The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1902-06-09
A Branch Office to be Opened Here
With Many Members to It.
Something Of What This Latest Com
binatioa Is, and How Ii
Is Managed.
STEAMBOAT MEN ARE KICKING

In . short time q branch of the
Pilots Association will be installed
in Paducah, and have an office here
This association is one Of the biggest
combination" on record, and pro-
misses to revolutionize river plotting.
1t is called the Pilots Trust. and
is capitalized for $4,000, 900. The
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune says
Of IT,:
THE interest IN the proposed Pilots
Trust which is now being formed by
local promoters, is growing intense.
Although few of those who have
Joined the new body will acknowledge
that they have allied themselves to the
organization, it is an open secret upon
the public landing that many Of tn e
pilots have done So A part Of the
plan is said to be scheme whereby
every member is to receive $25 q
month whether he works or plays, and
the stock, which is said to be of the
preferred variety, will bear interest.
The income is to be derived from the
tax which is to be levied on steamboat
owners according to the tonnage han
died" Captain Ellison says: ~ can
not understand how a body of men
can form an organization that will
interfere with the interstate commerce
law without conflicting with the laws
Of the country. Under the present
Washington administration it is plain
to ybody who keeps in touch with
national affairs that such will be
prosecuted The pilots on all our
boats receive si25 month and board.
Tow boats pilots get even more than
that. To sum the matter up. it does
not look like a good thing for any
body but the promoters, and when
the promoters come to smoke out the
pilots in the weeds along the river
bank they will fud that they have
more than one white elephant on
their hands,"
In Paducsh nothing definite can be
learned Of the association, except that
all the pilots here will probably be-
long to It, Under the rules OF the as
s)ciation when steamboa. wants a
pilot, it cannot hire one, but will
have to apply to the association II
some particular pilot that it desires is
Off duty, he is supplied, but otherwise
the boat will have to take whatever
pilot is offered. The pilots who own
stock in the association are paid s25 a
month when idle, and about sl25
month when working The stock also
bears interest.
1t is estimated that tho association
will clear over a million dollars year
simply by managing the pilots and
placing them at whatever price they
see fit Most Of the pilots will have
to join the association or be boycotted.
IL seems from all that can be learned
that the principle on which the asso-
citation is TO be worked is that the pilot
will always be assured living,
whether he is working or idle. and
the boats will also be guaranteed good,
reliable pilots. The men who will
have to pay the freight are the boat
owners, who will be taxed for the
pilots services whatever the associa-
tion sees fit, and which will have to
be paid or the boat will not move
No matter If the association receives
5000 for a pilots services for one trip
he gets only si25 a month, even IL he
makes dozen such trips
The organizer is expected in a few
days to form the local organization.
One, Mr.. Grant, was here some time
ago to do the preliminary work.
The headquarters OF the association is
in Cincinnati.