INSPECTION OF VESSELS 105 



of the hull and the reliability of the machineiy of such vessels, except 

 as far as existing law places definite responsibility on the Coast 

 Guard. The American Bureau of Shipping shall continue to func- 

 tion in connection with the Grovernment, its bureaus, departments, 

 boards, and commissions, as heretofore provided by section 881 of 

 this title and as provided in sections 85-85g of this title or any 

 similar act hereinafter enacted. 



(c) Upon the approval by the said Commandant of the Coast 

 Guard of the original or modified plans and specifications for any 

 such vessel or for any subsequent alteration of such vessel, an en- 

 dorsement to that effect, signed by the Commandant shall be placed 

 upon such plans and specifications, and one copy thereof shall be 

 delivered to the person or persons submitting the same. Whenever 

 any Coast Guard official shall ascertain to his satisfaction that any 

 such vessel does not conform in all material respects to said plans 

 and specifications approved as aforesaid, he shall immediately report 

 his conclusions to the aforesaid Commandant, setting forth the 

 reasons for his belief; and if, after a preliminary examination of 

 the facts of the case, the said Commandant shall be of the opinion 

 that reasonable ground exists for believing the conclusions of such 

 reporting officer to be correct, he shall notify the person or persons 

 who submitted the said plans and specifications and the Coast Guard 

 official who shall -not issue the vessel's certificate of inspection until 

 the discrepancy has been corrected to the satisfaction of the said 

 Commandant. The final decision of the Commandant shall be 

 reached with as little delay as the proper consideration of the ques- 

 tion will permit. The owner of any vessel coming within the pro- 

 visions of this act shall notify the Commandant of any material 

 alterations proposed to be made on such vessel, and should any such 

 alteration be made on such vessel before the plans and specifications 

 for such alteration have received the approval of the said Com- 

 mandant the owners shall, in addition to any suspension of the 

 certificate of inspection which the Commandant may determine to 

 be necessary, incur a penalty of $500 for which the vessel shall be 

 liable and which may be mitigated or remitted by the Commandant 

 on such condition as he may deem proper. 



(d) The words "plans and specifications" wherever used in this 

 section shall be held to include prints of all general contract plans 

 and copies of the specifications and other matters of a similar nature, 

 as necessai*y to the purposes of this section for any vessel to which 

 this section applies. The said plans and specifications of all pas- 

 senger ships of one hundred gross tons and over shall specify for 

 fire-retardant material in their construction so far as reasonable and 

 practicable. 



(e) Any person or persons who shall alter, deface, obliterate, re- 

 move, or destroy any plans or specifications approved as provided in 

 this section, with intent to deceive or delay any officer of the United 

 States in the discharge of his duties under this section, shall be 

 deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof in any 

 court of competent jurisdiction shall be punished by a fine of not to 

 exceed $5,000 or by imprisonment for not to exceed five years, or by 

 both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court. 



