The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-09-10
CEAMEN'S ACT LOSES
y INTERNATIONAL LEG

Attorney General Gregory's report
on the foreign applicability Of the Sea,
mems Act is now before President
Wilson, and the opinion, it is said by
= Washington correspondent, lays the
basis for repeal of "this ruinous piece
Of class legislation" and then he
says:
"Inasmuch as the issue over the
'aw Is so sharp it is a matter of spec,
ulation whether the President will take
any immediate action. Many believe
he will let it lie untouched at least un,
til the present acute situation with re
peet to the sinking Of the Arabic has
been passed.
Opinion Asked Three Months Ago
"The extraordinary length Of time
taken by the attorney general in
finishing his report indicates the
desire to give time for the country to
wake up to the ruinous nature of the
seamen g law before starting the ma
chinery of appeal. ~
4 Gully three months ago, Solicitor
1 Thurman, of the department of com.
nerce, was asked to tender an opinion
as to how far section 1.-THE so-called
safety section of the Seamen Act
applied to foreign ships coming into
American ports.
at is provided in this section that
foreign vessels leaving ports of the
4 United States shall comply with the
rules herein prescribed as to hfe-sav
ing appliances, their equipment and
he manning Of same
"SOlicitor Thurman gave it as hin
opinion that this section applied to al
foreign ships save those from countries
having similar safety laws
Jeals With Safety Section
| ,"Inasmuch as most of the leading
maritime countries have safety laws Of
me kind and another the question i'm
nediately arose as to what we're SINH
ar safety laws
1.-THE matter was put up to Attorney
General Gregory. Subsequently othe
nooted points in the law were submit
ted to him-but in his opinion he de
votes himself to the safety section AM
caves the rest until some other time.
cit is generally understood tina
Mr.. Gregory has construed similar il
Mr.. Thurman's opinion as meanin
any and not identical Therefor
! according to the interpretation of tn
attorney general, the safety section o
the seamen 8 law Is inappheable to tn
ships of those nations having an,
safety laws
"This knocks out the one interna
tional leg on which the La Toilette
Furuseth law has stood.
Intended to Uplift World
cit was only able to pass congres
' La ha aaOnranoa hat II wa
going to apply not only to America
! ships, but to all foreign ships. Fur
, seth and La Toilette both pledged thei
regulations that the measure was sur
! to become one of~the great worldupIit
! since it was going to raise the lew
4 of safety at,sea all over the world.
II 1.-THE bill now shows up in its tru
q Hight as applying only to America
ships and to those few and far betwee
tramp vessels of nations having n
: maritime statns--for every nation {
1 marine consequence has safety laws {
: one kind or another. England, Franc
a Germany, Spain, Norway, SwedeI
|. Italy, Denmark, Holland and praet
!. cally every maritime nation has i
q own safety laws and the ships {
/ every such nation are now declared e.
empt from the provisions of the Sc
x men 3 law insofar as Iii esaving appl
n anees, their equipment and manning (
I sFSie, are concerned.
Law Effective November
|, "And just so far as this i'll advist
t and prejudically drawn piece of ella
f legislation ruin what little Americs
Il merchant marine now exists. 1t effe
tually pFecluded the possibility of al
@ further development.
l. "The bill becomes effective f.
n American ships November next, al
}. according to its terms for foreign shi
l. April 4, 1916, But by today's deci
ion of the attorney general foreii
@ ships need never worry about the mea
h, ure for they are exempted.
r, 1.-The impression is that Preside
;. Wilson will let the disastrous cons
uuences of the bill sink into the publ
minds disastrous now tn
II the burden of compliance is remov,
a. from foreign competitions-and tn
s, call upon congress for a repeal of
,r ugly measure.