The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-04-03
PILOTS LICENSING SYSTEM
How it Work-Remcdy Provided for
In Liftiefieid Bill Now Pending in
guuurpS1

Congress
upon the license feature OF the COM
puisory pilotage system that the Lit
tlefield bin proposes to abolish. the
more it is borne in upon US that II Isl
the browning and characteristic glory
of the system. Its simple beauty Is
one OF its chief attractions. Il comes
nearer TO solving the problem OF get-I
ting something for notning-no; even
the risk of anythins-than any other!
legaliZed pursuit we know. We have.
heard that much pront had been GOT
out Of the wealthy and unwary with
the aid of marked cards and loaded
dice, but this is not respectable, not
lawful, and is frequently attended with.
considerable risk. None Of these OBJ
jections apply 10 this licensing Of YES
sells as allowed by law and practiced
by the Pilots association, n it yields
a net income to each of the twenty
three pilots composing the association,
generally understood TO be considera-
bly, greater than II salary of Il
governor Of Virginia, a United States
senator or Il representative in congress.
And then the ease Of ii, and the abb
sence of all trouble and responsible .ty.
The pilot. in a lu~Xuriousiy appointed
pilot boat, lies in wait at the capes or
near Old Point, and, armed with the
authority of the law and some license
forms, o~verhauls all vessels, except
coasting steamers, that are bound TO
Or from Virginia ports. \ license form
Is quickly filled in with the name of
| the vessel, next the master command
| ing her, her burthen, the date, and the
signature Of the pilot. In exchange
for this the master hands over TO the
| pilot a fee, based Oh the tonnage of
| the vessel, at the rate OF ten cents a
ton. If the vessel be of a thousand
| tons burthen, the fee IS Il hundred dol
lars. The pilot returns TO his boat. His
responsibility for this vessel ceases
with the exchange of his license for
the masters hundred dollars. SO far
as the Pilots association is concerned,
this vessel, no matter by whom COM
manded. is at liberty to cruise III Nir-
| cinia waters without further molesta-
ton from a pilot for 4 period OF one
year. If either then or at any other
time during the year she happens to
be in charge OF an imbecile master,
who wrecks her and browns all hands
aboard, so much the worse for the fool
owners who employed an incompetent
master, and the fool sailors who ship
! ped under his command. That is nc
affair Of the pilot. He licensed The
ship, not the master, and whether the
master was competent OF incompetent
is none of his business. His only re
manning duty to this ship is to let hel
alone for a year from the date of The
license. If, in the meantime, she
should happen to be lost, and hel
owners should replace her with anOth'
er ship, this new ship would have tt
take out another license and pay an
other fee.
/ The pilots are not troubled to inves
tigate the capacity of the master com
, handing the vessel. He may be thu
most capable or the most incapable thai
aver sailed the Roads. 1t is the vessel
not the master that is licensed. She
may change masters every day for {
year if she likes. 1t in 10 wise affects
} her right to sail free from any molesta
ton from the pilots in any Virginia
waters, run her nose in any sand banl
she can find, or go to pieces on an!
available rock. It's no affair of thu
pilots if she chooses to go to piece!
and drop her crew.
OF course, such disasters rarely, i
ever, happen in Virginia waters, be
cause the entrance to the capes is 81
easy. Hampton Roads is % safe, an(
. | both are so thoroughly charted, tha
the most ordinary skill On the part O
a master is sufficient to take his boa
in or out. But it is rather crude t.
issue a license to a ship without re
gard to the master who command
and shapes her course.
i Apparently the pilots assume tina
; owners have sense enough to selec
competent men to command Their ship
and so the only interest the pilot
=, have in them is to levy tribute upol
J them in the shape Of license fees.
! The Littlefield bill proposes to chang
= this and require all sailing vessels en-
l gagged in the coasting trade to be il
charge of masters. who have been eH
AHMED and licensed by a United State
commissioner, just as is now require
of steam vessels engaged in this trade
and so abolish the compulsory pilotagt
and the profitable licensing syster
now in vogue that is a feature of it.
1t may. and, of course, will entail
painful loss of to the twenty-five
pilots engaged in the lucrative bus
ness of filling out license for vessel;
and collecting therefor e based o
the rate Of ten cents a ton.
But it will be an immense boon t
Virginia commerce in thus opening II
her ports to free navlgation.-Ricf
mond Evening Journal.