The San Francisco call., 1906-07-08
FURUSETH CHARGE
WILL De TRIED.
Birmingham Ordered to
Investigate Conduct
of Local Inspectors
Captain Bolles Asserts
Siberia's Grew Does
Understand English

Within a few days United States Su-
pervising Inspector John Birmingham
will inquire into charges of neglect of
duty preferred by Andrew Furuseth,
secretary, and P. B. Gill, agent of the
Pacific Coast Sailors Union, against
United States Local Inspectors o. F.
Bolles and John K Bulger. The COM
plant, which was forwarded to Wash
ington a few days ago to Supervising
Inspector Euler, was returned yesterday
TO Captain Birmingham, with a request
10 make thorough investigation of
the charges and report with such ex-
plantations or suggestions as he might
deem proper Inspector Euler adds:
From the statements of the parties
referred to 1t seems that this matter
demands more than ordinary attention,
involving as it does the safety of pas
sengers on these ships"
Secretary Furuseths complaint was
to the effect that the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company, the Pacific Coast
Steamship Company and other owners
of passenger vessels had inaugurated a
lockout of competent sailors and had
made UP their crews of men who had
never been at sea. He stated he had
complained to the local Inspectors that
the crews of such vessels were incom-
petent, but that he had failed to con-
vince them that it was their duty to
examine such crews before allowing the
vessels to proceed to sea.
Furuseth contended that it was the
duty of the Inspectors to attend per-
sonally the fire and boat drills of such
crews, so as to assure themselves of
their competency.
In the matter of Secretary Furuseth's
complaint against the Chinese crew of
the Siberia and Chinese crews in gen.
eral, on the ground that their ignorance
of the English language disqualified
them from understanding such orders,
Assistant United States District Attor-
ney George Clark yesterday submitted
to acting. Customs Collector William B.
Hamilton the following opinion:
I'm your communication you ask
whether you are justified in withhold
ing clearance to the steamship Siberia
by reason of an alleged violation of
section 4463 of the Revised Statutes Of
the United States. The section men
toned requires that a vessel shall have
a crew sufficient at all times to manage
the vessel, including the proper number
of watchmen. Section 4496 of the Re-
vised Statutes makes 1t the duty of all
Collectors or other chief officers of the
customs and Inspectors within the sew
eral districts TO enforce this law.
competent by reason of it's inability to
understand the English language, or
for any other reason the crew would be
insufficient, ii would be your duty to
see that the vessel is provided with
sufficient crew before she is permitted
to sail This is likewise the duty of the
local Inspectors within this district.
ut is not necessary that the crew
should be we'll yersed in the English
language, but 1T is necessary that they
have an understanding thereof suffi-
cient to enable them to understand the
commands that might be issued to them
In the management of the vessel under
any circumstances.
crew of the Siberia were competent
and that the fire and boat drills they had
witnessed on the vessel last Friday
were the best that they had ever seen
"Of course" said Inspector Bolles
yesterday, mot all of the crew could
understand English, but they under
stood the orders and executed them. l
often have trouble mere in my office
with white applicants for mates Ii
censes whose knowledge of the Eng
lish language is not sufficient to ena-
BILE them to understand my questions.
Captain r. Jepsen, master of the
steamer City of Puebla, filed an affi-
dayit Yesterday with the local Inspect
ors in which he deposes that before
and during~the last voyage of that
vessel to and from Victoria there were
frequent fire and boat drills, but that
the boats were not swung out" on all
those occasions. On each occasion he
was assured of the competency Of his
crew.