sponsibility for the enforcement of the law relating to the transportation of automobiles upon vessel owners, but correspondence on file in the Bureau shows the difficulty that has been experienced by inspectors and by ferry companies. The statute provides that all fire in such vehicles be extinguished immediately after entering upon such vessel, but it is obvious that the owner of the vessel is not in a position to enforce this provision, and that any attempt on his part to do so would result in disorder and probably in damage. A large number of these vehicles are carried on passenger steamers, and in spite of every care there is constant danger of a great conflagration that will result in the loss of many lives.

INSPECTION OF MOTOR VESSELS.

The Bureau has on previous occasions stated that motor boats should be subject to its inspection. Could motor boats be inspected and certificates of inspection be issued to them, operators of such vessels would know exactly how to equip them; and it is believed that the owners themselves, could inspection once be had, would support the efforts of the Service for safer conditions on these boats.

UNIFORM ADMINISTRATION OF LAW.

Section 4403, Revised Statutes, requires that the Supervising Inspector General shall produce a correct and uniform administration of the inspection laws, rules, and regulations, and he has made constant effort, more especially by working through the ten supervising inspectors, to comply with that requirement. The supervising inspectors are constantly kept informed of the policy of the Bureau, and they in turn keep the local inspectors informed. The ten supervising inspectors meet as a board in January of each year. At these board meetings matters that have occurred in the several districts are brought up, and from the discussion that follows the proper rules are decided upon.

For nearly three years now the Bureau has followed the custom of issuing monthly bulletins that contain rulings of interest to the merchant marine and to the inspectors of the Service. These bulletins are distributed for the guidance of the inspectors, and, further, to keep the merchant marine informed as to the rulings. The purpose, of course, is not so much to apprehend those who violate the law as to prevent the violation, and this the bulletins of the Service assist in accomplishing.

The last, but by no means the least, effective method of securing uniform administration of law is the license and vessel card system that is in effect in the Service. By means of these cards, which are received every day, the central office is able to detect at once errors that are being made in the districts, instead of waiting as heretofore

for the end of a quarter, or for the end of the year, at which time the reports formerly submitted were so large as to render it impossible to detect and to correct errors that had been committed throughout the year.

OVERLOADING OF PASSENGER STEAMERS.

The number of persons permitted to be carried on passenger steamers presents a question that has received the careful and constant attention of the Bureau.

Section 4464, Revised Statutes, requires inspectors to state in every certificate of inspection granted to steamers carrying passengers, other than ferryboats, the number of passengers for which any such steamer has accommodations. This provision is probably wise; local conditions vary and the local inspectors are presumably best in formed as to the number of passengers a steamer can carry with safety. The Bureau endeavors, however, to impress upon the local inspectors that the responsibility is theirs, and that the constant temptation to overcrowd constitutes an increasing danger to life against which the vigilance of the inspectors alone can protect the public.

It is believed that the new rules governing life-saving equipment will materially aid the inspectors in the performance of this duty. The requirements of the new rules vary greatly according to ocean, coastwise, lake, or river service; also according to season and other conditions which go to determine risk. But throughout the equipment is predicated upon the number of passengers and not, as was the case before, upon tonnage, so that the inspectors now have at least one positive restriction against overcrowding to rely upon and to enforce.

TRAVELING EXPENSES.

If inspectors were placed upon actual expenses when traveling, and not upon mileage, a large saving in travel expense would undoubtedly result, and it is recommended that such a change in practice be given the sanction of law.

73861°-c & L 1912—10

CONCLUSION.

This year I have given a very extensive account of the Department's work in the hope that some impression of the extent of that work may be given. For more complete discussions I must refer to the reports of the several bureaus.

Respectfully,

146

CHARLES NAGEL,
Secretary.

REPORTS

OF THE

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND LABOR