Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-10-17
Roosevelt Orders Compliance
With Commissions Report
Upon Slocum Disaster
MANY REMOVALS TO BE MADE
One Most Important Proposal is That
There be Created by Law Special
Body to Investigate Thoroughly,
lnws Supposed to Provide for Safe
ty Of Passengers on Steamboats,.

Washington, Oct. 17.-The report of
the United States commission of inves-
tigation upon the disaster to the
steamer General Slocum, appointed
Jun,s % last by the then secretary of
commerce and labor, George B. Cortel-
you, and consisting of Lawrence o.
Murray, assistant secretary of COM
meree and labor; ]. rbert Knox Smith,
deputy commisior of corporations;
George Uhler, yising inspector
general of the sstedmboat inspection
service; General John M. Wilson, U. S.
g., retired, and Commander Cameron
Nc. R. Winslow, U. S. NJ, has been
made public.
In connection with important find
ings of the commission presented in the
report, President Roosevelt, to whom
the report was submitted, has written
a letter to Secretary Victor II. Metealf
Of the department of commerce and la
Dor, briefly summarizing the report and
directing him to carry into effect the
recommendations Of the commission.
He also directs that Robert S. Rode,
supervising inspector of the Second
district, steamboat inspection service,
and James A. Dumont and Thomas Fl.
Barrett, local inspectors in charge of
the port Of New York, be discharged
from the service, the commission hold
them directly responsible for the lax
ity of the steamboat inspection to
which the Slocum disaster was directly
attributable.
Commissioner Uhler dissents to that
portion of the report which places re-
sponsibility on the supervision inspect
or Of the second district, Robert S.
Rodie, otherwise he concurs with the
commission. Appended to the report
is 9. report from the department of JUS
tice. on the criminal proceedings con-
nected with the disaster and the life
preserver cases The presidents letter
to Secretary Metcalfe, says. in part:
eft appears that the department of
Justice has already secured indictments
against the master and captain of the
Slocum and against the managing di-
rectors Of the Knickerbocker steamboat
company, to which company the Slo-
cuIa belonged, for misconduct, negli
gence and inattention to duty by the
captain, and for aiding and abetting
therein by the managing directors.
Furthermore, the department OF Justice
has secured indictments against Henry
Lundberg and John w. Fleming, the
assistant inspector of the steamboat
inspection service who actually in
spected the Slocum, for fraud, miscon-
duct and inattention to duty.
Life Preservers Worthless.
'eln addition, the department of JUS
tice, has secured the indictment of the
manager and three employees of the
No,apareil cork works, of Camden, N.
J., for putting upon the market COM
pressed cork blocks for use in making
life preservers, each of which blocks
contained in its center a piece of bar
iron weighing several ounces. This
las: offense was Of so heinous a char
acter that it Is difficult to comment up
on 1t with proper self restraint. 1t APP
pears that the national legislature has
never enacted a law providing in set
terms for the punishment Of this par
tic,llar species of infamy, doubtless be-
cause it never entered the head Of any
man that so gross my could be
pe,petrated. SUP Eat you report
this whole matt congress, trans
uniting these sports, and at that
time calling scfal attention to the
need of Eng an adequate penalty
for the/ .xing or selling of defective
life SAVING appliances. !
ACCORDING to his report 1t appearss
that in addition to the two assistant
inspectors, who are now on trial, the
supervising inspector of the Second
district, Mr.. Rode. and the two local
inspectors of the port Of New York,
Messrs. Dumont and Barrett, should all
three be removed for lax1ty and neg
lect in performing their duties. AS re-
CARDS the conduct Of Mr.. Rode, Mr..
Uhler dissents from the conclusions of
the four other commissioners. agree
with the conclusions of the other four.
Laxity and neglect, where the conse-
gu anses may be SO terrible as they
have proven to be in this case, cannot
be passed over even where there has |
been good conduct in other respects on
thu. part Of the man implicated Ac- |
cosdingly the three officials named will |
be removed from the service. More |
over, you will please direct their sue
ce.,sors in office at once to conduct q
Thorough examination Of the entire in
spection force of the port Of New
York, with the object of wedding out
all the men whom such examination
shall show to be unified to perform
the. very responsible and arduous du-
ties Of their positions.
Searching Investigation.
"Tn order that NAV be informed as
to the exact condition of the service
in all its parts, desire you to order
a searching investigation, in continu-
ance OF the commission, into the con-
duct of the central office and of every
outside subdivision of the service save
that in New York.
you will also make such changes in
the regulations as are recommended
by the commission and you will, there
fore, call a special meeting of the
beard of supervising inspectors for this
purpose. You will also lay before the
congress a request that the law be
changed in the various particulars rec