Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-10

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10.-Congress
is expected to make a sweeping re-
vision of the navigation laws as the
next legislative step in the upbulld-
ing of the American merchant ma
rine. 1t is known that certain lead
ers in Congress and certain members
of the Presidents Cabinet already
have looked into the question OF re-
v;sipg the laws and that they seem
agreed upon plan by which Con-
eress should tackle the intricate and
technical problem.
| Senator Owen has given an mixing
as to the plan In general In the fol-
lowing words: "a board of experts
should be appointed to subject these
navigation laws to microscopic ex-
animation, draw up a plan of re-
vision and submit it to Congress in
| language that can be understood.
senator owen declares the laws as
now written are ''idiotic" and "abso-
lutely worthless The laws now fill
a book of SAT pages and look for
midable even to marine lawyer.
| The purpose in revising the laws
was recently given by ship owner
of long experience whose fleet OF
! merchant vessels touches at almost
every port in the world. He said:
1.-THE laws must be so amended as
to permit Americans to successfully
operate ships in foreign trade In
competition with all nations. The
American ship owner asks no advan-
tage of any kind over foreign COM
petitors, but does ask to be put on
a fair competitive basis"
This ship owner, though an Ameri-
can, now flies the British flag on hts
| vessels.
American ship owners agree that
the law should be revised to conform
| with the standard of measurements
fused by Great Britain. Another sug-
gested change is that described In the
following language: ANY officer
serving on foreign ships that will be
transferred to the American register
shall be entitled to serve In nke
CAPACITY for one year. At the ex-
piration of that year, If he shall have
declared his intention of becoming an
American citizen, then, on examina-
ton, he should be allowed TO ge'
American papers.
eested that "inasmuch as these arc
not required or used by ships of any
other country they should be aban-
doned." 49, :,
THE law also should be modified, II
is stated. so as to accept the stamp
ling and certificate of the nation undei
whose supervision the boilers ars
built. or in other words, in the cases
of imported ships the vessel as she
stands with her country's certificate
should be accepted under the Ameri'
can law. Our law provides that once
a year there shall be applied by.
drostatic pressure equal to one ant
lone-half the steam pressure. Will
the exception of Canada this Is moi
required by any other nation, and II
therefore is urged that this require
ment be abandoned except In cases
where an inspector thinks the boiler
has been weakened.
All vessels should be permitted t.
go to their home port for inspection
provided that the time required fol
1.-The trip does not exceed fifteen days
Owners then would be able to lool
after and superintend repairs which
generally can be done cheaper anc
quicker at the home port than a
other places. The law now requires
at when q ships inspection certifi
cate expires she must stop at the
port she is in even though no inspec.
tor is there and inspectors have tt
come from a distant port.
Section 141 of the navigation laws
which provides that the licensed of.
Ulcers must point out to inspectors al
defects and imperfections regarding