New-York tribune., 1905-02-14
erE4BBoAT INSPECTION REFORMS.

The House Of Representatives utilized some
of the wisdom purchased through the General
Slocum disaster when il passed, last Saturday,
five bills extending and Strengthening the steam
boat inspection service This service until
year or two ago when new head was chosen
for IT, had been allowed to lapse into a condi-
tion Of rusty inef1ciency. 1t had been con-
Quoted on the happy go-lucky theory that the
owners of steam vessels wOnld live up to the
law out of a conscientious sense of obligation to
the passengers whose lives they cheerfully took
info safekeeping: hut the owners Of steam YES
sells seemed in many cases to accept the
equally happy -go-lucky theory that so long
accidents were few and far between it was per-
missihle-and certainly communicable take
chances with fraudulent and defective safety
appliances. When some tardy efforts were
made, after the appointment of the present
Supervising Inspector General of Steam Vessels.
20 improve and inyigorate the service it was
found that the law blocked reform by requiring
all amendments TO the regulations TO be made
at a single stated annual meeting of the full
board of supervising inspectors. Then the Slo-
cum horror came, and the fimsiness of the sys-
TEN, which had stood unchanged for years, was
exposed iB all it's nskedRess.
The five bills passed by the House are in
tended TO nodernize and vitalize the inspec-
ton service. The defects and laxities of the old
system are 10 De cured Dy sweeping changes.
An executive committee of the board of super
vising inspectors IS created. with power to
amend rules during the intervals between the
annual board meetings. Inspections of yes
sells are not 10 wait till requests are made for
them, but must be undertaken annually. In
speetors are clothed with power to condemn
defective equipment outright. and to stop YES
sells operation by revoking its certificate
heavy penalty is provided for manufacturing or
selling defective life saving appliances and on
conviction captains, engineers pilots or others
through whose misconduct neglect lives are
lost. and owners charterers, inspectors through
whose fraud. connivance, misconduct or viola
ton Of law lives are lost, may be sentenced 10
pay fines of $4,000 or to Imprisonment for ten
years, or both Other minor changes In the la W
are intended 10 increase the efficiency of the in
speetion force, and greater administrative lati-
fude is TO be given TO the Supervising Inspector
General. acting under the general direction of
the Secretary Of Commerce and Labor
The five bills passed encountered no opposi-
ton. and sixth, reported by the House Com
mittee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. went
pver temporarily objection from a single
member. Considering their non-politicaI char
ecter and their immediate bearing on the safety
of thousands OF American citizens who daily
take passage on steam craft OF all sorts II is
not too much 10 expect that all six bills will
BECOME law before the end of the present ses
sion The conditions in the inspection service
disclosed by the recent report OF the federal in
vestigafien commission are reproach and a
scandal. Official neglect and private greed