New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-01
| STEAMBOAT BILLS PASSED.
GREATER SAFETY AFLOAT.
Stringent LazcS to PreUent AnOther
SlOcum Disaster.
LFRoM THE TRIBUNE puREAu.I

Senate passed half dozen bills which will make
the Steamboat Inspection Service a powerful
force for the safeguarding OF life and property
upon the rivers and harbors of the United
States. Within these six measures are con-
taired, in condensed form the effective old laws
and many new regulations which are deemed
vitality necessary for the prevention of acct
dents afoat Many of the rules are the
direct outcome Of the Investigations resulting
from the General Slocum horror in the East
River, New-York, and when they become eff
tective, after July l. a repetition of such a dis
aster on any waterway under the control of our
government will, it is believed, be made impos-
sible
The bills which had already passed the House,
We're called up in the Senate this afternoon on
a unanimous consent agreement reached yester-
day. One important amendment, offered by Sen
ator Spooner and some minor ones We're adopted
Senator Spooners amendment consisted Of a
provision requiring that 10 per cent of the crews
Of passenger vessels shall be upward of nine
teen years old, and shall have served not less
than three years the deck of a vessel on the
Great Lakes or on the high seas. Opposition
developed to the Spooner amendment on the
ground that ii would mean increased expense
TO the vessel owners. but Mr.. Spooner declared
that where human lives at stake and par
ucularly those of women and children sordid
considerations of expense should not enter.
Inc nrst of the measures to pass was an
amendment to the old law. which provided for
the assembling in Washington of the supervis-
ing inspectors and the Supervising Inspector
General once year a board, to determine
the needs of the service the limits of the va
rlous inspection districts and the formulation
Oh such new regulations as may from time to
time be found necessary This bill provides
that the Secretary Of Commerce and Labor
may at any time call in session a meeting of
an executive committee to be composed of the
| Supervising Inspector General and any two SUI
| pervising inspectors. This committee will have
| the power to "alter amend add to or repeal
| any Of the rules and regulations made. with
the approval of the Secretary Of Commerce and
| Labor, by the Board Of Supervising Inspectors
| either by virtue of this section or under anv
power granted by this title or any amendments
thereof' such alteration. amendment addition
or repeal. when approved by the said Secretary,
! to have the force of law. and to continue in eff
rect until thirty days after the adjournment of
| the next meeting Of the Board Of Supervising
| Inspectors"
NO MORE LOADED LIFE PREsERVERs."
This power was denied the Secretary of Com
merce and Labor by Congress a year ago By
the addition of the executive committee Con-
| gress believes the objection that was found to
| the measure which invested the Secretary alone
with such arbitrary power is removed.
| Another bill gives to the local inspectors the
powers Of supervision over officers and crews
OF ocean steamships This control has been ex-
| ercised for two years. and the effect Of the new
law will authorize by statute what the inspectors
already had by inference and custom
The third bill is by all odds the most important
of the six and fixes the punishment to be melted
out to those who violate the inspection laws and
| imperil the lives of passengers. Section Ass
| relates to the scoundrel who manufactures, sells
or tries to sell loaded life preservers. 1t reads
as follows:
Any person who wilfuy and knowingly
manufactures or sells. or offers for sale or has
in his possession with intent to sell, life pre-
servers containing metal other non-b uoyant
material, for the purpose OF increasing the
weight thereof. more metal other than such
material as is reasonab bly, necessary for the
struction thereof, who shall so manufacture
sell, offer for sale or possess with intent to sell
any other articles commonly used for preserva-
ton OF life or the prevention OF fire on board
vessels. subject to the provisions of this title
which articles shall be so defective es to be In
efficient to accomplish the purposes for which
they are respectively intended and designed,
shall upon conviction be fined not than
$1,000 and may in addition thereto in the dis
cretlon or the court, be imprisoned not exceed
ing five years.
PENALTIES MADE HEAVIER
The penalties assessed by the new law agains,
the owners and Charterers of steam vessels for
the ordinary violations OF inspection rules are
substantially the same as those now, in effect
and do not carry any criminal liability Where
life is destroyed. however the new statute adds
fine Of $4,000 to the punishment of the Of
tenders, which. under the existing law makes
them liable to imprisonment at hard labor for
any term up to ten years. To this section is
added the following significant provision:
When the own IT or charterer of any steamboat
or vessel shall be corpora ton any executive
officer of such corporation, for the time being
actually charged with the control and manage
ment Of the operation, equipment or navigation
Of such steamboat or vessel who has knowingly
and wilfully caused allowed such fraud ne
glect, connivance misconduct or violation of
law, by which the life OF any person is dest foyed
shall be deemed guilty Of the felony of man
slaughter. and upon conviction thereof befora
any Circuit Court of the United States shall be
sentenced to confinement at hard labor for
period Of not more than ten years.
The other bills provide the working force of
fly their pay and outline the districts. No new
offices are created and additional men are
given the inspection service outright Assistant
inspectors. when needed, however, may be ap-
pointed by the Supervising Inspector General
"in districts or ports where there 225 steam
and upward to be inspected annually"
The new law also provides that the Supervis-
ing Inspector General may transfer the inspec-
tors from place to place they are needed. so,
by the use of little red tape he assemble
any force he pleases at any given point