Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-17
Treasury Officials Accused Of
Too Great Leniency.
MEN ACE TO PUBLIC
WORK OF INSPECTORS OF STEAM
VESSELS NULLIFIED.
George Uhler, Supervising Inspector
General, Says That "Infuence" Has
Been Too Patent in Times Past.

George Uhler. supervising inspector gen.
eral of the United States steamboat inspec-
ton service has gone to New York to as
sumo charge of the investigation into the
cause of the General slocum horror. He
will act Immediately under the direction
of Secretary Cortelyou Of the Department Of
Commerce and Labor. who is also in New
York In connection with the disaster, and
the most thorough investigation of which
the government Is capable will be made.
That there is responsibility somewhere for
the catastrophe is everywhere believed, and
Il 1t lies with the officials of the steamboat
inspection service they will be severely
dealt with by the Department of Commerce
and Labor. If it is fixed upon the officers
OF the boat or those of the company for
any negligence or violation of the United
States laws covering steamboat navigation
the law will be enforced to the farthest ex-
tent and the guilty persons punished.
These are the assurances given by Sec
rotary Cortelyou and reiterated by Mr..
Uhler before those gentlemen left for the
scene of the horror which caused the loss
OF approximately LOCO human lives and
marked the greatest disaster of this char
acter ever known in this country. Secre-
tary Cortelyou Immediately upon his ar
rival In New York entered into private
pervising inspector of the steamboat serv-
Ice for the second district in which New
York is located. He said that this was
ne cessary because he wished to get direct
~ from the hands of Mr.. Rode the re-
suit OF that officials investigate of the
destruction of the Slocum, after which
plans would be made for a rigid investi-
CATION of the cause of the disaster, the
Diane be fixed and punishment melted out
to the guilty.
Too Many Fines RENTED.
Mr.. Uhler, before leavir for New York,
spoke in an emp hattie manner of the Gus
tom obtaining in the service of RENTING
or reducing fines imposed upon steamboat
companies for violations of the laws and
said that while such a state of things ex-
listed 1t would be in pos sible to anticipate
and avert such accidents as the one tn tbe
Slocum. He said:
The inspection laws are enforced as rig
idly as this bureau knows how to enforce
Il VS., but what can we do when political in
nuence is brought to bear and the SEN
teLces which we impose are mitigated? In
innumerable instances fines have been re-
nltted by the authorities having that power
and the evil work goes on. Just SO long as
ttls Is the case, so long will such horrors
as that OF the Slocum be imminent. The
pr act1ce OF corporations is to bring all their
1nnuence to bear upon the Treasury De-
partment for remittance Of the fine i'm
med1ately after fine has been imposed,
and IN many cases fines of 81 500 have been
merely nominal. The steamboat compa-
MES are hourly imperilling thousands of
human lives by this practice, and the public
ought to know what farce the laws are
when they can be waived at the discretion
OF the officials of the Treasury Department.
Influence Brought to Bear.
I'm seeking to have the fines reduced or
RENTED the steamboat companies first
bring their personal influence to bear. II
this does not succeed they have their sena-
tor and their congressional delegation make
an appeal to Washington and the result
Is more often favorable to the companies
than otherwise. What can be done when q
political pull is paramount to The laws OF
the country? This state of affairs IDS
been going on for long time and unless
the Slocum wreck makes change in them
1t Is likely to continue.
ut 1t hardly fair to place the blame OF
any part of the disaster on the steamboa
inspectors until our investigation Is com.
pleted and the responsibility placed. AS a
rule the inspectors of the service are splen.
dldiy qualified for their work and very in
frequently are found to blame for accidents
The record of years will show that they
are competent body of men and perform
their duties well. In cases of this kind the
public instantly seeks to place the blame
and the inspectors are as likely as any
others to receive the benefit of any con.
tumely that happens to be cast about
Notwithstanding the Slocum horror, the
steamboats, of the country are probably the
safest of all methods of travelling Durine
last year the steamboats, of the country car.
ried $50, 100000 passengers and Of that mum.
Der only 292 lost their lives. OF these lives
lost only 146 were by accidental drowning
the unfortunates falling from the rails OF
from the gangplanks in passing to and
from the boats. Add to this number fift,
suicides and you will see that the steam.
boats are pretty safe means Of travelling
They carried many more passengers thar
all of the railroads of the country. YET
the railroads killed and injured thousands
while the boats lost but the number men.
toned.
The Coming Investigation.
II am familiar with the waters Of New
York harbor and vicinity, having spen,
years in navigating them, and I always
have considered the Slocum as safe as any
of the exclusion steamers which ply those
waters. Our investigation will be as rigid
as we can make 1t and the blame will be
fixed where 1t belongs We will ascertain II
the officers and crew OF the vessel did all
required of them; II appliances for fight
ing fire were in proper condition. and
every other detail possible Of sitting. There
may have been many mitigating circum
stances, but l believe we will sft them al
and reach the correct result"
In the investigation every life preserves
which Is found on or near the Slocum will
be examined for defects which have beer
charged in many reports Of the disaster
and II they are found to be rotten the in
spector who passed them will have trou
BILE TO face. Mr.. Uhler did not credit the
stories that the preservers were rotten Of
worthless. and said that life preservers Il
properly cared for, would last for years. HI
places great faith in his inspectors ant
does not incline to the belief, expressed II
some quarters that they were negligent IL
their duties. The investigation will pro
coed at once and be finished only wher
every detail has been covered and the mat
ter thoroughly sifted for evidences Of care
lessness or violation Of the laws tn,
part of any one connected In the most re
ha IL cd hna