in the city of Washington on the third Wednesday in January of each year, to establish necessary regulations; and that such regulations, when approved by the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, shall have the force of law. For the purpose of administering the pilot rules the waters of the United States are divided into three parts, and separate rules are made for each. These three divisions are (1) Atlantic and Pacific coast inland waters, (2) the Great Lakes and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as Montreal, (3) rivers whose waters flow into the Gulf of Mexico, and their tributaries, and the Red River of the North. The rules above referred to, and also the international rules of the road, are given on page 319 et seq. The supervision of the Steamboat-Inspection Service was transferred to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor on July 1, 1903, by act of Congress approved February 14, 1903 (An act to establish the Department of Commerce and Labor). Every vessel propelled in whole or in part by steam shall be deemed a steam vessel within the meaning of this Title. [R. S., 4399-4500.] subject to the title. R. S., 4400. All steam vessels navigating any waters of the United What vessels States which are common highways of commerce, or open provisions of this to general or competitive navigation, excepting public vessels of the United States, vessels of other countries, and boats propelled in whole or in part by steam for navigating canals, shall be subject to the provisions of this Title. [R. S., 4399-4500.]" Provisions and requirements as senger steam ves- Aug. 7. 1882. (22 Stat., 346.) And all foreign private steam vessels carrying passengers from any port of the United States to any other to foreign pasplace or country shall be subject to the provisions of sections forty-four hundred and seventeen, forty-four hundred and eighteen, forty-four hundred and twenty-one, forty-four hundred and twenty-two, forty-four hundred and twenty-three, forty-four hundred and twenty-four, forty-four hundred and seventy, forty-four hundred and seventy-one, forty-four hundred and seventy-two, forty a For enrollment of steam vessel, see page 160. (28 Stat., 699.) Feb. 15, 1902. (32 Stat., 34.) Vessels navi gating coastwise Lakes. R. S., 4401. four hundred and seventy-three, forty-four hundred and seventy-nine, forty-four hundred and eighty-two, fortyfour hundred and eighty-eight, forty-four hundred and eighty-nine, forty-four hundred and ninety-six, forty-four hundred and ninety-seven, forty-four hundred and ninetynine, and forty-five hundred of this Title, and shall be liable to visitation and inspection by the proper officer, in any of the ports of the United States, respecting any of the provisions of the sections aforesaid: Provided, however, That when such foreign passenger steamers belong to countries having inspection laws approximating those of the United States, and have unexpired certificates of inspection issued by the proper authorities in the respective countries to which they belong, they shall be subject to no other inspection than necessary to satisfy the local inspectors that the condition of the vessel, her boilers, and life-saving equipments are as stated in the current certificate of inspection; but no such certificate of inspection shall be accepted as evidence of lawful inspection except when presented by steam vessels of other countries which have by their laws accorded to the steam vessels of the United States visiting such countries the same privilege accorded herein to the steam vessels of such countries visiting the United States; it being further provided that there shall be collected and paid into the Treasury of the United States the same fees for the inspection of foreign passenger steamers carrying passengers from the United States that any foreign nation shall charge the merchant vessels of the United States trading to the ports of such nationality; it being further provided that the Secretary of Commerce and Labor shall have the power to waive at any time the collection of such fees upon due notice of the proper authorities of any country concerned that the collection of fees for the inspection of American steam merchant vessels has been discontinued." All coastwise sea-going vessels, and vessels navigating and on the Great the great lakes, shall be subject to the navigation laws of the United States, when navigating within the jurisdiction thereof; and all vessels, propelled in whole or in part by steam, and navigating as aforesaid, shall be subject to all the rules and regulations established in pursuance of law for the government of steam-vessels in passing, as provided by this Title; and every coastwise sea-going steam-vessel subject to the navigation laws of the United States, and to the rules and regulations aforesaid, not sailing under register, shall, when under way, except on the high seas, be under the control and direction of pilots licensed by the inspectors of steamboats." a The original proviso and sections 2 to 6, inclusive, of amendment to section 4400 were repealed by act of Congress approved March 1, 1895. Modified by rules to prevent collisions, act of August 19, 1890, page 325. There shall be a supervising inspector-general, who shall be appointed from time to time by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and who shall be selected with reference to his fitness and ability to systematize and carry into effect all the provisions of law relating to the steamboat-inspection service, and who shall be entitled to a salary of three thousand five hundred dollars a year, and his reasonable traveling expenses, or mileage at the rate of five cents a mile, incurred in the performance of his duties." Supervising In- spector-General. R. S., 4403. The supervising inspector-general shall, under the direc- Duties. tion of the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, superintend the administration of the steamboat-inspection laws, preside at the meetings of the board of supervising inspectors, receive all reports of inspectors, receive and examine all accounts of inspectors, report fully at stated periods to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor upon all matters pertaining to his official duties, and produce a correct and uniform administration of the inspection laws, rules, and regulations. There shall be ten supervising inspectors, who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Each of them shall be selected for his knowledge, skill, and practical experience in the uses of steam for navigation, and shall be a competent judge of the character and qualities of steam-vessels, and of all parts of the machinery employed in steaming. Each supervising inspector shall be entitled to a salary of three thousand dollars a year, and his actual and reasonable traveling expenses, or mileage, at the rate of five cents a mile, incurred in the performance of his duties," together with his actual and reasonable expenses for transportation of instruments, which shall be certified and sworn to under such instructions as may be given by the Secretary of Commerce and Labor. Supervising in- spectors. assignment of R. S., 4405. The supervising inspectors and the supervising in- Meeting and spector-general shall assemble as a board once in each districts. year, at the city of Washington, District of Columbia, on the third Wednesday in January, and at such other times as the Secretary of Commerce and Labor shall prescribe, for joint consultation, and shall assign to each of the supervising inspectors the limits of territory within which he shall perform his duties. The board shall establish all necessary regulations required to carry out in the most effective manner the provisions of this Title, and such regulations, when approved by the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, shall have the force of law. The supervising inspector for the district embracing the Pacific coast shall not be under obligation to attend the meetings. of the board oftener than once in two years; but when he does not attend such meetings he shall make his communications thereto, in the way of a report, in such manner as the board shall prescribe. "As amended by acts of March 1, 1895, and February 15, 1897. See section 4414. Duties of supervising in Each supervising inspector shall watch over all parts of the territory assigned to him, shall visit, confer with, and examine into the doings of the local boards of inspectors within his district, and shall instruct them in the proper performance of their duties; and shall, whenever he thinks it expedient, visit any vessels licensed, and examine into their condition, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the provisions of this Title have been observed and complied with, both by the board of inspectors and the masters and owners. All masters, engineers, mates, and pilots of such vessels shall answer all reasonable inquiries, and shall give all the information in their power in regard to any such vessel so visited, and her machinery for steaming, and the manner of managing both. Whenever a supervising inspector ascertains to his satisfaction that any master, mate, engineer, pilot, or owner of any steam-vessel fails to perform his duties according to the provisions of this Title, he shall report the facts in writing to the board of local inspectors in the district where the vessel was inspected or belongs; and, if need be, he shall cause the negligent or offending party to be prosecuted; and if the supervising inspector has good reason to believe there has been, through negligence or any other cause, a failure of the board which inspected the vessel to do its duty, he shall report the facts in writing to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor; who shall cause immediate investigation into the truth of the complaint, and, if he deems the cause sufficient, shall remove any officer found delinquent. The supervising inspectors shall see that the several boards of local inspectors within their respective districts execute their duties faithfully, promptly, and, as far as possible, uniformly in all places, by following out the provisions of this Title according to the true intent and meaning thereof; and they shall, as far as practicable, harmonize differences of opinion existing in different local boards. The supervising inspector Shall visit any collection district in which there is at any time no board of inspectors, and within which steam-vessels are owned or employed. Each supervising inspector shall have full power in any such district, or in any district where, from distance or other cause, it is inconvenient to resort to the local board, to inspect any steam-vessel and the boilers of such steamer, and to grant certificates of approval, and to do and perform all the duties imposed upon local boards. Each supervising inspector shall report, in writing, at the annual meetings of the board, the general business transacted in his district during the year, embracing all violations of the laws regulating steam-vessels, and the action taken in relation to the same, all investigations and decisions by local inspectors, and all cases of appeal, and the result thereof; and the board shall examine into all the acts of each supervising inspector and local board, and all complaints made against the same, in relation to the performance of their duties under the law, and the judgment of the board in each case shall be entered upon their journal; and the board shall, as far as possible, correct mistakes where they exist. The board of supervising inspectors shall establish such regulations as may be necessary to make known in a proper manner, to local inspectors, the names of all persons licensed under the provisions of this Title, the names of all persons from whom licenses have been withheld, and the names of all whose licenses have been suspended or revoked; also the names of all steam-vessels neglecting or refusing to make such repairs as may be ordered pursuant to law, and the names of all that have been refused certificates of inspection. to steamers pass R. S., 4412. "The board of supervising inspectors shall establish Regulations as such regulations to be observed by all steam-vessels in ing. passing each other, as they shall from time to time deem necessary for safety; two printed copies of such regulations, signed by them, shall be furnished to each of such vessels, and shall at all times be kept posted up in conspicuous places in such vessels. lation of regula- b Every pilot, engineer, mate, or master of any steam- Penalty for viovessel who neglects or willfully refuses to observe the regulations established in pursuance of the preceding section, shall be liable to a penalty of fifty dollars, and for all damages sustained by any passenger, in his person or baggage, by such neglect or refusal. Number and inspectors. Mar. 1, 1895. (28 Stat., 699.) salaries of local R. S., 4414. There shall be, in each of the following collection districts, one inspector of hulls and one inspector of boilers, namely: The districts of New York, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; San Francisco, California; Albany, New York; New London, Connecticut; Baltimore, Maryland; Buffalo, New York; Cleveland, Ohio; New Orleans, Louisiana; Norfolk, Virginia; Saint Louis, Missouri; Dubuque, Iowa; Detroit, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; Jacksonville, Florida; Bangor, Maine; New Haven, Connecticut; Michigan, Michigan; Mar. 2, 1895, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Port Huron, Michigan; Willa- (28 Stat., 843.) mette, Oregon; Portland, Maine; Puget Sound, Washing a Section 4412 is limited by section 5 of the act of June 7, 1897, to the Red River of the North and rivers emptying into the Gulf of Mexico, and their tributaries; and superseded by section 2 of said act, applying to the inland waters of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts; and superseded by section 3 of the act of February 8, 1895, applying to the Great Lakes and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as Montreal. See rules to prevent collisions, page 324 et seq. Additional duties of board of supervising inspectors regarding rules of road are given on pages 339, 342, 348, 349, 352, 355, and 357. Section 4413 is limited by section 5 of the act of June 7, 1897, (page 353) to the Red River of the North and rivers emptying into the Gulf of Mexico and their tributaries, and the Great Lakes and their connecting and tributary waters as far east as Montreal; and superseded by section 3 of said act (page 335), applying to the inland waters of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. |