Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1912-04-18
Stringent Bill Introduced by
Perkins in Upper and SuIzer
in Lower House Regulating
Life Boats.
SHIP LANES MAY BE
DEFINED BY NATIONS
Laws Are Proposed Making i
a Felony to Allow Steamers to
Leave Port Not Fully Equipped
for Saving Life,


4 (By Morning Journal Special Leased wire.I
| Washington. April 17,--Congress
acted swiftly today on the titanic
/ catastrophe. Pills and resolutions de-
signed to prevent repetition Of the
awful disaster off the Newfoundland
banks poured into both houses The
senate agreed to resolution direct
| ing thorough vestigation by the
| commerce committee into the causes
| leading to the wreck with particular
! reference to the inadequdcy of the
! life boats. This resolution intro
! duccd in the senate by Senator
| Smith. of Michigan, who ranks next
| to the chairman of the commerce
committee, was passed by unanimous
| consent in one hour and twenty
| minutes. Senators MARITIME and Per-
| kins, the latter chairman of the COM
merce committee, also introduced
| bills.
| Senator MARITIME proposed that the
| president be advised that the senate
would favor treaties with maritime
nations to regulate the safety of
ocean craft and their passengers and
| crews.
| Senator Perkins resolution pro-
| vided for the equipment OF steamers
| with adequate life saving apparatus,
! Il would repuife that every steamer
| have n sufficient number of sea
worthy life boats to carry ut one
time, every passenger and every
member of the crew: that it shall
not clear any port without SO certi-
flying to the several supervising in
spectors who would determine tn"
character of such equipment, but
would have no discretion whatever as
to the number of life boats which
would be determined solely by the
actual capacity to carry all aboard.
The Perkins resolution even pre-
scribed that the life boats should
have not less than three cubic feet
of displacement for each person
The MARITIME resolution was re-
ferred to the foreign relations COM
mittce and the Perkins resolution
wen. to the commerce committee.
The house committee on merchant
marine will speedily take up the
many bills and resolutions which
Titanic disaster Representative |
Alexander, of Missouri, chairman of
tho committee, introduced two reso-
lutions today. one would direct the !
president to invite the maritime ma |
tions Of the world to appoint MEM |
bers of an International commission |
to define ship lanes and routes and |
to minimize the danger of collisions
at sea. The other would extend |
similar invitation To nations inter-
ested in North Atlantic steamship
travel to form "A commission To form |
a patrol of North Atlantic waters to
warn ships
Representative Sulzer. of New
york, chairman of the foreign rela-
tions committee. offered - joint roso-
luton Identical with the senate rcyo-
luton introduced by MIR. Perkins.
one life preservcr for each
person aboard.
They would also make IL a i"nN
for any captain, executive offiCrr tr
resident general agent of any cor
poration actually charged with the
control, mana cement. equipment ~
Of ocean vessels know
ingly 10 permit - vessel to sail from
any port of the United states with
nut fun life saving equipment. The
penalty would ne Imprisonment for
not mor- than ten years.
General George Uhler. supervising
Inspector general of the steamship
Inspection service. expressed the view
4 l.. I
by an international con-
sress to report on HE saving APP
pliances.