Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-07-08
\ Plank ON the piInts

y Plank on the Pilots
~ AL there been during any session of tho
General Assembly in the last ten years
inc same sympathetic understanding and CO.
operation on the part of the various So
called sections OF the State that eyist
Today. II is not conceivable that even the
most powerful and insidious lobby the
Virginia Pilots Association could have sent
TO Richmond would have been able to pre-
serve TO 1t the rich monopoly ii continues
to enjoy. In other years the Southwest.
the Nalley-in fact all of the inland see
tlons--have been rather inclined to dismiss
the recurring controversy centcring i'm the
pllots as thing apart from them a mat
ter Tor Tidewatcr to settle for itself They
were about as much concerned in The fate OF
Hampton Roads as they were interested in
the future of the Suez Canal. They had no..
yet realized that it was their port its future
intimately connected not only with their
prosperity. but with that OF the. nation us
we'll With this unCOncern on the part of
the state AT large il vas maIiifcstly simple
matter for the always vigllant pilots TO in
sure the defeat OF legislation thecv conid-
| cred inimical to their own interests.
Conditions have changed Virginia today
, stands as a unit committed to The task of
making Hampton Roads Il grca, national
port. Scctionalsm, at least so far as that
project is concerned and we hope on every
other project so closely interviewer with
NirEinia's wclfarc--has been wipcd ont.
There is no Valley" no Southwest" no
/ 'ridewater" II is Virginia alone. and in
/ this spirit tho State will approach tho mat
ter of the pilots when the General Assembly
'ohNeneS Against such a spirit the pilots
will find their former methods of self
perpetuation futile
nl nv No ~.
patch and cditorially approved by that news
paper, Mcssrs Brooke Brown and Page
candidates for the Legislature. have written
INTO their platform a plank devoted TO the
Pilots Association. That plank should be
placed not only in the hands OF every can
didate with a request that he declare his
I position. but in the hands OF every citizen.
that his influence in this important matter
OF legislation may he cNertCd understand
ingly. Briefly, the plank OF the Norfolk
candidates would change the pilOtagc laws
so as TO bring piotagc more completely
under public control and in closer contact
with and more responsive to the commercial
| and maritime interests of our port" II
would enlarge the powers OF the board OF
pilGt commissioners and restrict those of
the pilots. IL would give the board author
ty 10 fix the number of pilots and to
license any competent and experienced
person as pilot by thus removing the
restriction that pilots must be licensed from
the apprentices of the association. it would
end the monopoly whereby few men draw
Il princely remuneration at the expense of
the maritime and commercial interests
which tlicy serve
The plank is soundly conceived hut it
does not go far enough. 1t should stipuato
| that Tie excess profits" now going directly
10 the pockets OF the pilots. enabling them
! 10 maintain their lobby, should go TO The
State for aid IN building roads and schools
! or Tor other public enterprise. and the rates
/ should be reduced to a point where they
would attract commerce TO the port instead
/ OF repellng il and sending il to Baltimore
! and other Northern ports. The pilots are
I worthy OF their hire. but not OF the million
or more year they now receive the while
the State struggles in debt and mud and
! iliitcracy
Commenting on ;he Brooke Brown-page
plank. the r-Dispatch says
This * plain talk, bu, free from ex
, tayaganec It IS unanswcrahlc. too in
tic true sense Of tho word The facts
"n which this siatomcn, based are he
coming known throughout the state
Whem the Legislature couvcncs they viii
/ he communicated to every member. ard
since the effort 10 cure the plar.ng defects
mslIc" and free from selfish interest IL
I must succeed This community does not
WANT 20 quarrel with the p!lo,s Thcrc-
4 for" ~ hopes they viii at last mako rca-
sonan!e concessions ana surrender to inc
\ pgti.e measure o! control OF their pri-
waite and monopolistic mint
There is voice from the nome OF tho
J pilots. 1t Is Il voice that will be heard with
( sympathetic attention wherever there is a
! Nirginian who entertains the vision of n
! great national port at Hampton Roads
In 1918 Ponce de Leon sailed from The
Island OF Boriquen, now known as Porto
Rico IN search of the Fountain OF Youth
! which tradition among the natives located
on Bimlni Island He missed Bimin Island
nut explored the coasts OF Florida and
died disappointed because he failed to dis
cover the Fountain OF Youth Thirsty
Americans OF the present day have located
IT 5uet where Poncede Leon thought It was.