COMPULSORY PILOTAGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15123, 14 October 1912, Page 5

COMPULSORY PILOTAGE.

AN UNPOPULAR INNOVATION

OPINIONS. OF ASTERS.

Compulsory pilotage, now in force at the port of Auckland,, is strongly 'opposed by .shipmasters and shipping companies. Several shipmasters were interviewed ow the subject, by a Herald reporter on Saturday. They all contended that Auckland is one of the easiest ports to enter or leave in the world. They pointed out that the bread expanse of open water, and tho fact that the channels are marked by buoys, make the harbour an easy one to navigate, compared with shell ports as Lyttelton and the Bluff, where a pilot is absolutely necessary.

The master of one of the. New Zealand Shipping Company's steamers, a New Zealander by birth, stated that he was strongly opposed to compulsory pilotage. Ho contended that lie was quite capablo of bringing his vessel safely into any port in New Zealand without the services of a, pilot. Auckland had been a free port for 30 years or more, and if the Harbour Board wished to encourage large oversea vessels to visit the port, it. had made a serious mistake in introducing compulsory pilotage, which would tend to make tho shipping companies shy clear of Auckland.

Tho captain of another deep-sea vessel who has a world-wide experience, cited his own case as illustrating tho shipmasters' point of view. His vessel arrived off Tiri Tiri in the evening, and as ho was anxious to make port that night, ho accepted tho services of a pilot, though compulsory pilotage was not at that time in force. *0n the other hand, had ho been able to make the gulf in. daylight he would have brought his vessel in himself, as ho considered, although this was his first visit to the port, that Auckland was ono of tho easiest harbours in the world to work. This shipmaster added that if the revenue collected from pilotago went to the pilots, ho would favour compulsory pilotage, but he strongly objected to tho revenue being collected to swell tho coffers of the Board. At. London and Liverpool, pilots wero employed who , received the amount charged for pilotage, less a per eentage for upkeep of officers, telephones, etc. As to his personal position, he spoke from an independent standpoint. Ho was only a casual visitor to Auckland, so that the" question did not affect him as it did tho regular iradors of tho New Zealand Shipping Company, the Sb.aw-Sa.vill and Albion Company,* and the Tyser Line. Ho considered that the representatives of those companies and the masters of their ships wore quite justified in strongly objecting to the scheme, moro particularly as. a large jjweentage of the captains and officers of these lines were New Zealanders, who had served their apprenticeship on the coast, and had a thorough knowledge of the ports. If shipowners were to be put to this extra expense they, would no doubt ultimately raise the rates 'for the carriage of passengers and cargo, so that the public would bo the sufferers in the long run. . Several other well-known masters of over-sea. vessels were interviewed on the subject-. ' They were,. without . exception, strongly against compulsory pilotage at tho port of Auckland.