The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-03-02

the sea.
 Commander H. Mccoy ans of the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection, had fought a hard-fisted, sometimes ruthless battle against the big shipping companies to prevent further tragedies. And they were supported by J. B. Weaver, head of the Bureau.
 Both young, both ex-naval of- ficers, both with independent means, they had joined Roper's Commerce Department for the sole purpose of preventing sea tragedies, did not care whether they retained their jobs or not. Politics was the last thing they worried about.
 Shortly after they joined MT. Roberts organization, however, they found that politics mattered @ great deal. Also they began to uncover what every sea tragedy has pointed to, inexcusable inc efficiency and graft in the steann- boat inspection service.
 Life Boat Inspection
 The navigation laws, for in- stance, require that every life- boat shall be inspected before c vessel departs. A proper inspec- ton requires that 1t shall be swung out on its davits and lowered in the water to test leaks.
 But almost never Is . full in- spectlOn made. Bureau inspec- tors arc content to swing out one boat and let the rest go. Other inspection is on the same level.
 Probing into this, Jones and Adams suspected that gratuities were being given to some of their inspectors. It was difficult to prove this, but they found in- spectors living beyond their in- come, also receiving various in- tangible benefits from steamboat owners.
 Steamship Owners Lobby
 Even more important, they found that when honest inspec- tors did insist on Q thorough fulfilment of their duties, the steamship owners-who maintain one of the most efficient lobbies in nWashington--immediately went over their heads to the higher ups in the Commerce Department.
 The Young Bloods in the Navi- gation Bureau immediately start ed a reform. One of these re- forms was to pay inspectors more money, eliminate graft tempta- ton.
 Floating Firctraps
 Another condition, pregnant with tragedy, that the Young Bloods unearthed was the state of American coastwisc and inner waterway vessels.
 Many of these, including the ships used on some of the most popular excursions to New Eng land and the South, were char acterized by Mccoy and Adams as Floating firetraps" which would sink If one hole was poked in them".
 Referring to excursion steam- CTS, they reported: Tt is felt that sooner or later we may look for . recurrence of the Slocum disaster in which eight hundred lives were lost. Of the 944 vessels plying on the rivers, harb0rs, and sounds of the United States, the Young BI00ds reported, 591 are twenty years old or over and for the most part should be scrapped.
 They also reported that many of the ferries throughout the country are old vessels and of an inflammable construction" Fatal Clash
 All of these reports were kept secret. It was dispute over making them public that got Jones and Adams into their final and fatal clash.
 The clash of politics and sea- efficiency had caused constant friction between the Young Bloods and the group of politicos who surround Daniel Calhoun Roper.
 One day recently, two depart- ment sleuths confronted Adams and asked if he had ever talked with anybody about the Bureaus service. He replied:
 "Yes, of course, I've talked with everybody about it."
 Have you ever said anything thrat would cast reflections on the servlce?"
 "How could I say anything that wouldn't cast reflections? The service Is rOtten!"
 When Jones' turn came, he de- clared he owed nothing to a pair of sleuths he had never seen before, and started to walk out.
 "Wait 8 minut, you can't leave this rO0m!" shouted the investigator.
 Watch me, brOther!" replied Jones, and he departed.
 The two men subsequently, were discharged for insubordination based on their refusal to answer these questions.