New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-19
COMPULSORY PILOTAGE.
SHIP OWNERS PROTEST.
Gross Injustice in Fees in Southern
Ports ALLEGED.

hundred sailing vessels engaged In the coastwise
trade. when referring to the compulsory pilotage
imposed in the Southern States. This question has
brought representation of pilots and vessel own
ers regularly 10 Washington each session OF
Congress for the last thirty-fve years. A law was
passed long relieving vessels propelled by
steam from compulsory pilotage, but sailing
vessels were not relieved at the same time. They
without success.
Captain OBrien. president OF the American Pilots
Association says that he has addressed the House
Committee Merchant Marine on this subject of
pilotage regularly for thirty-fve years, and Mr..
Pendleton and others have been as persistent In
favoring the legislation A bill repeal COM
pulsory pilotage has been favorably reported in
the House great many times but the organized
opposition OF the pilots has prevented passage.
Another bill has been favorably acted upon by the
House Committee on Merchant Marine at this SEES
sion and. though strong arguments put
forward in its behalf. there is grave doubt about
its passage
There is compulsory pilotage north of Cape
Henry. North Carolina last year abolished II at
the port OF Wilmington. and Virginia and Georgia
Issue yearly licenses to such vessels them
Tor use In their ports. though that is simply
modlhed form Of compulsory pilotage and the
pilots get the license fees In those two States a
licensed vessel whether not II has a competent
pilot can go In and out without taking on any
State pilot. thus showing that the object of this
system OF compulsory pilotage is not to the
SAFETY OF the passengers vessel. but to obtain
income for the State pilots who limited in
number.
Mr.. Pendleton says that the sailing tonnage on
the coast has decreased Is 30 per within the
last ten years largely the result Of this COM
pulsory potage. Freight rates these vessels,
Mr.. Pendleton says. the lowest anywhere
the Atlantic. But the excessive pilot fees charged
in the Southern States cuts off the profits that
Mr.. Pendeton asserts from his experience owner
of one hundred vessels. not single vessel engaged
In that trade
BIG TAX ON SAILING VESSELS.
In speaking on the subject Mr. Pendleton said:
a steamer that leaves New-York and goes TO
Charleston. then to Fernandina and jacksonville.
If s OF %ag S OF e the P0i
trip IT costs between $500 and $500 pilotage 1t is
not want pilot but has to pay for at each
port Many sailing vessels go into those ports with
same At Norfolk for the last ffteen or eighteen
trade to take pilot because they do require
Te 9g ney ago hdv S TO pay @ % Pilot tere
lad passed through two hurricanes and was able
S 'she s OF pa Saa r did not po tf o P
IN II two vessels come from Hampton Roads up
the one Stopping at Alexandra must pay pilofage.
but the other does not have to pay.
Mallory Line steamer running from New-York
turning the same way pays no pilotage II one of
my sailing vessels goes over the same course in COM
Is not robbery and d crimnation against US il
of port G sailing Vessel employs tug which has
a competent pilot. But in the South we have TO
FOR whom we have no Use steamers escape Both
Of these charges. If an American sailing vessel
but when She 70 Mobile It costs her from $50
is IS at tt'' home '''' o - ''>'',s ~
There is not vessel on the Atlantic coast in the
coastwise trade which has run up against these
pilot charges that has paid interest, ipsurance and
any part of this world. under the conditions we are
the sailing vessels on the Atlantic coast There is
no such pilotage, charge on the Great Lakes, and
decreased about 80 per cent IN the last ten years
In the Gulf recently was shipping some rock to
Gulfport from Port Tampa, We had. after paying
freight but the potage at the ports amounted to
40 cents a ton. and no service rendered. Tugboats
pilot not used $50 at Key west to sail out and 500
We I had only 1 a a At Gu upo paid one
occasion s128 pilotage. while a vessel owned down
$4,000 feet more of lumber than my vessel paid
@ While British Vessel SpI PAID ID @ ssb and
what pay. 1t is robbery.
KNOWS MANY SUCH CASES.
could givs you twenty-five simIsr cases from
of the fact that the pilots insisted on charging
nn s sSey refused it. rS
system has helped foreign vessels at the EXPENSE
feature. When the barometer begins to fail. fore
seek the nearest port of safety in the North, but
in the South he goes off shore because he cannot
afford to pay the enormous pilots fee required IL
he goes into any port Onehalf of the losses south
of Cape Hatteras caused by the master
having the right to go into h9rbor the
he does in the North Atlantic. One of my boats in
going into Charleston employed tugboat with
eleven men in it's crew, and for which $50 paid
But the State pilots who did nothing, charged and
received S206. The government harbor improve
menta made principally to help large steamers.
not the comparatively small sailing vessels, but
pense Of the tugboats altogether It is
rageous discrimination against the sailboats and IL
is ineXplicable 10 me why Congress should have
adhered long 70 that discrimination.
James W. ElwelI g. Co. managing owners of the
bark Rose lines. say that IN recent trip to
Fernandina they paid 500 pilotage to take the
sci in and out. although they paid a tusboat
1903 and did not need extra pilot There is a
federal pilot every tugboat
There will be hard struggle at this session to
pass this bill. Representative Fordney a member
of the house committee. says that before he heard
the case against the pilots he in their favor.
but now he opposed to compulsory piotage.
Captain O'Brten. representing the pilots says that
pilot systems in the South because there are not
enough foreign vessels to maintain 1t. but Repre-
sentative Lttlefeld has shown that there more
foreign vessels comparatively entering of
those Southern ports than enter Maine ports. Com
pulsory pilotage is imposed nowhere in the United
States excepting south Of Cape Henry. excluding
Wilmington, N. {.
PLANS FOR CONGRESS-.