The Washington times., 1915-08-04
Acting Secretary Of Commerce
Denies Complaints Against
Laxity Have Been Specific.
SEES FAIR EASTLAND PROBE
Statement Partly in Reply to
Samuel Gompers' Letter to
President Wilson.

The row between labor organizations
and the Department Of Commerce over
the Eastland disaster. and the depart
mental investigation now in progress,
took a new turn today when Acting
Secretary Sweet denied that labor lead
ers had ever been specific in complaints
against alleged laxity of the inspection
service on the Great Lakes.
Mr.. Sweet also brought into the con-
,troversy the civil service establishment.
Steamboat inspectors, he pointed out.
are appointed under civil service rules
and cannot be removed except on
formal charges. Therefore,, the In
long to the civil service as well as the
Department of Commerce.
Answer To Gompers.
Acting Secretary Sweets assertions
were partly responsive to certain state
.ments contained in a letter which Sam
,uel Gompers. president of the American
Federation Of Labor. sent to President
Wilson last night. Mr.. Gompers COM
planned that the Eastland disaster was
to be expected and that labor some
time ago had protested IN VAN 70 the the
lake inspection service. He suggested.
further.o that the service ought not to
Acting Secretary Sweet says labor's
protest has not been OF the conclusive
nature indicated In the Gompers COM
munication.
The Commerce Department, 1t Is con-
certified list submitted by the Civil
Service Commission. Once appointed,
these inspectors cannot be removed ex-
cept for cause. and formal charges must
be preferred
No Specific Charges.
Even II q department head desired to
reward deserving Democrats" it Is
pointed out. he has no means of doing
SO. Therefore. 1t Is contended. the Chi
&C go inquiry cannot be called a political
inquisition. because 1t concerns hold
In no instance that recall" said
Acting Secretary Sweet today. have
labor leaders brought to the attention
cific charges of negligence against any
inspector or group OF inspectors. The
!. so-called complaints of the labor and
aseaman's union men have been general
tiles, and requests from the department
that these complaints be put in speclnc
form have not been complied with.
The fact that these inspectors are
under the civil service makes 1t I'M
possible for the Department Of Com
merce to undertake to remove one or
more of them merely upon a general
complaint. They cannot be removed
in such manner, as everybody knows.
If the labor people or anyone else had
brought anything tangible against the
inspectors the department would have
acted with the greatest speed.
Not Semblance of Proof.
about year ago, I think, Secretary
Nockles. of the Chicago Federation of
Labor. sent in general complaint al
leginS overcrowding Of lake steamers,
but mentioning no negligent inspectors.
Mr.. O,ander, Of the seaman's union.
also had some correspondence with the
department. but neither was specific.
either as to inspectors or boats. The
only boat mentioned. as l recall. was
the Christopher Columbus. which hasn't
sunk
boat inspection were 'subservient to
steamboat interests, have never been
accompanied by a semblance Of proof
Manifestly the Department of Com
merce cannot bring formal charges
against civil service employees on such
general charges. Nor could we charge
an inspector with other than an error
of judgment on a general accusation
that he permitted the overlooking Of a
boat. The department has held itself
ready at all times to take up specific
charges of incompetence or collusion
against its inspectors
Guilty Not To Escape.
Acting Secretary Sweet said he knew
nothing Of reports that Secretary Red
field was to be recalled from the Chi
cago investigation, presumably for a
conference with the President. The
Acting Secretary. however, Is confident
that Mr.. Redfield has sought only to be
fair in his conduct OF the Chicago probe.
The law itself. Mr.. Sweet says re-
q Qta
boat disaster the inspection service
shall conduct an immediate investi-
cation. He deplored the apparent
conflict which has arisen between the
departmental and the State authori-
ties and courts.
That Secretary Redfeld went to
Chicago fully determined to place re-
.sponsibility for the Eastiand disaster
no matter how hard 1t might hit
the steamboat inspection service or
anyone else--is asserted by his official
friends here. Nevertheless. it Is said.
the Secretary's sense OF fairness
would not permit him to see an in
spector made a "scapegoat' IL he was
guilty of no negligence.
1t is asserted at the Department OF
Commerce that the Chicago inquiry is
minus a political flavor, because the
civil service rules make it impossible
for politics to enter the Steamboat In
spection Service. Most Of the present
Inspectors, it is said. are hold-overs
from previous Admnistrations-as is
the feud between certain labor leaders
and the Inspection Scrvice-and the few
inspectors removed by the Rcdfeld ad-
ministration have been displaced on
formal charges and after hearing.