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Individual Responsibility Its Importance All Along the Line from the Association to the Owner and to the Individual Master is Very Clearly Pointed Out by Mr. Coulby ciation, in Detroit, Harry Coulby, president and general manager of the Pittsburgh Steamship Co., indulged ina few reflections which created a profound impression, and as a matter of record, are given herewith in full: "I want to claim the attention and intelligence of the members for a few moments," said Mr. Coulby, "to a few things that have been running 'through my mind, coming out of the late Novem- ber storm and its attendant loss of life that not only the vessel owners, but everyone else so keenly feel. "In 1903, the Lake Carriers' Association had practically outgrown its old clothes, and it was found necessary to incor- porate, and as you know the reasons given for incorporation of the Lake Carriers' Association was set forth in Article 3 of our by-laws, which goes on \ THE annual meeting of the Lake Carriers' Asso- to say: "*"To establish and maintain by con- tract or otherwise such amicable relations between employers and em- ployed as will avoid the public in- jury that would result from lockouts or strikes in the lake carrying serv- ice; to provide for the prompt amic- able adjustment of matters affecting shipping and the interests of vessel owners on the Great Lakes, their con- necting and tributary waters.' "Tt might be well to see what account we can give of our stewardship in carrying out our purposes for incorporation. About 11 years have elapsed and I think everyone will agree that the progress made by the association has been wonderful. You 'have heard read this morning the report of our president, the report of the welfare plan committee, and also reports from the in- dustrial and several other committees, and tomorrow we shall have the report of what I call the foster child of the Lake Carriers' 'Association -- the Great Lakes Protective Association -- that primarily took up as its work the elimination of accidents on the Great Lakes. "Tt seems to me that this associa- tion was one of the first incor- porated bodies of men_ that read aright the signs of the time--that is to create a better feeling between the employer and employed, so as to better serve the public. Some of the things that were started were questioned and criticised, an _Ger : today it is not uncommon to hear some criticism of ou welfare plan. Once in a while we hear where an ey aa oe or employe is not in sympathy with our savings om and so on. I presume if it were known that wher the HARRY COULBY, d President and General Manager, Pittsburgh Steamship Co. or some method must be devised that will enforce the ark was being built some of the fellows that were saved in the flood severely criticised the construction of the ark. However, it seems, in reading history, that it served its purpose. In going over what the Lake Carriers' Association has done it seems to me that it is a waste of time to take up and discuss any little criticism there may be of detail, but rather judge it by the sum total of the result that has - been accomplished. These results have been read to you. The welfare plan and savings plan need no commendation, they speak for them- selves. So much for the past. "Has the Lake Carriers' Association ~ done all that it can do? J «dont think so. I think it will have to keep taking advantage of the flood; if it does not, it will get caught in the ebb. Associa- tions are no different from individuals. They must keep growing. When we take up the president's annual re- port and when we get back towards the end of that report, we keep see- ing that deep black line, illustrating that we are continually changing watch. Some of the old watch are passing over--their watch is done, new men are being recruited to carry on the work. It seems to me that in thinking the matter over and in ponder- ing over the things that developed dur- ing the storm of Nov. 9, and the talk that grew out of that storm, that we have got to more and more realize as members of this Lake Carriers' Association, our in- dividual responsibility. It is all very well for us to come here once a year and have a good time, listen to very able reports, frame up a bundle of resolutions, pay no more attention to it until the next meet- ing, and then in a measure repeat the same formula. Resolutions, gen- tlemen, to be effective must mean something. They are the expression of what we believe should be done to benefit the service, to benefit the most men,-and where we just pass a resolution and then rest on our oars, it is simply like pulling up the anchor and not starting the engine, and it has seemed to me that the Lake Carriers' Association, and the individual members of the associa- tion, and the general public must begin to realize the individual responsibility that rests upon them, and we shall-have to provide some means in which, when the associa- tion passes resolutions that certain things should be done, some means carrying out of these resolutions. At times the members of this association have been placed in the rather un- 'fortunate position of having to explain, or attempting to