The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-11-05
COURTS LIKELY
TO UPHOLD BILL


\ .. Ausen. former United states
judge for the eastern district Of Mich
iran, has given the lake passenger
traffic men an opinion To the effect
that If the LaFollette seamens bill
becomes law they cannot look 10 the
| courts for any relief. Judge Angel
GAYS ii IL unlikely that tho courts
would set aside national legislation
affecting the safety Of passengers at
sea, even though tho law should work
an injury 20 the lake passenger lines.
This week Frank r. Kirby, Of De-
troi;. the famous marine architect. and
| Professor II. &. Sadler, head OF the
marine engineering department Of the
University Of Michigan. we're received
by President Wilson for n conference
in relation 20 the proposed law. They
explained 10 the president that II would
be practically impossible for the lake
lines 70 meet the requirements Of the
hin in It's present. form. Among other
things. thoy asserted that the lake
passenger steamers are designed for
special service and that il would be
Impossible for many Of them TO sup
port on their upper decks the great
weight Of .rehoats which would be
necessary ii the bill was made a law
that would apply to fresh water. They
also pointed ont that if the law was
PAT in effect and enforced against
them the carrying capacity of lake
steamers would have to he So reduced
that they could not he operated at a
profit
Messrs. Kirby and Sadler, in com
pauy with A. \. Schanta, general pas
seuEcr agent of the n. & G. Navigation
company. win sail from New York to-
day on the Lusitania "a attend the in
tcrnatonal congress on safety at sea
which opens mt London Nov. -.
Lifebosts Proved Useless.
In his advocacy or the scamcn's
bill, proceeding It's passage in the SEN
ate. senator Lat'oIlcue Is reported to
have made much Of the recent burning
II tho ocean steamer Nolturno, inVoly-
ing the loss of a number Of lives.
Arguments were based on that ac-
't'AN III H'tl'l''A I ~ l4l' ~Neiill'Al = l4iif
regardless Of tho fact that the Vol
turno was not an American ship and
was net subject to regulations OF the
United States steamboat inspection
service" says President William Liv-
iuGstonc of the Lake Carriers asso-
citation.
Mr.. Schantz. Of the - & c., en-
phas2cs tho fact that the Nolurno's
.irohoats having proved useless, owing
10 inability Of the ships crew TO
launch them in tho heavy sea, the safe
Is or the passengers would in no way
have been increased had the vessel
hccn equipped with a greater number
or lirchoats.
In this connection a comment made
by tho Marine journal Of New York
is Of special interest 1t Is as follows:
Development, in the burning Of the
Uranium liEcr Nolturno nj sea last
week. 9com 10 show that the vessel
carried a cargo Of lnnammablo mater
ials that would warrant the most rig
ia lnvcstira lion. and that her passcn-
gers were made victims Of this. If not
actually nnawful. mt least reprchcn-
S'hIe condition OF affairs. In COM
menttng on this disaster, Anton y.
faNen' president OF tho Atlantic Mu-
lnal Insurance company is quoted as
saving;
VI sane insurance company would
take rick on vessel carrying tho
NoIturno'' cargo unless IL were what
Is known as floating risk. in which
thotc IS no Inspection Of materials
carried and corrospondngy higher
premium 5 paid. CcImloid, as every