The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-02-16
AGAINST A PIL0TAGE LAW.
Commerce Committee Listens 10 Ar
guments-Remon FROM
Many ship Owners.

OLYMPIA, Feb. 13-Special-lh COM
mittee on commerce and manufactures
met tonight. and for three hours iisteneo
"a the reading OF petitions. remonstrances
and arguments relative to the compulsory
n{lotaee bill. The committee decided by
vote of 10 IL to report the bill faVoraoIy'
eliminating. however, section q, when
allows pilots TO charge one-half OF tnelr
fees If their services are not requireo-
If the report is adopted, II VIII pracllcA4Iy
kill the bill.
can't. Harry Strive. Frank Baker and
=. NJ. Smith, all OF the committee, did most
Of the talking. Capt. Struve and Mr.. Baker
presenting strong arguments against the
prouositlon Of fastening on the commerce
of Puget sound the compulsory pllotage
system. Capt Whitney. OF Port Towns
end, spoke for the pilots. Mr.. smith pre-
scented a number of letters from masters
Of vessels asking that the bill be passed.
A large number Of remonstrances against
the bin were fled by foreign and American
shin owners. The remonstrances read as
follows:
we. your petitioners. respectfully rep
resent: .,.,.,
Interested in commerce than any other
THAT for the protection or life ana
property we have been Obliged 70 invest
gate the subject of pilotage on the Straits
Of Fuca, on Puget sound, ana are there-
fore able 10 present facts on this subject
40 ..I-E ~ from long experience in com
merce and shipping we are able 20 STATE
that the enactment OF a pllot law VII
create a great and unnecessary TAX upon
commerce. a tax which II cannot STAND;
and which. IL imposed, must drive rnpen OF
me wheat trade from the ports OF Puget
sound; that every additional charge
placed on shipping must IN the end be
paid by the producer OF the cargoes-
There IS absolutely no good cause or
reason for the enactment Of such pilot
fau "a a
tirely free from bars, rocks, reefs OF
shoals. and open TO navigation al 81 sea-
sons. and we aver that master WITH tne
aid Of the admiralty charts can naVlgate
his vessel in these waters without the ala
That the only persons who desire 70
assess this unjust and unnecessary tax
on shipping and enforce Il by the enact
ment OF this pilot Dill are a class VINO
have no interest whatever IN commerce.
except the desire TO collect this tax;
For these and many other good rea-
sons. we resp ectfully petition your nom
orshle body not 20 pass the pilot olI row
pending and known as house Dill NO 20.
One OF the remonstrances is signed by
ll5 shipping firms doing business sH over
the globe. with chief Offices at LIVERPOOL
Eng. and Bremen. Germany.
one OF the firms has had tive ships in
Puget Sound during the present season.
Another firm owns the Drumrock, Drum
cllffe and Drumcrslg. which loaded wheat
az tacoma ana seattle tdNt ~1Ntf-
The slEners OF one 0f the Temonstfences
are the owners OF SO vessels. and include
ali the shipping firms IN Liverpool
Another remonetrance similar 10 that
presented by foreign shipping arms was
laid before The committee. signed by htty-
eight shipping arms doing business on the
Pacific coast. and representing all ire
Arms engaged in shipping on the Pacific
save one. The exception ts James a.
Lacey. representing the Brunette sawmii
at New Westminster. B c To the gen
tlemau who asked Mr. Lacey 10 sign The
Temonstrauce he said;
"No. I want compulsory pilotage or
Puget Sound 50 as 10 make the port eX-
p&nses there nearer 10 those OF BRITISH
Columbia. ] want 70 charter vessel 20
geo a. N@~ " e7tIlllfs -. l1.go* VIZ"
objection or account % pilotaEe
One a. the most important remon-
strances against tho Hill was signed By the
masters % seventy weight vessels that have
been In Puget sound during the last six
months The signeYs include the most
skilled and experienced sea captains
known 10 commerce.
one ot me claims made BY TIE pro-
motors OF the blu s. that Insurance
charges are higher 10 Puget Sound than
other Parts coast ports, CT account %
f5e failure of rre Washington legislature
rs pass q compulsory Ttlotage laW- That
f-es@ statements are uutTle was proven
a number - tae most prominent marine
insurance companies doing business on
ere coast. -
san Francisco. Jan Is 1877
4-e E1 leEsssra1 insurance 1pantes
lawns t~-o1 eoff r0Dted with the q8es-
i0n- TOW DO Insurance rates to Puget
SQUAD compare slt1 rates 20 oteer Pac30c
coast norris hereby Gertlfy taat rates 10
Puget Sound ara 80 iovr as 90 anv place
cn t2e Pacific coast. and no highrT than
rates 20 SaE. Francisco. Columbia river OF
ErIFleg Columbia
SCR example. taEfns q rrst-c1ass vessel
from Say ~.dUeE y. = ". tsir iilus-
trat5oL walBt 81.
j @ san Francisco -....--..-..-lA "a par cent
10 Columbia r1yer.....-........fts per cent
TO Puget Sound --.- ..-..........Its Ter cent.
To Brttis8 Cuiuu IA .-..........Is. per cens.
showing FsiEeg sound 20 as one Of the
E}ost favorable RISKS
T'hts statement Is signed ~ seven gen
etai aEFats representing eleven large ma
r11e Insurance companies