22 OPERATING PROBLEMS OF THE AMERICAN SHIPOWNER 
frequently annoying features with which American shipowners, officers and seamen are con- 
fronted and has much to commend it when compared with our present system. 
Steamboat Inspection Laws. 
The committee found that much of the criticism directed at the Steamboat Inspection 
Service was due to the mandatory character of the laws under which this service operates 
and the fact that no discretion is left to the officers responsible for the enforcement of the law. 
The marine code of other maritime nations is much more elastic in allowing administrative 
latitude to officers responsible for the supervision and enforcement of maritime regulations. 
With a merchant marine composed of so many diversified types of vessels engaged in various 
kinds of navigation, the application of legislation which is general in character and does not 
consider in a practical manner each type or trade condition is rendered extremely difficult 
and, therefore, places on American shipowners burdens with which our competitors are not 
confronted. 
Hydrostatic Test of Boilers. 
An example is that of the hydrostatic test of marine boilers. The law requires that 
marine boilers be annually submitted to a hydrostatic test, using cold water, of one and one- 
half times the working steam pressure allowed. Practical engineers claim that it is unwise 
annuatly to subject marine boilers to a stress the result of which makes doubtful the value 
of the application of this hydrostatic pressure at such frequent intervals. As a comparison, 
the classification societies, the British Board of Trade and maritime governments generally 
require that the hydrostatic pressure be applied only at the original inspection of the boilers 
and thereafter at the surveyor’s discretion, and as a rule it is not applied oftener than at 
the survey period which occurs about every four years. 
A further requirement of the inspection laws is the annual inspection of the hulls of 
cargo vessels. At these inspections it is required that all cargo be discharged and the 
boilers emptied in order that the inspection may be made. This means a loss of from 
twenty-four hours to two or three days, depending upon the size of the vessel. Although 
the inspector might be satisfied that it would be unnecessary to subject the boilers to test 
or examine the hull of a vessel, the mandatory character of our legislation does not leave 
any discretion, and he is obliged to carry out annually all tests and inspection, 
Foreign cargo vessels are not required to submit to these annual inspections and are 
subject to inspection only at the classification period, which is once in every four years. It 
is suggested that passenger vessels might very well be subjected to these annual inspections, 
with the exception of the hydrostatic boiler test, and that the life-saving equipment of all 
vessels should be annually inspected. The inspection of the hulls of cargo vessels might 
properly be made at the survey periods, once in three or four years. 
It is particularly desirable also that American vessels trading between ports in foreign 
countries should not be obliged to return to an American port for the periodical inspections re- 
quired by law and regulations made pursuant thereto. These inspections might well be car- 
ried out by representatives of the American Bureau of Shipping located in various foreign 
ports. This examination should extend the life of the certificate of inspection until the vessel’s 
first arrival in an American port, as other maritime nations have similar regulations to provide 
for vessels away from their home port. 
