Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-02-19

The Supreme Court of the United
States has said that:
pilot regulations are regula-
lions OF commerce."
"a polit Ia as much part of
the commercial marine rs the
hull of the ship and the helm by
which II is guided"
The unsigned and rather undieified
attack made upon the Virginia Pilot
Association through the medium Of the
press, supposedly by wealthy foreign
vessel owners and coal agents, is In
line with the efforts which these for
eign vesseu owners and >agents have
made at Northern ports during tho
past few years; are making at New
Orleans; preparing for at New York;
and contemplating at other ports OF
the Atlantic seaboard.
The simultaneousness of these at
tacks strongly indicates that there lie
a concentrated and determined pur-
pose on the part Of these wealthy
foreign interests to break down that
| liberal legislation whick Is recon-
mended for State pilots by the Sup
RENE Court OF the United States and
other high judicial bodies OF this and
other countries.
AS said by the New York Marine
Journal OF February 18th, 1908. with
reference to the Pilot Bill pending be-
fore the Virginia Legislature:
The only objection II has en-
countered in fact Is from the re-
representatives. of foreign lines.
A close inspection of the names
of those opposing this bill will
disclose the fact that they are
practically the same men who
| have for many years past aided
in the defeat OF legislation intro
duced In Congress in favor of the
protection of American ships In
foreign trade
Z, and that the protests from this
| source were but Customary meth
DDS of foreign ship owners to
avoid all port charges wherever
possible"
1t is fitting to add that the editor
of the New York Marine Journal
is mariner OF the "old school," and
one who Is exceptionally qualified TO
I express an opinion, which WAS not
done until he had read and thorough:
~ understood the provisions of House
Bill No. rs.
Their opposition to measure which
means an addition OF only one quarter
to three fcurths Of one cent on each
ton of cargo demonstrates upon what
slight grounds they oppose the Iegis-
latlon which is intended to confer
benefits upon American vessels.
The strongest argument used by the
opposition in discrediting the advisa-
bility OF this legislation is the claim
that the pilots will lose nothing. DO
our friende, the agents OF foreign YES
sells, conceive that In order to accom-
plish credItable legislation the wei
fare OF another shall necessarily be
sacrlficed? Certainly the writer has
never made the statement that the
Virginia pilots had suddenly been
converted into good Samaritaus: and
If the foreign shippers and coal agents
were, through inattention to- the mat
ter under that impression, that is no
real reason for saying they We're mis-
led by the newspapers. 1t is seldom
that bill is digested through the COL
'imS of newspaper; while as at mat
ter Of fact one or two of them did
say, in specific terms, that the reIin.
quishment of pilotage charges against
home vessels was conditioned upon !
moderate increase on foreign tonnage
the Richmond Evening Journal"
saying.
There is a small compensation to
the Pilots Association by sllaht in
crease In the pilotagc fees on vessels
engaged in foreign trade"
The inference that this legislation
was sought because compulsory
coastwiso pilotage was doomed isl
Ike many other parts of this thun-
dering tand blunderlng) articie-sim-
ply wild conjectures which expose a
lack of Information concerning legls-
lation on this subject; as the oppo-
nents OF coastwise pilotage were over
whelmingly defeated in the second