoALFE, Marine Surveyor.
When Frank concluded, Craig again
took the floor and read petition from a
mum Der OF San Francisco shipo@ners in
favor OF the proposed bill. He was asked
why some of the most prominent ship
owners ard largest payers of pilotage had
not signed thedocument. His answer was
TRADE OF abuse on those who had de-
ciined to let an insurance agent be their
spokesman in N after about which ne
could not have, by reason of his calling,
any practical knowledge.
Senator Gillette asked Craig what the
pilotage charges were in Boston, but
Craig was not prepared with this informa-
tion, Instead he submitted the pilotage
charges of such Insignificant ports as
Pictou, Nova Scotia, Leghorn, some port
in Iceland to which ship possibly came
twice twelve month, and others OF equal
unimportance.
1t was developed, however. by inquiry
among the members of the Senate Com
mittee themselves that Boston, New York
and. Philadelphia had the same system
and the same charges as San Francisco.
In conclusion, Frank showed that there
were over 100. 600 tons of Olsen gagged ship
ping in the harbor of San Francisco. He
cited this to prove that vessels were not
deferred in any degree from going to that
harbor by reason of the piIotage charges.
1t was now IL P. NJ. and the committee,
in hopes of being able to dispose of the
bill tonight, went into executive session,
but after sitting for three-quarters of an
hour, decided to let the matter 60 over