Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-07-11

Wish TO be understood tndt tneSc piiotS
are licensed to perform duties pever
performed?
Mr.. HUMPHREY of Washington.
Yes, sir: l do. They perform no duty
whatever on any of the sail vessels.
There has not been one on sail
vessel in the port of Norfolk for
eighteen years; and yet every vessel
has paid heavy pilotage fees. l mean
exactly this, that these pilots are paid
for duties they DO not perform. So if
YOU pass the bill, while you may take
away the income of these men, you do
not take away their employment. You
might just as well stand here and ask
this body not to pass a bill prohibiting
highway robbery because it might take
away the employment Of certain
estimable gentlemen.
In the olden times they used to issue
licenses - indulgences to highway
men, and | have no doubt that when
the time came to take the privilege
away those highwaymen made the
point that to do 50 would rob them of
their income, and they might do it
with almost as much justification as is
done in this case, when these pilots
come and ask US not to take away this
right because it will destroy their in
come
Mr.. FORDNEY Of Michigan gave a
practical illustration of the tyrannical
and infamous working of the present
compulsory pilot law. He said: zone
vessel owner who appeared before that
Oh. h.1 sol
sailing into Gulf port, a. | now re
member it, carrying lumber to and
from those ports, which were COM
PEELED To pay $50 pilntage fees when
fercign vessels Of equal capacity,
drawing no more water, were per
mittcd to sail in and out for a charge
of $40.
Mr.. HUMPHREY Of Washington.
That was at Tampa. Fla.
Mr.. FoRDNEY. And at Gulf ports
also. have the names Of vessels
here. ana | will call attention To one
of them, the Gertrude Bartlett.
foreign ship. The testimony shows
She paid $40 pilotaEc fee. The >. Nj.
BIRD. "a State Of elaine vcsscD was as
s"yscd hundred and fifty dollars for
like services. The owner of that ship
went to the Pilots Association and
presented his claim, showing that he
was charged more than other vessels
Of like capacity. and offered to settle
the case by paying $15. His ship was
libclcd and tied up at the dock, and
he could not even get a tug to take it
out. The answer came from the
captain of the tug that it would be a
Viz, ,,f hn l,,u m nj hD
out. and especially contrary to the
piIotage law.
General Grosvenor OF Ohio, also
made 4 very clear statement of the
graft that is being practiccd by
southern pilots. He said:
1t is Il new development in COM
mcrcial IRA lie that there shall be
handed over to u little orSanizati ton
II men the power to license or refuse
to license the shipping of the Amer
lean people. The long lease of power
that this little cotcrie has had has en-
boldcn these men until it now appears
that in more than majority of cases
they never touch the wheel of a ship,
and in very many cases they never go
on board the ship. They sit there in
an organized body and issue licenses
by the year 10 the owner of Il ship or Il
half dozen ships. They say to him,
1T is very true now. you have your
own pilots. You understand how to
come int" these ports. Give us 50
many dollars and you need not take a
pilot at all" If there is any gentle
man here who wishes to question that.
here are the receipts for money and
here are the statements of the men
themselves that they do not go on
board of the ships. They simply issue
to tn" owners of the ship permit for
Il year. for 500. $500, or $500, and the
owner Of the ship makes his own ar
ranGrmcnt for the plotting of the ship,
but pays this tribute to this orGaniZa-
ton. What do you call that? What
would that be called in these days Of
"muckrakinE? An honest man with
carg" going into the port of Norfolk.
attempting to enter tie James River
IS charged a percentage of his cargo,
in value, and sometimes the ma iority
ef the profit of his cargo in order that
he may sail up that harbor, and fur
nish his own pilot. He takes Il re-
ccipt for the money, and in that re-
c"ipt they say that they did not go on
board of The ship. but spoke her"
"Spoke her" In other parlancc they
"t,uChod' her Uaushter.) From Nor
folk to Passport. Me. there is no such
condition, there is no such charge.
From the north coast of the Pacific
clear down (" the extreme southern
part Of California. there is no such
condition. 1t is just this little piece of
pr"rcrts down there that is just now
coming here and asking the Govern
mem of the United States to loan
them 81 h"'."o to run Il show down
there. $" that their pilots cam touch
cV"ry vessel that comes into that
show. daughter and applausc) We
viii cross that bridge when We come
to it."
Tho debate in favor Of the repeal Of
| this southern graft upon Northern
shipping was led by Mr. Littlcfield of
Maine. Speeches in favor of the re-
zeal We're made by Representatives
Humphrey of Washington, Minor of
Wisconsin, Fordney of Michigan,
Grovenor of Ohio. Stevens of Mime