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November, 1917_ bulletin boards, and the installation of practical devices for safety sug- gested by the workmen themselves, we have not only, reduced the number of accidents while handling more than the usual amount of tonnage but have obtained the co-operation of every workman from. stevedore down _ to shenango. What Investigation Revealed We have hunted for and found what we believe to be the most- frequent causes of accidents, the most hazard- ous commodity, and the places where the greater percentage of our acci- dents occur.’ Materials falling from piers, jammed between loads, and caught or, cut by hooks im either the employe’s or his fellow-workmen’s hands produced most of our injuries. Lumber is by a large majority the most hazardous commodity that we transport. We have found that 70 per cent of our accidents occur in the holds of vessels, 15 per cent on the decks, 10 per cent on the piers, and only 5 per cent on lighters and barges (although I might add that our light- erage operations have been the cause of all-of our fatal accidents). The result of our own particular short but helpful experience leads us to the conclusion that we have struck a truly fertile field for accident prevention. Greater results than these that I have mentioned are possible to every. mem- ber of this committee from such a co-operation of steamship representa- tives as we wish to begin here today. Therefore, I think it fitting and proper to begin the work with a reso- lution: That, whereas) we appreciate the hazards peculiar to all steamship oper- ations and realize the benefits to be obtained from the earnest co-opera- tion of all of us engaged in marine and navigation work, let us resolve now to get together ‘for all times on the subject of safety. The Whiting Foundry Equipment Co., Harvey, Ill., manufacturer of foundry equipment as well as cranes of many different types, is distributing catalogs- illustrating its equipment for brass: foun- dries, its converters and cupolas. These catalogs show illustrations of many dif- ferent products and contain considerable descriptive matter. The International Life Suit Cort., New York, exhibited its safety suit life preserver at the recent annual convention of the National Safety council at New York. The exhibit aroused a great deal of interest, a reflection of the increased attention now being given to measures for conserving life at sea. lations THE MARINE REVIEW First Meeting of Marine Section of National Safety Con- 2 gress Held in New York — Lively Interest Displayed HE first meeting of the marine and navigation section of the National Safety Council was held at the sixth: ‘annual . safety congress in New York, Friday, Sept. 14. The congress was attended by over 3000 persons, a large number of whom were interested in maritime subjects. . The marine and navigation sections met in the grand ball room on the ground floor of the Astor hotel and the attendance justified the choice of this beautiful apartment. The meeting was presided over by George W. Wylie, manager, casualty department, Clyde Steamship Co., New York, chairman of the marine and navigation section. He was assisted by Dr. -F. L.. Hoffman, statistician, Prudential Insurance Co., Newark, N. J., vice chairman. Three papers were presented as fol- lows: “Accident Prevention in the Steamboat Inspection Service,’ by George Uhler, supervising inspeictor general, United States steamboat-in- spection service, Washington; ‘“Acci- dent Hazards in the American Mer- chant Marine,’ by Dr. F. L. Hoff- man, statistician Prudential Insurance Co., Newark, N. J.; and “Safety First in Coastwise Shipping,’ by George W. Wylie, Clyde Steamship Co., New York. General Uhler was unable to be present and his paper was read by title. The papers of Dr. Hoffman and Mr. Wylie are presented in full elsewhere in this issue. Practical Men Shut Out The discussion was opened by Cap- tain Proctor of the Clyde line, who talked on accident prevention from the sailor’s point of view. He said that American steamship captains are un- necessarily harrassed by laws and that the organization of the government departments in charge of marine safe- ty is such that practical men do not get proper consideration. The gpinions of such men, he said, are seldom askeid when laws are being drafted or regu- formulated. It is not sur- prising, therefore, he pointed out, that 90 per cent of the certified lifeboat men, as they are designated under the seamen’s act, cannot swim. Capt. H. P. White, a retired naval officer, said that in his judgment the greatest effort should be put forth to make the ships themselves safe rather than to devise appliances to prevent cas- ualties after an accident has happened. Our laws regarding lifeboats, etc., he explained, while undoubtedly neces- sary, simply show we are locking the stable door after the horse has been stolen. E. Platt Stratton, formerly steam- boat inspection supervisor for the port of New York, pointed out that we must distinguish at the present time between sailors and boatmen. A man may be a skillful sailor and still not have the requisite training to handle a small boat in a rough sea. Boatmen however, are vital in a disaster. Co-operation Starts at the Top An exceedingly interesting discus- sion from the shipowner’s point of view was presented by C. E. Mallory, vice president, Clyde Steamship Co., New York. Mr. Mallory emphasized the necessity for co-operation. He expressed the belief that safety work cannot be expected to produce results in any organization unless all of the higher officials are thoroughly in sym- pathy with it and actively interested in its progress. Co-operation, in other words, must start from the top. Mr. Mallory described the safety organi- zation of the Clyde line which includes a central committee, pier committee and other subordinate committees. In closing, Mr. Mallory made an eloquent plea for schoolships for the training of Americans to, man the American merchant marine. As long as we depend upon foreigners to fill out the crew lists of our ships, Mr. Mallory said, it cannot be claimed that we have an American merchant marine. Our merchant fleet must be American- ized, he continued, and the life of the sailor made attractive to our native born young men. A. A. Renshaw, marine department, Standard Oil Co. New York, dis- cussed accidents on barges and light- ers. The trouble with most barge or lighter men, he said, is that they us- ually have had practically no actual seafaring experience. As a result they are! not familiar with the handling of lines, the strength of hoisting tackle, ~ etc. He also blamed the extensive labor turnover of the present time for a large proportion of the acci- dents that are now _ occurring on bargeis and lighters. The two-masted schooner Yukon, building at Gloucester, Mass., for the fishing industry has been sold.