Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-12
PILOTS AAK|NC FIGHT.
Pamphlet conlaIa|ng Argument Cir.
culated Among Legislators.
SAY NO HARDSHIP IS CONTEMPLATED
Increase in Races on Foreign Ships,
They Say win Amount to Little
as Compared to What this Asso.
cation rs Giving Up. o

Tho Virginia Plots Association Is
making Il strong fight for the pass
age OF the new pilotage bill. against
which tho shipping men OF this city
ana Norfolk are protesting so Wig
orously Following is Il part of the
argument contained In pamphlet
circulated by the pilots among the
members OF the legislature Yesterday
Now rs IL Is proposed to WELD this
coaStwise pilotase. IL Is bur reason :
able to argue that the rates on foreign
bottoms should he somewhat increas-
ed
"lf this Increase made the rates OF
pilotage at Virginia ports excessive
II would be an Injustice 10 the for
| elsner; but this Is not so. as the aver
age of these rates will be found lass
than obtains at many other Atlantic
Pacific and Gulf ports. Not ONLY is
this true, hut II is fact that in the
long run or notfnow) the pilots must
lose 10y the deal. because that part
uoreigm on which the increase is
made Is nol increasing, while that
parts tthe coastwise) which is being
yielded is increasing every year; and
further. the foreign tonnage against
which this moderate increase applies
is only one fourth or one fifth of the
American tonnage released The
foreign tonnage mt both Norfolk and
Newport News, In the year 1906. was
about 1,2i3,000 tons. The coastwise
tonnage was In round numbers about
| 100000 tons. Assuming. for the sake
OF hypothesis, that this. change af-
fects the foreigners (Which Is not
true) We have as much American ton
mage benefited. This argument Is
not good If n hardship is imposed up-
on the foreigners, but when we show
that the new schedule could not be a
hardship, then we may congratulate
ourselves on being able TO do some
thing for the home vessel.
Reference to Statistical Abstract of
the United States 1906. page go and
21l, shows that the total valuation of
imports and exports ut the ports of
Norfolk and Newport News and Ports
mouth, for the year ending 1900. was
S5l.0l9.04t; in 1906. the total valna-
ton OF Imports and exports mt these
PS''S VETO Tboipbt ,Vpft vi ~ uttTtuSe
IN value OF over sl6OOO,0O0. The
same authority shows, in regard to
tonnage, that the combined tonnage
of Newport News, Norfolk and Ports
. mouth. iii the year 1900. was 1857
GA tons: their tonnage in the year
1906 was 1,2i3,953 tons. or decrease
In tonnage OF nearly one half million.
These figures are introduced to show
that the increased rates of pilotage
apply 10 that part of the trade for
eign) which has actually decreased in
valuation and tonnage during the past
seven or eight years.
Specific figures Tor coastwise ton
mage are not ut hand. but the ton
Image OF 1907 may roughly be placed
ut 100000 tons; most OF this being
coal shipped constwise in home yes
sels; and II Is we'll known fact that
this coastwise trade, oil which the
pilotage is yielded. is increasing year
by year
I'VE call particular attention to the
fact that North Carolina abolished her
compulsory pilotage system about two
years and n half ago. and again re-
stored 1t nj the very next session OF
the legislature, giving the pilots OF
that state rates from $2.S7 10 $3.50
per foot. an average of S5.42 per foot,
or nearly double that asked for the
Virginia ports"