The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-30
TUGBOAT MEN FEAR NEW RULE
NEAR THEY'LL RE LIMITED TO
~ HOURS WORK A DAY.
suOh q Rule. They Say. Would Ruin Them
Officials WON'T Admit That 10 Is
Cont emplat ed-Sug gestlOD That the
Marine Engineers Are Back Of IL.

SuOh U iVuie, hney say, WWuAu MuhM hhTM
Officials WON'T Admit That N Ii
CSntemplate d-Sug SestlOn That the
Marine Engineers Are Back Of II
Tugboat men are worried over a report
that Secretary Cortelyou's new Department
Of Labor and Commerce, which on July
became responsible for the supervision
Of all steam vessels, Is about to put into
effect a regulation that will require boats
using single crews to navigate not more
than twelve consecutive hours day.
Such rule, they say, would make 1t inn
possible for most OF them to do business
except at prices double those they are
now getting
The story that such ruling Is proposed
grew out OF a complaint sent by W. G.
Bernard, a Philadelphia tugboat owner
to c. II. Boyer of this city, secretary OF
the National Board OF Steam Navigation
that two Philadelphia tugboat men had
already been compelled to agree to observe
such a rule before they could get their
inspection papers renewed.
The Philadelphia man asked that the
National Board OF Steam Navigation, which
Is an association of tugboat owners, at Its
annual meeting in Boston on Sept. 8, take
the matter up and enter vigorous protest
According to the Philadelphia vessel own
ers, the new ruling was put in force by
express direction Of Charles S. Rode
Supervising Inspector Of Steam Vessels FOR
the Second district, whose Office Is in this
city.
So far as can be learned, none of the
local tugboat men has yet gone to In
spector Rode for light on the matter, but
several of them have written to Supervising
Inspector General Uhler at Washington,
asking the meaning of the Philadelphia
ruling In a letter to Capt. Luther B,
Dow OF the Masters and Pilots Associa-
ton, Mr. Uhler says
This Office has no knowledge OF any law or
rule PROHIBITING a steam vessel from runnin q
more than twelve consecutive hoqrs with 4
wholly to the local inspectors.
Mr. Rode told q reporter of The Sun
yesterday practically the same thing.
There was no such rule, he said, and no
likelihood, SO far as he knew that such
a rule would be enforced. Inspect or Rodie
said he was unable to understand the Phila-
delphia complaint. He thought it grew
out Of Some instructions he had sent to
one Oh tne local inspectors tneTe aS TO tne
filing out Of inspection papers of steamer
navigating between Philadelphia and Over
falls light vessel, nautical distance OF
eighty nine miles, requiring about %
hours to make the run out and back, and
therefore a double crew.
Without exception tugboat and steam
ship men here say that any regulation COM
pelling vessels using single crews to limit
their hours OF navigation to twelve q day
would be ruinous to tughoat interests.
Secretary Boyer Of the National Board Of
Steam Navigation said yesterday:
Take the case where a boat has been
working all day and receives word at $50
o'clock in the afternoon to dock a steamer.
Ordinarily the boat can finish within the
twelve hours, but if the steamer is delayed
the tugboat very often cant get through
within the time specified. II a man has a
line Of trade he has got to take care of il y"
W. F. Dalzell of the White Star Town &
Company declared; "Such a ruling would
put us out OF business 1t would bring
things to a complete standstill.
One tugboat owner said that he wouldn't
be surprised IL il should turn out that the
Marine Engineers Benevolent Association.
having failed to get "a ten-hour day by
strike. was now seeking to accomplish the
same result by way OF Washington. Mr..
Uhler who was appointed by President
Roosevelt last spring, was formerly ma
tional president Of the engineers organi-
Eat ion.