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144 see that it is remedied. Since the big November storm I have thought a lot along the line of the question of individual responsibility of the mas- ters. When the government inspectors come down to your boat, I don't want anything doctored up to pass inspec- tion... 1 forbid: you to do it;. "When the government inspector - comes aboard your boat he has a great re- sponsibility resting on his shoulders and he should be shown everything. Attention to Hatches "Now as to the question of hatches, we will always give the ship the bene- fit of the doubt. If the -hatches are in need of attention, don't let them go another year, even if you think they safely can; repair them at once. With the boats that have hatches, make it a point to carry a few extra covers with you, and a few extra parts of fasteners. If you want them see that you get them. That's why we keep the shore organization. I repeat that the shore force has the whole fleet to look after, but the captain has the individual boat. That's up to him- and' he must be personally responsible. If ever the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. gets away from the idea of the individual re- sponsibility of the master, it will be- gin to lack in efficiency. The shore force is only an auxiliary force after all. If the vessel is not seaworthy in your opinion, don't take her out, even if I: were to tell you to. Re- member also that it is expressly against our wishes to cover up any- thing that the government inspectors ouent to sec: --In this: connection I have heard rumors that the inspection in some ports is more rigid than in others. I don't know whether there is anything in that, but I don't want our boats inspected in the easy places. The government employs our inspec- tors to eniorce the law and I hope the inspectors will be as severe as the law allows them to be. Never be in a hurry to get out if there is any- thing you want to get your boat ship-shape. A delay of from 24 to 48 hours is of no importance." Mr. Coulby then asked for the re- port of the committee on outside and inside'. courses: and: Capt. Hunt re- ported that everyone was unanimous for- the outside course,: Capt. S.C. Allen adding that some of the outside lines were also going to adopt' it. "We have been working very per- sistently on this question of inside and outside courses for several years," said Mr. Coulby. "When I. first brought it up it did not have many friends, but it had in it this ques- tion of safety. It takes more time and wooden. THE MARINE REVIEW money to run the outside course be- canse ab-4s 27: miles' longer "and <4t burns up that much more coal. I think the growth of good feeling among captains and owners has been promoted by the working together for many years in the direction of safe- ty regardless of profit. We have now got a good many of them trying it and it is about over the center and I think it is about the best answer that we can make to the criticism that the ships are being driven in order to make money. We tried to get men in- terested in this question of outside courses before we made it a rule, but I believe now that the time has come when it should be made an absolute ruling that the Pittsburgh Steamship Co.'s vessels should follow the outside course. It is better to work this question out ourselves than to have the government inspectors work it out for us. I don't want the Far- rells, the Dinkeys and the Coreys cut- ting any corners. 'It will be a definite ruling that all our boats will use the outside course hereafter." The question of going north about on Lake Michigan was put to a vote Master of the Ship The shore force has the whole fleet to look after, but the individual captain has the individual boat. That's up to him and he must be personally responsible. If ever the Pittsburgh Steamship Co. gets away from the idea of the individual re- Sponsibility of the master, it will begin to lack in efficiency. The shore force 1s only an auxiliary force. If the vessel is not sea- worthy in your opinion, don't take her out. of the captains and was unanimously adopted. of north about,' said Mr. Coulby. "Even though it is the longer way to South Chicago, it is also the safer way. Any ruling, however, that it made or ever will be made on courses is predicated on weather conditions; but if I should ever call you in for going south about on Lake Michigan you must be mighty careful to give me the maximum velocity of the wind." Good Barometers A. F. Harvey, assistant general man- ager, presided at the Monday after- noon session. It was decided that no ship should go out this spring with- out a wrecking cloth aboard. Mr. 6 : I have always been in favor April, 1914 Coulby was insistent that every mas- ter should see that his barometer was a good one. It was recommended that a post card be sent to the president of the Lake Carriers' Association whenever a crib or buoy light is found to' be not burning and whenever bridges fail to obey signals promptly. "You will need a lot of cards then," said Capt. J. W. Morgan, "because you cannot go up or down the river at any time without finding a light out." "T should like to see a _ thousand cards go into President Livingstone's office a day,' replied Mr. -Coulby. "If everyone sent a post card in there would not be such a thing as getting away from it. It would.make a big impression. If you .do it you will see a wonderful change in service." Uniform: signals were urged for all boats and during the year attention will be paid to working out a definite system of signals to be used at load- ing and unloading docks. Personal Injury Case A great part of the afternoon was devoted to consideration of personal injury cases. During the year a deck hand was killed by running over the hatches and falling through an open one, and a master was drowned while endeavoring to fix a tarpaulin in a heavy sea without a life line. "Now this is- a subject," said Mr. Coulby, "that we have been giving a great deal' of thought. to: There seem to be two factors entering into personal injury cases; one the element of danger, which really is a small percentage, and the other carelessness, which is a very great percentage. Can we devise some practical way of check- ing this thing up and limiting these personal injuries? It all goes back to the question of personal responsibility. While I cannot be held responsible for a man running over the hatches, yet nevertheless when you take the sum total of all the cases, there is a lack of efficiency apparent in the organiza- tion, which is a reflection upon me. The master cannot do all these things individually; he cannot have his eyes everywhere, and he may have been taking the boat out when this lad ran over the hatches; but the responsibili- ty should be delegated somewhere. The men should be prohibited from walking over the hatches at all. The place to walk is on the side of the ship. Now we have a life line ruun- ning from forward to aft. Possibly there might be side lines attached to this life line that may be handy in heavy weather. Rules, however, can only be enforced by the individuals and all I can do is to keep on talk-