Evening star., 1937-07-31
COMMITTEE 0. KS
SEA SAFETY BILL
Measure Requiring CON-
plete Passenger Lists
Also Is Approved,

The Senate Commerce Committee
aroused by the burning Of the Chesa-
peake Bay steamer City of Baltimore
approved today the Copeland SAFETY
at-sea' bill and another measure to
require filing OF complete passenger
lists
Meanwhile, the House had before it
. new bill providing for Government
secured mortgages for recondition-
Ing inland and coastwise vessels
Inc Copeland bill was drafted bv
special committee set up to in
vestlgate recent sea disasters. includ
me the ouring OF the MORO Castle OF
the coast Of New jersey.
Primarily. 1t would tighten up ship
construction regulations to REQUIRE that
vessels be 50 built that they would not
sink as the result Of minor collisions
ana be constructed as nearly fireproof
- modern methods can make them.
1t also would provide for improved
Grew quarter construction, regulate
the method of storing grain cargoes
Which sometimes cause trouble by
shifting, increase the responsibility CT
ship owners to conduct fire drills and
tighten up on ship inspection.
The passenger list bill, introduced
yesterday by Senator Copeland, Demo-
crat, Of New York as a result Of the
burning Of the City of Baltimore the
night before, would require owners OF
vessels carrying passengers for hire en-
inland or coastal waters overnight to
deposit ashore complete lists of pas
eengers carried.
The penalty for violations would be
. fine Of from 500 to $500.
Identification Often Difficult.
Identification often is difficult in
disasters involving lake and coastal
steamers" said the New York Senator.
Though railways are not required to
keep passenger lists, identification is
much easier in the event OF a land
disaster.
How are we to know how many
people are drowned or burned to death
In such \ disaster? How are We to
know who they are2 passenger
may be drowned, may be burned be-
yond recognition or may go down with
the ship. For the sake of our peace
OF mind. We ought to know who is
aboard these ships
Other points in the Copeland pro-
gram are:
Equipment with radio apparatus Of
all sizable passenger ships plying
rivers. bays or lakes.
A doctor or a trained nurse on duty
And small hospital aboard all such
ships.
Installation in ships OF fireproof
bulkheads to prevent the spreading of
cargo or furniture blazes.
Purser Had Passenger Lists.
Only its position in narrow part |
OF the bay and the proximity OF other
vessels prevented the City Of Balti-
more disaster from claiming a greater
toll. The vessel was not equipped with
. radio The only passenger list was
tn the hands OF Its purser.
Such passenger ships also should |
nave facilities to care for the sick, |
said Senator Copeland, himself a phy-
siciAn.
The bill to enable owners of inland |
and coastwise steamers to get Gov
ernment-secured mortgages for re-
conditioning their vessels was intro
duced in the House by Representative
Cochran of Missouri. The Maritime
Commission, said Cochran, has de-
eided not to aid in the reconditioning
OF such vessels.
Set-Up Similar 70 F. H. A.
my BILL" he said, creates a set-up
eimilAr to the one in the Federal
Housing Administration, but insures
the mortgages up to rs per cent rather
than 30 per cent. We have spent bill |
lions OF dollars making our rivers lakes |
and bays fit for navigation but, owing |
TO the fact that money has not been |
available, they have not been used
~ We had expected
This bill will cost the Government
no money, because the mortgages will |
be taken over by the insurance COM
panies and others, the same as the
housing mortgages are being bought as
soon as issued"
Cochran said the measure was pre- |
pared month ago, but that he in
troduced 1t yesterday on account of !
the City Of Baltimore disaster.