The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-17
ROOSEVELT
 RECOMMENDS Blame of Disaster is
 Placed. U. s. COMMISSION REPORTS President Wants Metcalf to
 Act Immediately. Committee Appointed by Ccrteiycu te Investigate General slocum Hor- TOT Files Report With the
 Chief Executive.
 

tuVeSu8ute Gemekui Stocuh nVt~
 TOT Files Report With the
 Chief Executive.
 Washington, Oct. 16-The report of the United States Commission of inves- tigation upon the disaster to the steam CT General Slocum, appointed Juno 2S last by the then Secretary of Commerce and Labor. George B. Cortelyou, and consisting of Lawrence o. Murray, As- sistant Secretary of Commerce and La bor: Herbert K. Smith, Deputy Commis- sicner of Corporations; George Uhler. Supervising Inspector General of the Steamboat Inspection Service; Gen. John |G. Wilson, U. S. A.. retired, and Com mander Cameron McR. Winslow. U. s. N.. was made public today.
 In connection with the findings of the commission presented in the report. President Roosevelt, to whom the re- port was submitted, has written a let- ter to Secretary Victor H. Metcalf. of the Department of Commerce and La bor briefly summarizing the report and directing him to carry into effect the recommendation of the committee. He also directs that Robert S. Rodie, Su- pervising Inspector of the condition of the Steamboat Inspector Service, and James F. Dumont and Theo. H. Barrett, local inspectors In charge of the port of New York, be discharged from the service, the committee holding them directly responsible for the laxity of the steamboat inspection to which the Slocum disaster was directly attribut- able,
 Commissioner Uhler dissents to that portion of the report which places re- sponsibiiity on the supervising inspec- tor of the Second District. Robert s. Rodie. otherwise he concurs with the committee.
 Roosevelt's Letter.
 The Presidents letter to Secretary Metcalf follows:
 White House,
 ',washlngton, Oct. 12, 1904,
 My Dear Sir--I have received the report Of the 'Committee of the United states css isvestigation of the General Stocussa sfisaster,' and the report of tile Department of Justice of October 1e. re- capitulating what has been done by the Department of Justice. in connec- ton with criminal proceedings taken against various individuals because of their connection with the disaster. l send you herewith both reports. Pun lliFe dCliOH Dy ShC 0ONSAhAAANAAh ~e-N fSA course only take two forms.
 One That of legal proceedings against those either within or without the service: and, two, removal from of flee of those within the service. It appears that the Department of Jus tice has already secured indictments against the captain of the Slocum and against the managing director of the Knickerbocker Steamboat Company. to which company the Slocum belonged. for misconduct, negligence and mat tention to duty by the captain and for aiding and abetting therein by the managing directors. Furthermore, the Department of Justice has secured in diolments against Henry Lundberg and John w. Fleming. the assistant inspec- tors of the Steamboat Inspection Ser vice, who actually inspected the Slo- cum, for fraud, misconduct and inatten- tion to duty. Lundberg had been ap- pointed merely on probation fin the ser vice and has been dropped. There can, of course, be no further action taken about Fleming until his trial has been finished; although it does not know that an acquittal would prevent the department from discharging him from the service.
 In addition, the Department of Jus tice has secured indictments of the manager and three employees of the Nonpareil Cork Works, of Camden, N J., for putting upon the market com pressed cork blocks for use in mak- ing life preservers. each of which blocks contained in its centre a piece of bar iron weighing several ounces. This last offense was of so heinous a char acter that 1t is difficult to comment upon it with proper self restraint. But
 
 ture has never enacted a law proving In set terms for the punishment of this particular piece of infamy, doubtless because 1t never entered the head of any man that so gross an infamy could be perpetrated. l suggest that you re- port this whole matter to Congress transmitting these two reports, and at that time calling special attention to the need of imposing an adequate pen atty for the making or selling of de- fective life saving appliances.
 So much for what the Department of Justice has done in reference to this disaster. But in addition to the men put on trial by the Department of those employees whose responsibility of states of things producing the acci- dent had been brought out in the re- port of the committee. According to this report 1t appears that in addition to the two assistant inspectors who are now on trial. the supervising inspec- tor of the Second district, MT. Rodie. and the two local inspectors of the port of New York. Messrs. Dumont and Bar rett. should all three be removed for laxity and neglect in performing their duties.
 As regarding the conduct of Mir. Rodie, Mir. Uhler .dissents from the con clusions of three of the four other commissioners. l agree with the con clusi 0ns of the other three. Laxity and neglect, where the consequences may be so terrible as they have proved to be In this case. cannot be passed over even where there has been good conduct in other respects on the part of the men implicated. Accordingly the three officials named will be re- moved from. the service. Moreover. you will please direct their successors in office at once to conduct thorough examination of the entire inspector force of the port of New York with the object of weedIng out all men whom such examination shall show to be unftted to perform the very arr duous and responsible duties of their positions.
 Tn order that I may be informed as to the exact condition of the service in all It's parts. direct you to order AarehinG investigation. in contin-