The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-19
River Riplets.
hlVbf hlpItt3.
The river is declining.

Inc river Is utCliHlnS.
The st. Paul is due down this after
noon.
The Sidney. of the 10 line, is due for
the north
The War Eagle will let her whistle
scream for the Saints line dock here to-
morrow afternoon.
A large consignment of freight is awaits
ing the arrival of packets at the Diamond
| 10 warehouse
The Pittsburgh made another trial trip
this afternoon with her new machinery.
If it works satisfactory. she will be down
tomorrow night. If not, the Josephine
will make another trip for her.
1t is now pretty well understood that
the Josephine will be withdrawn from the
Davenport, Rock Island and Dubuque
trade entirely. The through trade of the
Diamond 10 line has increased so fast of
late that another through packet is need
| GU, ohu thC OoSOthlu ocCiIS " Dt Just
the right boat for the right place This
will give this famous line five regular
packets between st. Louis and ST. Paul.
The following extract from the New
York Herald is suggestive of reform
which the present administration is COM
mitted to, and, as il comes within Mr..
Manning's jurisdiction, it seems a very
proper subject for his consideration.
There is no doubt, as this writer suggests.
that the whole steamboat inspection SER
vice has degenerated from the original
intent of the law which was passed in
1852 down to simply a political machine
and used for party purposes. No better
evidence of that fact is necessary than TO
refer to large majority of the present
incumbents of the various offices in that
service, from the inspector general down.
The political record of an applicant for a
position in that service seems TO have
been the criterion by which he has been
judged, rather than his qualifications,
which are really the only criterion by
which a man shoudS be Judged
for an Office in which life and
property are involved. By refer
ence to the present incumbents it
will be seen that nearly all, if not quite,
have been selected for their zeal and feal'
ty to the recent party in power. At the
present time we have not space for fur.
ther extracts from the article referred to,
but may at another time consider this inn
portant subject more at length.
From the New York Herald, Mays
| STEAMBOAT IgsPECTIoN-wHAT REFORM
MEANS IN THIS IMPORTANT SERVICE.
Stupid Corrupt Rotten from top to
bottom, tell you" said a prominent
steamboat owner to a Herald reporter
yesterday, when asked to give his views
about the steamboat inspection service of
this country 1T has grown 50, too, very
rapidly within the last twelve years." he
continued, "and it strikes me forcibly
that the efforts of the civil service reform
advocates should be exercised in that di.
rection, for if any function of govern
ment for the people needs to be lifted
out of the slough of politics, it is that
which supervises a system of inspection
which must determine whether or not a
steamboat or steamship Gas is embodied
in the United States laws, section 4,417)
is of structure suitable for the service
in which she is 10 be employed; has suit
able accommodations for passengers and
the crew, and is in condition to warrant
the belief that she may be used in navi>
cation as steamer with safety to life