New-York tribune., 1907-09-23
CORTELYOU LIKES PLAN
Work Of Port Surveyors Here
Shoes Ercellent Results.
rp rs,..-a,h 70 The Tr,b,ne.1


Washington Sept 22.-Although the complete
report of Surveyor James S. Clarkson on the
work Of enforcing the steamboat law In the port
of New York has not been filed with Secretary
Cortelyou a summary in part of the results ac-
complished by the cruises OF tho tugboat Dalzei-
line and by the force OF inspectors in charge or
shore work has met with much favor in the
Treasury Department.
While the steamboat inspectors of the Depart
ment Of Commerce and Labor have tried TO do
something in the way of preventing excursion
and other passenger steamboats, from over
crowding, there has never been in the history OF
the port OF New York such complete and
rigid enforcement OF the law carried out
this season by Surveyor Clarlson and Deputy
Surveyor Matthew Coneys and the large force
of inspectors under them. u is thought thar
when the complete report of the Surveyor is
fled the disclosures OF carelessness and absolute
defiance Of the steamboat regulations will bring
about a radical revision OF the steamboat law
Amendments will most likely be made 10 include
the private power boats. that under the present
law are required fully 70 live up 10 the re-
ouirements Of the larger craft that carry pas
sengers for hire.
A striking feature of the seasons work is that
there have been more than two hundred gross
violations, and the fines from these will more
than offset the $500 paid by tho Treasury
Department for the use of the tugboat Dalzelline
and the salary of the thirty extra inspectors
taken on for the work Of sixty days during tho
height Of the excursion season.
One violation which may cost her owners d
fine OF about 81 800 was the overcrowding Of
the steamboat New York. OF the Albany Day
Line. on Labor Day. Deputy Surveyor Coneys
made an unexpected visit to the New York
when she tied up at her pier after completing
her from She had a license
three thousand persons. Mr.. Coneys with three
inspectors kept count Of the passengers they
went a~hore. These four men agreed in the
tally and that the New York had LOU
passengers more than she was licensed 10 carry.
The law IS especially explicit in the case os
violations steamers of fifteen tons or more.
and imposes on the owners fine of SO for
each person in excess Of the number permitted
by her license.
Had it not been for the efficient work OF in
spectors at the piers while the excursion boats
were taking on their passengers the Treasury
Department would have reaped rich harvest
in fines for violations. In many instances steam
boat captains made efforts to take on more
passengers than they were entitled to carry,
and only a summary order from the inspectors
TO haul in the gangplank saved the steamboat
owners from getting into serious trouble
The owners and captains of excursion steam
boats soon learned that Surveyor Clarkson'5
men meant business. and realized that 1T wac
poor business to charge an excess passenger 30
cents and then pay the government q fine OF
Sf0 for carrying him. After disposing Of three
or four violators in summary fashion the other
owners made an effort to live UP to the law.
BY comparison Of receipts for this season with
the receipts of three and four years ago the
steamboat owners have lost considerable money
through the enforcement of the steamboat law
by Surveyor Clarkson and his men
# was generally known that many of the ex-
cursion boats were carrying many passengers
az could be crowded aboard, before Surveyor
Ciarkson was empowered to charter the Dal-
zeIline and put on extra temporary inspectors
TO enforce the law. An estimate OF the losses
to the various steamboat companies has not
been learned but the loss to the steamer Grand f.
Republic alone is conservatively placed at about
50 100 The other steamboats, of The various
lines are thought to have lost between $500 and
50 600 each for the entire season.
The Dalzelline devoted nearly the entire time
she was in service running down the smaller
excursion boats that left with large parties from
remote parts of the harbor. where it was i'm
nossible to send inspectors. She overhauled over
three hundred and fifty power boats and found /
two hundred that running in violation Of
every requirement of the law. All of these are
Iia ble to fine of between 500 and $500 and 1t Is
Thought that before the work of prosecution is /
o,,er the government will have collected nearly /
SO 600 in fines.
before the Surveyor Of Customs undertook TO |
do the work the steamboat inspectors had left /
undone there were hundreds of private pleasure
h,ats running about the harbor without life
-,reservers and other requisites demanded on the
larger boats. There were countless power boats
carrying for hire as many passengers as they
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