The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-10-17
LIFE PRESERvERS
SHOULD BE SOUND.
Continued from First Page.

IOilliuuGu lIOil ElISI rage.
inspected the Slocum. for fraud, mis-
conduct and inattention to duty
Lundberg had been appointed mere
ly on probation in the service, and has
been dropped. There can, of course, be
no further action taken about Flem-
ing until his trial has been finished;
although it does not follow that an ac-
quittal would prevent the department
from discharging him from the service.
In addition, the Department of JUS
tice has secured the Indictment 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 making
life preservers, each of which blocks
contained in it's center a piece of bar
iron weighing several ounces.
OGense of HeinOuS Character.
This last offense was of so heinous
a character that it is difficult to COM
ment upon it with proper self-restraint.
1t appears that the national legisla-
ture has never enacted a law providing
in set terms for the punishment of this
particular species Of infamy, doubtless
because 1t never entered the head OF
any man that so gross an infamy could
be perpetrated.
II suggest that you report this whole
matter to Congress. transmitting these
two reports, and at that time calling
special attention to the need of i'm
posing an adequate penalty for the
manufacture or selling of defective life
preservers and other life-saving APP
purtenances.
so much for what the Department
of Justice has done in reference to the
disaster. But, in addition to the men
put on trial by the Department of JUS
tice, action should he taken against
those employees whose responsibility for
the state of things producing the ac-
cident has been brought out in the re-
port of the commission.
LaxIty and Neglect Evident.
According to this report, it appears
that i'm 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 laxity and
neglect i'm performing their duties.
LAS regards the conduct of Mr.. Ro-
die, Mr.. Uhler dssents from the con-
clusion of the four other commission
ers. l agree with the conclusions
of the other four. Laxity and
neglect. where the consequences may
be in this case cannot be passed over
even where there has been good con-
duct in other respects on the part of
the man implicated.
Weed Out IncOmPetcnts.
Accordingly the three officials named
will be removed from the service. More
over you will please direct their sue
cessors in office at once to conduct a
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 inspection shall show
to be untitled to perform the very ar
duous and responsible duties of their
positions.
1.-The supervising inspector general
has at present no headquarters force
Of special agents, so that il is UNI
doubleday very difficult for him to ex-
ercise any adequate and direct super
vision over the various local divisions
of the inspection service. In each di-
vision he must rely chiefly on the fidcl-
ity and energy Of the local heads; and
II these fail to perform their duties,
they must be held accountable.
wants Searching Investigation.
HE must, however. exercise as thor
ough a supervision as the means at his
disposal allow. In order that l may be
informed as TO the exact condition Of
the service I'm all its parts, l direct you
to order a searching investigation, in
continuance of the investigation Of
the commission, into the conduct OF