Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-18
The Unreliable Filming System.

General Uhler, at the head of the federal
steamboat inspection service, threw
bright light upon the conditions surround
ing the work Of his bureau in the course
of the interview. printed In yesterdays
Star, in which he declared that the correct
i've and preventive work of his men is fire.
quently negatived by the political influences
which seek and often obtain remission of
fines properly imposed on steamboat own
ers and operatives. There Is no direct sus-
picion in the case of the Slocum disaster
that anything in the way of precautionary
provision was left undone in consequence of
improper considerations. Nor Is there
record of refusal by the owning company
to do what the government inspectors re-
quired. nor of fines imposed and RENTED.
But the fact. that fines are RENTED in
consequence of the pull of political
friends of the steamboat owners is officially
acknowledged and will be strongly borne
in mind by the public whenever the dis
aster is considered
The system of federal fines for non-cOm-
pliance with the statutes of the United
States is never wholly satisfactory in it's
practical working. few years ago Il
fragrant instance of the evil result of ad-
ministratve fixing and fine-remission was
brought to light in the matter of the oleo
margarine frauds. 1t was found that vio-
latorS of the laws were escaping more
serious punishment by submitting to fines,
which were later RENTED. thus wholly
clearing them Of all penalties. Later this
practice was abandoned. and the fines
themselves were collected in lieu of send
ing the offenders to prison. Only after a
great outburst of public indignation did the
Treasury Department change its policy in
this respect and criminally prosecute vio-
lators of the Uleo laws.
II fines are imposed for non-observance
of the steamboat regulations they should be
applied and collected BY the United States
courts, and not by the administrative
agents of the government. Court processes
always in the open and become mat
terS of public record in a way to preclude
connivance and underground wire pulling.
Rather than a system of bureau punish
ments in the form of easily revoked fines
and suspensions of license, the law should
direct that whenever the laws are violated,
or the regulations not fully observed, the
duty of the inspection service shall be to
hale the offenders to court there to answer
to criminal charges.
Even If the fines are collected, the dispo-
sition of the steamboat owners will always
Dt " uO JUST ilttlc DIS poSSlotc W CollplS
with the laws. and as much as possible to
avoid them. while presenting to the public
the appearance of perfect safety on board
the steamers they offer for patronage. The
profits are SO heavy that a few thousands
a season in money penalties, if unaccom-
panied by license suspension or Jail SEN
fences, amount to no material deterrent in
the face of the temptation to save many
times as much in second or third class
equipment, or cheap crews.
If the filming system Is continued it should
be certain of enforcement and not subject
to political pulls, and to that end the
courts should be made the collecting agents
of the government. But the public security
demands that the responsibility of the
steamboat owners and operatives should be
stated in terms of imprisonment, rather
than mere money loss.