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72 explain why certain principles of the Association were not being carried out by some of its members. It is a pretty hard thing to-do. That same condition has confronted us at times when we have gone to Washington. "T believe that the appointment of these committees from the chief en- gineers and from the masters is one of the best things that has ever been done by the Association, and I believe their recommendations should receive very careful consideration from the directors of the association, that am- ple and full opportunity should be given to all of the members to ex- press their views, but I do believe when any action is taken by the asso- ciation upon any of the recommenda- tions by a very large majority, that that majority should not allow a small minority of its members to defeat the purposes of the association. In fact, I believe in the saying, 'If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off.' Divorce Ourselves "If we have any minority members who are not holding up to what we believe is best for the association, the time has come when to save ourselves, we should divorce ourselves from such minority, if, after they have been given ample opportunity to come in and join with us in the work, they have decided they would rather not. The question of dues, the question of show- ing a large tonnage is immaterial, gentlemen, as compared with showing we are all keeping step, and stepping forward. The greatest benefit that we can possibly give to this associa- tio and to the public, is this question "of individual responsibility, and I want to see that carried out, or suggest to this association the advisability of car- rying it beyond the vessel owner, giv- 'ing him the individual responsibility that rests upon him, then carrying it down a little bit farther to the master and to the chief engineer, and the men in authority on the ships, and making each man realize his individual responsibility. "Let us see what that means. The responsibility to which I refer is, first, that any vessel owner after a statute has been written on the books, while that statute is being discussed he may have seriously objected to it, he may think it is not a good statute, but when it becomes a law it is our duty to see that it is carried out on the ship. I do not know, no man knows what laws will be passed with refer- ence to operation of steamships. I do believe, however, that we shall have full opportunity to be heard before the laws are passed, and I have an abiding faith that if our case is good and our objections are good and valid, THE MARINE REVIEW not simply from a commercial stand- point, not simply from the standpoint that we cannot afford them, but if it is unnecessary and not practical, we will be able to demonstrate to the men who legislate that it is not for the best interest of the public. After a law is passed, then, as citizens, it is our duty to live up to it. "On this question of individual re- sponsibility it even goes down to what Mr. Sheadle has said today with refer- ence to sanitation. It takes in all of these things that are contained in this report of the industrial committee about life lines, and putting everything on our ships that ought to be on them for the full protection, as far as possi- ble, of life. That is a duty which we owe, we cannot get away from it. When we take and send our. ships out, ask men to go out on them, it is our duty to do everything that can be required of us to make the vessel sea- worthy and provide such appliances as are necessary for safety of life. These things on the ships properly taken care of, the men _ properly warned of dangerous places--that in my judgment is the individual respon- sibility that rests upon the captain and chief engineer. He should be made to thoroughly understand that that is just as much a part of his 'duty as the safe navigation, and we should hold him accountable, and if through negli- gence or carelessness on the part of the master or officer in authority, if through carelessness there is personal injury or loss of life, it will be charged against him in the judgment of the manager, the same as though through carelessness he damaged the bottom of his ship. Safety of the Ship "Tn order to do that we should have some means devised for looking after it, have it reported to this association as a body what is being done along that line, what is being done by our members along similar lines. The thought that is running through my mind is this, if we have any member that does" not cate atything at all about safety appliances, will not be bothered. with anything along the lines of safety, on -his ships, where an acci- dent on his ships through gross care- lessness means reflection on the whole body, there should be some method for allowing that man to do as he likes, but not under the wing of the Lake Carriers' Association. "We have worked out a committee of chief engineers to take up and bring before this body all important matters affecting the men on the ship in their department, and last year we started at the other end with the cap- 'tains, with a captain's aids to naviga- February, 1914 -- tion and industrial committee. As J read over their reports hastily as ] have done, I was very much impressed with the forward movement amongst these men. There are a few things in their reports that received the unani- mous recommendation of that commit- tee, some of which, when they were first inaugurated several years ago, you could not get anyone to endorse it. It means we have got them think- ing, we have got them studying out these propositions. We have the men thinking for themselves. It is work- ing amongst our lake men as every- where else. The are doing good work. Individual Responsibility "lt does ought to be a committee of captains who should bring to the attention of the Lake Carriers' Association not only matters of aids to navigation, matters of safety, but matters of the well being on their ships. It should be a committee that by reason of its close relationship among the masters on the lakes, should be an avenue of reaching the Lake Carriers' Associa- tion and bringing up all matters that properly should come to us, and in my judgment which the association is | responsible for to the public. That may seem to you, gentlemen, a little bit fadical.it may seem that 1 am advocating something that may cause trouble. I am not speaking of a new thing. I have tried this plan out for years, and I am very glad to stand here before the owners, and a good many masters, and say that from a committee of masters that I have had working for years I have gotten more practical benefit, more good, sound, hardheaded advice upon practical things on board the ship, than from any. committee or any body of men. I have ever met, and I think I would rather lose all my shore: committees than that committee, so far as that department of the work is concerned. I believe, gentlemen, that before we leave, instead of having a number of committees with not very much re- sponsibility, that this association, through its board of directors, should appoint a committee of masters, tak- ing them from men of long standing who by reason of the faithfulness have attained a position in the first ranks, and have that committee consider and bring such matters before this ex- ecutive committee as may occur to them. 1 am not ready to make @ suggestion as to how this committee should be made up, that is a matter of detail, which can very easily be worked out. "The question that appeals to my mind more than anything else is this question of safety. That in my judg- seem to me that there' eae