14 SPECIAL MAY MEETING. 
nell has the fortunate position of having been a government official at one time as the super- 
vising inspector at Boston, and more recently managing director or operating manager of a 
line of steamers, so that he is in a good position to discuss this subject with both aspects of 
the case before him. Unfortunately, Captain O’Donnell could not get here tonight, but 
another gentleman, one of the leading shipowners and ship operators of our vessels in the 
Atlantic, has kindly consented to read the paper. I have the pleasure of calling on and 
introducing to you Mr. Alfred Gilbert Smith, the president of the New York and Cuba Mail 
Steamship Company, who will read Captain O’Donnell’s paper. (Applause. ) 
Mr. ALFRED GILBERT SMITH, Associate Member:—I am very sorry indeed that Cap- 
tain O’Donnell is not here. Personally I regret it very much. I am sure that those of you 
who know him are very sorry, too. I fear that all of you will be sorry after I attempt to read 
this paper. 
Captain O’Donnell is eminently well qualified to speak on the subject with which his 
paper deals, in that, as Mr. McFarland has said, he has held a very important and responsi- 
ble position in the service of the Government and is, in my judgment, one of our best authori- 
ties on the navigation laws of the United States, particularly as they refer to the matters of 
inspection. He also qualifies eminently well in dealing with the subject of compensation to 
officers and crews of ships, in that he has been, as many of you know, chairman of the Com- 
mittee on Crew’s Wages and Working Conditions of the American Steamship Owners’ As- 
sociation. He has had exceptional opportunities to study the question from every angle, to 
make comparisons between the wages paid in American ships and those paid in ships of for- 
eign flags; and I say this because, as you will note as we go along, he makes particular refer- 
ence to this and lays especial emphasis on it. 
One word more (perhaps it is hardly necessary for me to say it), and that is that Cap- 
tain O’Donnell, whom it is a great pleasure to know, believes in what he says and says what 
he believes. 
Mr. Smith then read the paper on “Operating Problems of the American Shipowner,” by 
Eugene E. O’Donnell, Member of the Society. 
