The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-03-10
Ewell Pilots Bill
Goes to Its Third
Reading in House

After an extended debate In which
the Virginia Pilots association was
denounced by one faction as dam
gerous monopoly injurious to the up
building of the commerce of the COM
monweaith. and by its friends declar-
ed to be the guardians and promoters
of that commerce, and the malnStay
of traffic entering the ports surround :
ing Hampton Roads. the house OF
delegates, yesterday evening passed
to its engrossment and third reading
the bill introduced by Delegate Ewell
proposing amendments to the Pilot
age of Virginia
Delegate Rev. of Accomac, moved
that the constitutional provisions be
dispensed with and the bill be put
upon its final passage. but the house
by vote of 81 to 80, declined to do
this, and the measure viii have to
take its place among the house bills
on the calendar that has now been
laid aside for the consideration of
bills passed by the senate,
The debate on the bill began Mon
day afternoon with the request Of it's
patron, Delegate Ewell that 1t be
taken up out of its regular order, 1t
was set as the special order for the
afternoon session of yesterday. Dele
gate Gucrrant. OF Carolina, opened the
argument for it's passage. with an att
tack on the Xirginian Pilots asso :
citation. and their control OF the out
put Of Pilot apprentices in this state.
Mr.. Dodson, OF Norfolk. opposed
the bill. and called attention to the
fact that not Il single one of the dele
gates from Norfolk, Portsmouth,
Hampton or Newport News were in
favor of the measure. He objected
To the feature proposing a commission
on pilotage of five members to be
appointed by the governor, since he
could. not be so we'll advised as to
the character of the men, or the needs
of the port as officials of the courts
of Newport News and Norfolk, by
whom the commissioners are now ap-
pointed.
Delegate Bosnian, of Portsmouth,
as the representative of the most
progressive of the cities whose feet
are bathed in the limpid waters OF
Hampton Roads. and sprinkled by the
waves of the mystic Atlantic" de-
clared that had it not been for the
Virginia Pilots association, Norfolk,
Portsmouth and Newport News could
have been but dots on the Virginia
coast,
Arguments against the bill were
also submitted by Delegates Cherry,
of Norfolk city: wilkins. OF Newport
News, and Willis, Roanoke
Delegate l.. Hugh Smith. of North
cumberland. declared the Ewell bill
presented the only prospect of break
ing the monopoly enjoyed by the
Pilots under sanction of the present
law, and predicted that unless the
state repudiated the monopoly the
federal government would take steps
to suppress 1t.
Delegate Norris, of Lancaster, also
strongly urged the passage of the bill,
and was followed by Delegate Rev,
Of Accomac, who denounced the tao
tics which he said had been en-
ployed by the hired lawyers and paid
lobbyists of the Pilots association to
block the amendments to the Pilot
age laws
II was brought out in the discus
sion that the senators from the
Hampton Roads district were unani-
nous in opposition TO the measure,
so that even should the house event
uaily pass the bill. it still has a rough
road to travel in the upper house.