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Marine Inspection Service Bill. The bill submitted by the marine commission appointed by the pres- ident May re- ferred to in last week's REVIEW, 4399 to 4500, to . the service. It is last and briefly repeals sections in- clusive, relating steamboat inspection q very sweeping measure and will doubtless be subjected to lengthy discussion and num- erous amendments before it is passed. Some of its provisions relating to mo- tor boats are absurd. The measure is very long, so that only its salient fea- tures can be discussed in an article of this 'character. The bill provides for the creation of eight examining boards to examine and license officers of the merchant marine and to try cases of misconduct. The purpose of this is to relieve the inspec- tors of a great deal of work which they. now perform outside of the regular in- spection of vessels. A moment's con- sideration, however, will show how im- practical this rule is. The trials are now conducted by 46 local boards and it is absolutely necessary that everyone should be given a speedy trial as a licensed officer under charges cannot follow his-- calling. He is as helpless to provide for himself and family as though he were in jail. As the steamboat inspec- tion service extends from Maine to Cali- fornia and from Porto Rico to Hawaii, the eight boards would have to travel furiously to attend to all cases. When it comes to the regulation of motor boats, the bill becomes simply ab- surd. Motor boats are required under penalty of $1,000 to have at least one substantial life boat aboard. Everyone knows that the ordinary life boat is larger than a great many motor boats. Moreover, it is provided that motor boats with passengers more than 40 miles off shore must be equipped with an efficient wireless apparatus. It will be seen that the commission is endeav- oring to apply to motor boats, thousands. of which are only 15 ft. long, the same regulations as are employed in the inspection of ocean-going steamers. These provisions could not be made ef- fective without a numerous water police force as there are already 20,000 motor boats carrying passengers for hire, and the number is rapidly growing. The absurdity of some of the provis- ions of the bill have been clearly pointed out by a dissenting report by Eugene Ty- ler Chamberlain, commissioner of navi- gation. The motor boat industry is by the local board of inspéctors. The MARINE REVIEW growing with great rapidity and is affording economical and harmless pleasure to thousands if citizens. It would be a great pity if the industry should now be crippled or even halted by unwise legislation. . The bill regulates all steam vessels and all motor vessels measuring oo it or over between perpendiculars; all steam vessels and all motor vessels car- rying passengers for hire; all sail ves- sels of 300 gross tons or over; all sail vessels of 50 gross tons or over carty- ing passengers for hire; all barges and vessels not otherwise specified of 50 gross tons or over carrying passengers for hire; all sea-going barges of 100 gross tons or over. Every vessel pro- pelled in whole or in part by steam is deemed a steam vessel. Every vessel not a steam vessel propelled in whole or. in part by machinery is deemed a motor vessel. Both hull and machinery of all these vessels are to be inspected annually HE provisions reparding construction of boilers are as follows: "Sec. 20.--Inspection of boilers.--Every boil- er manufactured of iron or steel plates to be used in any vessel subject to inspection shall be constructed of plates that have been in- spected and stamped in accordance with' the provisions of this act. . "Sec. 21.--Penalty for improper . construc- tion.--Every person -who constructs a_ boilet, or pipe connecting the boilers, to be used on vessels subject to inspection, of iron or_ steel plates which have not been duly stamped and inspected according to the provisions of this act, or who knowingly uses any defective, bad, or faulty iron or steel in the construction of such boilers, or who drifts any rivet hole to make it come fair; or who delivers any such boiler for use, knowing it to be imperfect in any of its parts, shall be fined one thousand dollars. Nothing in this act shall be so con- strued as to prevent the use on any vessel of any boiler or steam generator which may not be constructed of riveted iron or steel plates -when the board of supervising inspectors have satisfactory evidence that such boiler or steam generator is equal in strength and as safe from explosion as a boiler of the best quality con- structed of riveted iron or steel plates: Pro- vided, however, That the inspector-general may grant permission to use any boiler or steam generator not constructed of riveted iron or steel plates upon the certificate of the super- vising inspector for the district wherein such boiler or generator is to be used and other satisfactory proof that the use of the same is safe and efficient; said permit to be valid until the next regular meeting of the supervising inspectors, who shall act thereon. "Sec. 22. Inspection of boiler plates.-- Every iron or steel plate used in the construc- tion of marine boilers, and subject to a tensile strain, shall be inspected and tested in such manner as shall be prescribed by the board of supervising inspectors and approved by the secretary of commerce and labor, so as_ to enable the inspectors to ascertain its physical properties; and no iron or steel plate shaJl be used in the construction of such boilers which has not been inspected and approved under those rules. - "And the inspector general may, under the direction of the secretary of commerce and labor, detail assistant inspectors of machinery to inspect iron or steel boiler plates at the mills _where the same are manufactured; and if the plates are found in accordance with the rules of the supervising inspectors, the assistant inspector shall stamp the same with the initials of his name, followed by the letters *U; S. A. 1:2 and material so stamped shall be accepted by the local in- spectors in the districts where such material is to be manufactured into marine i as being in full compliance with the re ments of this section regarding the inepanae of boiler plates. on "Sec. 23. Stamping boiler plates -- plate of boiler iron or steel made for u in the construction of marine boilers shall be distinctly and permanently stamped }, the manufacturer thereof, and if practicable in such places that. the marks shall be teh visible when such plates are worked 'aes boilers, with the name of the manufacturer the place where manufactured, and the num, ber of pounds tensile strength it will hear to the sectional square inch; and the inspectors shall keep a record in their office of the stamps upon all boiler plates and boilers which they inspect. : "Sec, 24. Counterfeiting marks or stamps. Any person who counterfeits, or causes to be counterfeited, any of the marks or stamps pre. scribed for boiler iron or steel plates, or who designedly stamps or causes to be stamped falsely any such plates, and any person who stamps or marks, or causes to be stamped or marked, any such iron or steel plates with the name or trade-mark of another, with the ip. tent to mislead or deceive, shall be deemed guilty of a felony and shall be fined not less than one thousand dollars nor more than five thousand dollars, and imprisoned for not less than two years nor more than five years, "Sec. 25. Pressure of steam allowable,-- The working pressure allowable on_ boilers constructed in accordance with the provisions of this act shall be determined by the rules and regulations of the board of supervising in- spectors. "Sec, 26. Externally fired boilers.--No ex. ternally fired boiler having its shell constructed of iron or steel plates exceeding an average thickness of thirty-eight one hundredths of an inch shall be employed on any vessel navigat- ing the Red River of the North or rivers flowing into the Gulf of Mexico or their tribu- taries; and no externally fired boiler em. ployed on any such vassel shall have less than three inches space between its shell and any of its internal flues, and not less than three inches space between such flues when any such flues are more than five inches in diameter; and every such externally fired boil- er employed on any such vessel shall be pro- vided with a manhole in the lower part of the front head thereof, of such dimensions as may be 'prescribed by the board of supervising in- spectors, in all cases where the distance be- tween its internal flues is less than three inches. "Externally fired boilers having shells con- structed of iron or steel plates not exceeding an average thickness of fifty one-hundredths of an inch may, in the discretion of the inspec- tor-general, be authorized and employed on steam vessels navigating the Atlantic and Pa- cific oceans, or salt-water bays or sounds, or the Great Lakes, or any of them; and waters flowing to and from the same, or any of them: Provided, That on inspection no plate that is by this act limited to a thickness of thirty- eight one-hundredths of an inch and no plate that is by this act limited to a thickness of fifty one-hundredths of an inch shall be re jected for use if found to exceed those dimen- sions, respectively, if the approved average thickness thereof does not exceed the limits therein specified." © The measure is especially thorough in relation to the carrying of life saving appliances, such as life boats, rafts, water lights, line-carrying pfO- jectiles, and other devices. All these safe-guards are admirable, but are 4 trifle far fetched when they are made to apply to small motor boats as well as ocean liners. These provisions are as follows: "Sec, 36. Equipment for ocean, lake, bay and sound vessels--Every vessel subject ne inspection navigating the ocean or any lake, bay, or sound of the United States shall be provided with lifeboats, rafts, self-igniting W® ter lights, line-carrying projectiles, with the means of propelling them, drags: and pumps in -such number and of such character 4 shall be prescribed by the rules. and regula- tions established by the board of 'supervising inspectors and as may be suited to the navr Every {