Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

NON-COMPULSORY PILOTAGE.
TO THE EDITOR.
I am, &c.,
SAFEGUARD.
Port Pirie, August 8, 1882.
Sir-I wish to lay before the public, in the
hope that the Marine Board may also peruse
[?], a pure statement of the manner in
which that august body, with all its well-
known sapience, draws oondasions while
di ul*ratingon the manner of bringing ships
it.to the two ports of Adelaide and Pine, in
Pott Adelaide, only ? distanceof eleven miles,
a £ood river, full-powered tugs, the pilotage
is compulsory upen shipmasters. In Port
Pine, with a dtstanr* of twenty-two miles, a
lad river, surrounded by sboals shifting aad
?2cvious, the non-compulsory clause is applied.
When tne present Port Pirie pilots, nve iu
Lumber, were approved of by the Marine
Hoard, these men expected to be treated as
Heir brethren in Port Adelaide, and ac
cordingly went to the expense of £33U
in the purchase of cutters, &c, but even
with such an outlay <a gteat deal among
peor men) the very best of seasons did not
turn in aiore than an annual earning of £139
per man. Again in Put Pirie, where there
arc no powerful tugs, but most of the work is
tlone under canvas, look how much more the
p-loteare entitled to be protected by com
pulaory pilotage being in force than their
irore favored brethren of Port Adelaide. It
it a well known fact to shipmasters that tbe
ports of Pirie and Augusta are the two most
intricate to enter in the whole colony, aud
f rcm this fact I should conclude that the men
should be not only well paid but also a pro
tection be granted them in the shape of com
pulsory puotage, and so give fresh impetus to
their energies By ensuring employment. In
a report of the Marine Board, in reply to a
rrquektmad'e by the Port Pirie pilots that
that port be a compulsory pilotage part.
Captain McCoy is reported to have said "he
did not believe it was right to force the
services of pilots aponshipmasters." Sow the
services of pilots need not be forced upon ship
masters if the shipmasters only take the
trouble to qualify themselves by getting an
exemption certificate: and I may state, as it
icay not be generally known, that any master
baring made three trips in and out of the
port, and a mavU live, can ?et exemptions by
f&ftwing other qualifications. I submit th?t
it u manifestly \ScfiHt to tlie pilots ivT Cap
tain McCoj to make so light of their servic-?.
As a body they have skilfully and manfullv
hitherto done thair work, and arc entitled to
tbe support and protection of the board by
making the port.compulsory. It is not com
plimentary to the pilots to be told
by Captain McCoy that "he attribute!
the small number of casualties at Port
Pirie of late years to the extra deepening
of the channel." Deepening or no deepen
ing, it is a fact patetit to all that the danger
is still sufficient to require tu? skill of a d:ily
qualified pilot; and this was recently seen—
bo later than last Sunday—when one of the
local pilots sailed the barque Zohra1) half
way down the river: then, the wind ueuling
bio, he had to bring up, and with a light fair
wind the ship was taken out of the iTver the
following morning. Another manifest in
justice under the non-compulsory clause wa*
shown on the arrival of the Franklin last
trip, when a man without a cortilicate wa*
employed by the company to take her ii and
out, clearly preventing the fee that must
naturally accrue from going into the liuensed
pilots' pockets if the protection of the com
pulsory clause obtained. Perhaps this is
the reason why *>p*"n MeCojr thinks "it
was not right to force the services of pilot
upon shipmasters.*' My object In wntin?
this is to endeavor to place the safety of ships
and their cargoes above the shadow of a
doubt, and I aan see but one way, vix.. to
effectually protect the lioensed niVots as you
would a medical man by virtue of his diploma.
Quacks and natiwmed pilots may be useful
wben qualified men arc not to be had. but
?ben they are certainly make it compulsory
to employ them before unqualified doodlc—
A gambler justifies his love of play on thn
prcur.d that Potonroa say*, "Costly thy habit
as tty pune can bay."
RECEPTION OF MB. JOSEPH COOK.
Hr. Joseph Cook, the celebrated Boston
lecturer, who arrived from Melbourne on
Saturday morning, was accorded a public
reception in the Stow Church I.*cture-hal!,
on Saturday aftrrnoon. There was*, large at
tendance. The Hon. J. Oolton, M.P., oc
cupied the chair. The Hev. O. Copland
having offered up prayer.
The Cb alhmaN said he hoped the meetfng
would give the rev. gentleman who had jost
conn- amongst them a moat hearty welcome,
(Applause.) It gave him great pleasure to
weleoaie Mr. Cook to Adelaide, and he
trusted ihat during the time tho rev. gontle
man was in our midst they would hear from
him those words of wisdom he was so well
?Me to give upon one of the most important
natters that could occupy the att-juuon of
nan. Mr. Cook's reputation had preceded
him. He and many of those present had
read with the utmost pleasure the lectures
which Mr Cook had been delivering in
various parts of the world and which
had justly been revived with great enthusiasm.
They were largely indebted to hrs visit on this
occasion to the Young Men's Christian Asso
ciation, and he hoped that institution would
be encouraged ana supported by the citizens
of Adelaide and the public of South Australia
generally. (Applause.) He thought it was
only right that he should say that Mr. Cook
was not here for the purpose of —'ffr^c
money but with the idea of doing good to his
fellow-men. (Applause.) Any amount which
might benvcived bcyondaconiparativelyamall
sum to be set aside for the expenses of tne
rev. gentleman would go to the fun is of the
Young Men's Christian Association. (Ap
plause. | So far as he was concerned he would
do everything in his power to make Mr.
OooVs nay as pleasant as t?r?<-=il>le. and
knowing the hospitable nature of South
Australians hr knew ho need not do more
than ask on Mr. Cook's behalf a hearty and
loyal reception. (Applause).
Apologies hating been received from
?even] ministers of religion and others,
The Kev. W. R. Plkxviikk, BLA.,saii Mr.
Cook came amongst them Kith the refutation
of being the champion of the church —
(applause)—and of being an undenominational
Christian—a cosmopolitan, in fact. He re
joiced in that exceedingly, but he a'so re
joiced that he could call Mr, Cook a brother
minister of that section of the church to which
be belonged, and it gave him graas pleasure
that the ti'st pnblic reception of the rev.
gentleman should take place in a locality
which might recall some of the historic storitw
of Bv s on on account of its association with
the early days of the colony. (Applause.)
On behalf of that part of Christ's church
thatwmscalled "Congregational" he extended
to their visitor the heartiest of welcomes.
Mr. Cook came amongst them also with th?
reputation of being a great warrior. They
had beard Mr. Forbes's able lectures on war
lately, bat Mr. Cook had not been a mere
correspondent noting events. He had bee a
the warrior himself—(applause)—and though
be bad been in a great many battles they had
never heard of one in which he had been
lieaten. (Applause.) He hoped Mr. Cook
wculd give them some examples of his
prowess in Adelaide, although he did not
think they could tind a foeman worthy of
the rev. gentleman's steel in the ranks of
those who were opposed to Christianity.
(Laughter and applause, I In these dif
ficult days — difficult because knowledge
bad spread to such a vast extent that
it was impossible for any one to grasp
every development of human study, it was
well that they should have some one to whom
they could go for instruction—one who could
investigate the recondite, and come forth, not
to show processes, but result*. This Mr.
Cook had been able to do; and he now, in
the name of his brother ministers of every
denomination of Chris* hi this city, uuliu
the name of Stow Church bade him a hearty
-welcome, feeling that th?y would l>e better
friends the more they met. (fjoni ap
plause.)
Mr. C. H. liooDE, J.P., as an ex-president
of the Young Men's Christian Association,
also bs.de Mr. Cook welcome. After referring
to the pleasure he had derived from reading
Mr. Cook's lectures, he said he was glad to
welcome him to this city a* an American, and
trusted his visit would draw more closely
together the bonds which now united Aus
tralia with America. (Applause.) In the
came of the Young Men's Christian Associa
tion, which, although only a comparatively
recent institution here, was now increasing
largely in strength, be also extended a wel
come to Mr. Cook, and in his capacity as a
business man he bade htm welcome. He
trusted that the success of the rev. gentle
man in Adelaide would be very great, and
that he would be instrumental in turning
darkness into night. (Applause. I
The Rev. Dr. Haggek esteemed it a high
honor to be permitted to speak on that
occasion, because he felt as though he were
saying welcome to a master. He had read
Mr. Cook's published lectures again and
again, and bad been in fact a sort of living
epistle of the rev. gentleman. Mr. Cook
bad influenced the world very largely, and
many persons in these colonies had, by means
of his wonderful lectures, been saved from
scepticism, and now had perhaps a bright
future before them. He (Dr. Hagger) began
to think that America would have to be caUed
the land of genius before long, and while they
all revered the names of Longfellow, Lincoln,
and Carfield, he was sure that not only Con
gregationalists but every church remembered
the name of Henry Ward Beecher, while they
all loved the name of Joseph Cook. (Applause.) j
There was no foemaa worthy of Mr. i
Cook's steel in Adelaide. Of coarse i
some persons had tried to oppose
Christianity, and a very poor show they had I
made of it. He hoped that not only would
those people not be able to make any show ?
now, but that they would never be able to
after Mr. Cook had said what he had to say.
tApplause.) He welcomed Mr. Cook as a i
disciple welcoming a master, and he '
thought he might in the name of the
colony also extend a welcome to the
reverend gentleman. (Loud applause).
Mr. Cook, who was received with loud and
prolonged applause, said prayer had begun
this meeting; be hoped prayer was saturating
it as it progressed, and pmyer would cKne it. !
Therefore in spite of the absurd praises they
bad been listening to the meeting would not
be entirely profitless. (Laughter.) He
hoped be understood the kind words which
had been addressed partly to him and partly
to the meeting. They seemed to him to be
addressed to some other person than hinndf,
and if he ever met the man to whom thev
were addressed he would pass them oa to
that most fortunate person. (Laughter.) He
took a certain encouragement from their re
ception, but he knew very well that i:
was extended to him as a represen
tative of Christian discussion, aud not
to him as an individual. They were not
asked by him to be interested in himself, but
to think much of those great themes whose
importance to Australia and the whole world
was so manifest, and of those evangelical
truths on which all Christian denominations
should lay their bands, and so use them that
they would be ready for future centuries. It'
was upon these truths that India, Japan, and j
China were gazing, while even dark Africa
did not forget them, and Australia being a
living power in the Southern Hemisphere
should also not forget them. He was looking
that day on the Pilgrim lathers, not of Aus
tralia alone, but of the Southern Hemisphere,
and the fact of their holding such a position,
should more and more impress them with a
sense of their responsibility. Let them offer I
up a prayer to Almighty God tliat they ruisht !
not overrate themselves, and let them idaae
themselves in God's hands and be unde
a rudder for future ages. (Applause.) Ho j
murt cot fail to add a word to what iiad been,
said as to the arrangements which had boen
made in rsspect of his lectures. He had no
control over the detaibi. All these matters
had liecn settled by the judicious local com
mittee. He begged also to say that he had no
sectarian motives. (Applause.) His work '
li?d always been for all the evangelical deno- |
r.iinttioh?. taxi h? had ?luhf liicr?l >n that
wide held that he would sewn to be out of hit ;
place if he stood upon a sectarian platform.
(Applause.) The difference between cvan- '
pplical and non-evangelical he made broad
and deep. He had no favors to ask of non
evangelical person? or bodies, but he still
1 oped to be able to conduct hi* discussions
fairly and honestly. (Applause.) He n-ouldlikc
to say a word or two respecting Young Men's
Clrristiar. Associations, and he was not sure
whether the associations of Americaldeserved
the high praise which had been poured upon
them. At any rate in America they bad
lelieved themselves of one source of anxiety
v ith regard to tbe associations. It ?i< said
for a while that the associations were inde
pendent of the church, that they might set
up for themselves and organise a new re
ligicus bedy, but Christians now recognised
t hat the associations were as much harmonised
with the church as the fingers of the hand
wrre to the palm, and that there was no fear
r>f the young men setting themselves up as Ply
mouth Brethren-(laughter)—or forming any
r.ew organisation apart t'rom the church. (Ap- j
plause.j Tbe brain fire had not fuel enough
behind it to maintain such a serious confla
gration as some people had thought. !
< Applause.) He was pleased to sec the pro
vision which was being made for the assozia
lions in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide, 1
and he thought the colonists could not do j
belter than to pour out wealth into the coffers
of the associations, but there was something
in an American idea which might commend
itself to their notice. When Mr. Moody—
(applause)—was president of the Younj*
Men's Christian Association of Chicago —
and it was there that his organising power
was first developed—needy boys and pauper
middle-aged men were reoeived by Mr.
Moody {here, but before he would give them
a mouthful to eat be sent them into the yard
to cut four-feet blocks of wood into lengths
eugcitist for tbe average stove. (Laughter
?ad applause.) If they were above that work
tbey got bo encouragement from Mr. Moody,
but if they were not above il Awbmmi were
(riven to a oosuaiMe* whose foootion it was
to procure atimlkwm for them. By th?t
?(uu many young men had been enabled to
obtain situations. America had also it*
Young Women's Christian Associations, aud
many Boston ladies of high culture and re
finement were only too prond to go down
into the cellars or up into the attics of the
j>oor, and were only too glad to make friend
ship with any worthy young ladies who cave
to Boston for the first time seeking situa
tions. (Applause. I It was high time thit
the church should know no distinctions
excepting those that depended on character.
They mutt make themselves efficient in the
great towns if they were to govern democratic
countries. He remembered a discussion he
had with the Chief Justice of Victoria upon
the (entraliuation of the population in Aus
tralia, and it was represented that the effects
of the centralisation upon municipal and
national politics constituted a problem which
must shortly come on for discussion, inasmuch
as the cities were growing faster than the
rural parts of the country. Nothing so
tended towards the solution of this problem
of the right management of great cities than
the various benevolent operations of the
church—from such work as Chalmers did in
the west part of Edinburgh, down, or up, as
they pleased, to the work done by Young Meu's
and Young Women's Christian Assoc:ati jns.
(Applause.) Without the glorious Curistiau
Church there could not be a glorious re
public lie believed that without the church
in America, mere politics, mere intellectual
< ultuie, mere science, mere anything o i -*i i.
of Christianity, would fail to make univ -r-il
suffrage safe under institutions like thos-> of
the Tcitnl States. (Aj-i'lausc.) And unless
in Australia the ruli * adopted in their muni
cipal career wetv from the start made friendly
to cvangelii: 1 endeavor, they mijjL* piss
through as <u?ticala period as that thro.i^b
which America passed when two or
three generations after the Pilgrim
Fathers lad left them, infidelity, con
sequent upon the French sympathies
of the people, stormed over tac coun
try. Australia was not near to France
or to the centres of infidelism, but the English
tongue was spoken here, and by means of the
Knelish language infidel opinions coold be
and were everywhere widely circulated. This
English language of theirs was destroying
distance just as commerce was doing;and
into India, Japan, and China, and so iat- ad
Kndish was.spoken, drifted, infidel publica
tions. Wherever he went he found them,
and therefore when his friends spoke of
his little books making the circuit of
the globe he said—"That is uothin^
to be proud of; even smaller books
Bade the circuit of the globe." (Laughter
and applause.) 'What had to be done
was to provide for the young Austra
lians, and in order to do this let tnem form
Your;; Men's and Young Women's Oliriitiati
A^ci-iatious, and so place the risin; frenera
tiou upon the right track. One other word.
As they began their enterprises aui cjj
eluded them with prayer he hoped tli.v th<
course of lectures he was about to deliver
would be remembered by Christian psople
?UiriDg the coming fortnigtit. in their p.-ayeri.
It bad liren his good fortune to be an evan
gelist for three years before he V>.*;iTi ?
:: lecturer. He never allowed hini??U to he
called " reverend" because he had never been
ordained, although he had been licensed to
preach and had had four years of what was
called theological education. As he had been
known as a layman he asked the prayers- of
laymen on his behalf, so that they mi^ht all
go into this work with their hearts sav.ir ??? 1
wiih the thought of the Divine omni
preecence. In conclusion, he asked uicai to
illustrate their belief by their lives and n-or Is,
and by this means Australia would give a
Christian futuio totlie whole southern heuii
>].iii re. (Louu and continued applause.)
i'i.e meeting closed with prayer.
$