Public Ledger

Damnant Quod Non Intelligunt

[Correspondence Public Ledger]

To the steamboatmen of the Mississippi valley and the public generally: I see that the board of supervisors have seen fit to saddle upon us, (i. e.), steamboat men, a law that all pilots know is not proper or just. The color blind act is wrong and it is arbitrary to compel pilots to be experts in distinguishing all the combination of colors. We do not use but three, if I may call white a color. The red, green and white are the lights that we look for on an approaching boat, but the pilot sees a boat, fire doors and cabin light several miles before the signal light shows, and if the boat is ascending, and the pilot blows the whistle for either side, the descending boat's pilot can, if so minded, signal the ascending boat's pilot that he wishes to go in the opposite to his signal. All pilots know that the law as now in the rules for the government of pilots, is that the descending boat has the right of way. and it is wrong to try to unlearn a man what he has been learning for the past twenty or thirty years. I think it is absurd for men to alter or make laws for the government and rules of navigation, when in fact none of the board were ever employed, or have held a U. S. license on the rivers of this country. Now is it not a great deal of impudence for them to try and make laws for steamboatmen, for the protection of life and property? For instance just think of it, the United States makes all steamboat captains, pilots, mates and engineers have a United States license, and compels the steamboat to have a complement of crews. and is licensed officers, before she leaves the port. Now if the great United States should happen to give a man his license that is not competent and the said man should meet with an accident, does the government pay the damage? No. Who does pay? Why the board of underwriters always has the bill to foot, and I am of the opinion that the board of underwriters may if so inclined have the person or persons that are licensed examined by experts, to see if they were or he was a competent pilot, captain or mate. In the old times a pilot had to be known by the board of underwriters for the cargo to be insured, and pilots had to have a good reputation to be hired by captains and owners. But now all that is required of a pilot is to show his United States license. The government ought to hold herself accountable for all the damage that may accrue from her officers that she licenses, if they are competent or not. The United States receives the boat hands' money all the same, etc.; and again, the laws in inspection of steamboats reads, in section 4104: "The supervising inspectors shall be appointed by the president, with the consent of the senate. Each of them shall be selected for his knowledge, skill and experience in the uses of steam for navigation, and shall be a competent judge of all qualities of steam vessels and all parts of machinery employed in steaming." Now how many of the ten supervisors have had this experience? The law that is steamboat inspection law says that if a man who has not the qualifications and acquirements prescribed by this title of section 4415, and if any such person shall attempt to exercise the functions of the office of either inspector, he shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of five hundred dollars, and shall be dismissed from office. Now how many of the men in the thirty-one offices can fill the bill as per section 4415? There are sixty-two local inspectors, ten supervising inspectors, and one supervising inspector-general. These are seventy-three men that the steamboatmen are taxed to pay. Now, what those men pay, amounts to the round sum of one hundred and six thousand and two hundred dollars per annum; even that is a pretty good sum to be taken away from the steamboatmen. Just to think that every boat pays to the United States government fifty dollars, that is the officers do, each year. For what? For the privilege to pursue a civil occupation. Now this is ridiculous. Now if I would enumerate the amount that each steamboat pays into the United States it would look impossible that this great and good United States would stoop to rob boatmen, and give to the railroads all they may ask. Thanking you, Mr. Editor, for your kindness in publishing this, I remain yours, etc. JUSTITIA.