8 REPORT — 1870. 



to be desired for the prevention of steam-boUer explosions, and that before 

 the Government will be justified in handing over the inspection of all the 

 boilers in the kingdom to a number of competing joint-stock companies, 

 considerable modifications will have to be enforced ; and it wiU be well now 

 to consider whether the imposition of the proposed penalty would have the 

 desired effect, or whether any other steps would be necessary. 



The penalty upon the boiler-user in the event of explosion would, as already 

 stated, ultimately faU upon insurance companies — that is to say, in those cases 

 where the boilers were enrolled. Now if that penalty were made sufficiently 

 heavy, it might make it more expensive for companies to permit explosions 

 and pay compensation, than to prevent them and pay for inspection, and thus 

 just reverse the position that obtains at present. For this it would be neces- 

 sary that the penalty should not be less than £1000 or £2000. Added to the 

 penalty imposed on the boiler-owner, in the event of explosion, to induce 

 him to enrol, it might be well to impose another penalty of equal amount on 

 the company, more fully to induce them to inspect. The first of these 

 penalties, the one imposed on the boiler-owner, should be exacted uncon- 

 ditionally; the other, imposed on the insurance company, only after it had 

 been shown on an examination by a Government officer that the company had 

 failed in their duty. Added to the imposition of these penalties, it would be 

 necessary for it to be enacted that no company should have more than one rate 

 of charge ; otherwise they would meet the risk on dangerous boilers simply by 

 raising the rate. A fixed rate would also put an end to the taxing of high- 

 pressure steam, as the rate would be the same for 10 lbs. as for 100 lbs. Added 

 to this, the present system of insuring against minor damages should be pro- 

 hibited, as this completely destroys the owner's responsibility. Such are some 

 of the restrictions which it appears necessary to impose upon the principle of 

 joint-stock insurance before it would be applicable, by a number of competing 

 companies, to steam-boilers, with a view to the prevention of explosions. 



The Committee are not without apprehensions, however, that though the 

 principle of joint-stock insurance might be surrounded with a series of checks 

 and counterchecks, it yet would lead to inspection being cut down to the 

 lowest possible point. On the other hand, were the inspection enforced by 

 law, and nationally administered, either by a central Steam Board or by a 

 scries of district ones, they consider that a far more generous system would 

 be secured. The Steam Boards, uninfluenced either by private or local 

 interests, or by the desire to accumulate profits, would take altogether higher 

 ground, and inspect, not simply in their own interests, and just sufficiently 

 to narrowly escape explosion, but with a view to assist steam-users, dissemi- 

 nate practical information on the making and management of boilers, and 

 promote progress. These objects would be altogether foreign to competing 

 joint-stock insurance companies. 



The Committee have now stated, they trust impartially, the various plans 

 which have come under their notice, remarking, as they proceeded, on such 

 of the points in each as appeared to them to be defective, and they would 

 now beg to solicit the most ample discussion of this important subject. 



In drawing this Report to a close, the Committee wish to make a brief 

 reference to the one they presented to the Mechanical Section of the British 

 Association last year, on the subject of " Coroners' Inquiries in connexion 

 with Boiler Explosions." In that Report they pointed out the defects in 

 these investigations, and how necessary it was that improvements should be 

 effected, expressing their belief that full investigation and plain-speaking 

 would, of themselves, do much to prevent the recurrence of these catastrophes. 



