New-York tribune., 1920-12-22
Government to
Classify Ships,
Is Uhler Plan
Steamboat Inspection Head
Advocates That Work Be
Taken Out of the Hands
of the Private Societies
Shipping Men Opposed
Would Necessitate Keeping
Large Force of Surveyors
at Leading Foreign Ports

new field for government activity
- Shipping is urged by George Unler
supervising inspector general of the
United States Steamboat Inspection
Service. In his annual report, just is
ssed Mr. Uhler urges that the govern
mspt take over the classification of
shins. which consists in part of the
sDproval Of plans. supervision Of con-
struction, Inspection surveys and the
snpervision Of repairs. This work is
row performed by private organiza-
tons. the classification of the Ship
rjng Boards tonnage being in the
lands Of the American Bureau OF
lMr. M Ghler claims that the classifca-
ron of vessels lis q function Of the
government while the building and
operation Of ships are usually matters
o. private entcrprise."
Shipping Cooperation Urged
"ln this country we have three vital
business interests having to do with
shipping he says. Upon the one
hand we have had the shipowner, who
IS cheaply as possible; on the other
fand we have had the shipbuilder. who
has not always been willing to deal
with the American shipowner; and
again. we have the ship insurer, who
hss been largely an alien and with
whom our people have dealt because
they could obtain cheaper insurance
abroad
"The fact OF the matter is that all
three Of these elements must work to-
rether or fall together, because their
interests are identical. If you destroy
the effectiveness Of any one of them you
destroy the effectiveness Of the others.
and therefore there must be more of
vision and less of selfishness in ap-
preaching this question Of classihca-
ton
"It is contended that the classihca-
ton Of ships is function of the gov
ernment because the government is
concerned with safety Of life and
property on the high seas in inspected
vessels.
Wants Government to Act
"The theory OF insuring this safety,
however. is one, as it has been applied
that has not started at the fundanien-
.als Of safety. 1t is one thing to have
detailed rules and regulations in re-
gard to the inspection of vessels which
are vigorously applied after a ship is
built, and it is quite another thing tc
follow the policy of having the gov
erment lay down exactly how q shir
shall be built. That is a function OF
Inc government. and inasmuch as it is
vta,ly connected with the classifca-
ton Of vessels the government should
CLASSIFY vessels, and not any private
corporation, wheti er it be foreign
society or an American one"
Shipping men are not inclined TO be-
lleve that adoption Of Mr.. ChRr's
suggestions is likely. Classification Of
shipping, il is pointed out, is not a
national, but an international PROPOSE
ton. Surveys and repairs of Ameri-
can vessels are constantly being made
Ia foreign ports, and it would be neces-
ssary for the government to have a
large force Of surveyors and repre-
sentatives scattered over the world to
keep up with this branch Of the work
II is also pointed out that the ten
dency is TO hay less rather than more
government participation n shippinc
ana Sll that the plan proposed by MI
1rler would increase the amount of
red tape with which the merchant
marlne IS already hampered to a great
oegree' with consequent impairment