WORK OF THE CENTRAL OFFICE. At the annual meeting of the Board of Supervising Inspectors in January, 1911, this office attempted for the first time in the history of the Board of Supervising Inspectors to do all of the clerical work incident thereto, and in this effort this office was successful, with the result that $250 was saved, the work better done, and the Rules and Regulations more promptly furnished to the public. The work of hearing the appeals provided for by sections 4452 and 4453, Revised Statutes, is increasing because the central office is endeavoring more and more to give detailed and personal attention to all matters that are brought before it relating to the licensing of men and the inspection of vessels. To offset the increase of work incident to the hearing of appeals referred to above, the central office is referring more and more to the local and supervising inspectors matters over which they have original jurisdiction, as otherwise it would be impossible to keep abreast of the large amount of work imposed upon this office. In my last annual report I referred to the new card-index system that would become effective January 1, 1911, which is now being used throughout all of the districts, and I also referred to proposed new work that would give more detailed information in the event that it was asked for by the Department. Accordingly, there have been installed in this office new systems of financial record keeping, and of the keeping of the record of public property. In former years the information had by this office, in regard to the financial matters of the Service was incomplete and unsatisfactory, but there is a system in effect now whereby the central office will know, as in fact it always should have known, the cost of maintaining each supervising and local office in the Service. In former years the matter of keeping the record of public property received little attention, and the reports submitted were indifferently prepared, but under the new card-index system of keeping public-property records the central office knows from day to day exactly the property that is being received throughout the Service, as well as the condition of that property. Incident to the rearrangement of the work in the central office there has been a marked improvement, and following strictly the merit system, reward has been given to those who deserved it. In my last annual report I spoke of the necessity of an additional clerk, and that necessity still exists, but I believe that with an improvement in the personnel of this office by having clerks who are thoroughly equipped to meet modern business conditions it will be unnecessary to have an additional clerk, thereby saving an additional expenditure of at least $900 per annum. The work that two years ago was in arrears about six years has now been brought up to date and is practically complete. BOARD OF SUPERVISING INSPECTORS. During the year the Board of Supervising Inspectors held its regular annual meeting, at which necessary amendments were made to the Rules and Regulations and new rules formulated, and those which have received the approval of the Department are in effect. The Board of Supervising Inspectors is composed of practical men who have had actual experience in the navigating and engineer departments of steam vessels, and who, therefore, are very competent to pass upon the important questions that are each year brought to the attention of the Service for consideration and action. During the fiscal year last ended there were three meetings of the executive committee of the Board of Supervising Inspectors, which executive committee considered matters of urgent importance requiring immediate action before the annual meeting of the Board of Supervising Inspectors, and it becomes more apparent each year that it is a desirable thing to have the law as it is at present permitting an executive committee of the Board of Supervising Inspectors to act in certain cases that require immediate attention, which matters if not acted upon promptly embarrass the merchant marine. REPORTS OF SUPERVISING INSPECTORS. There are attached hereto, for your information and for the information of Congress, statements compiled from the reports of supervising inspectors of the various districts for the calendar year ended December 31, 1910, and indicating the nature and extent of their work; also a detailed list of foreign passenger steamers inspected during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1911.1 RECOMMENDATIONS. At present, under the provisions of section 4421, Revised Statutes, inspectors are required to make and subscribe a certificate to the collector or other chief officer of the customs of the district in which such inspection has been made, and under the provisions of section 4423, Revised Statutes, every collector or other chief officer of the customs is required to retain on file all original certificates of the inspectors required to be delivered to him, and the collector or other chief officer of customs gives to the master or owner of the vessel therein named three certified copies thereof, two of which are required to be placed by such master or owner in conspicuous places on the vessel where they will be most likely to be observed by passengers and others. Section 4457, Revised Statutes, also requires that local inspectors file the original copy of the certificate of inspection with the customs officer. It is believed that the same purpose will be served if the local inspectors furnish the original certificate of inspection direct to the vessel, supplying the collector or chief officer of customs with a copy thereof, and it is not believed necessary to furnish the master or owner of the vessel with three copies. If, therefore, these reforms could be made, there would be a saving of two certificates of inspection, and the original copy would be furnished the master or owner of the vessel, which should be the practice. Section 4421, Revised Statutes, also requires that the certificate filed with the customs officer by the local inspectors shall be verified by the oaths of the inspectors signing it before the chief officers of customs of the district or any other person competent by law to administer oaths. 1 Not printed in this volume. See note on next page. It is suggested that inasmuch as a Government officer is always under oath it is unnecessary that he should be required to take oath to a certificate of inspection. Also, if this requirement were removed, considerable expense to the Government would be saved; or, if it were considered best that such certificates of inspection should be certified under oath by inspectors the certifications should be made before some Government officer who could not collect a fee for swearing the inspectors. Under the provisions of sections 4414, Revised Statutes, inspectors shall be paid actual and reasonable traveling expenses, or mileage, at the rate of 5 cents a mile, incurred in the performance of their duties, together with actual and reasonable expenses for transportation of instruments, which shall be certified and sworn to under such instructions as shall be given by the Secretary of Commerce and Labor. It is submitted, in connection with the swearing of inspectors to expense accounts, that as inspectors are already under oath it is unnecessary that they should be required to certify to an expense account, and it is believed that the law should be so amended as to remove this requirement. In this connection it may be stated that there is expended between $900 and $1,000 per annum in certifying to certificates of inspection and expense accounts, an item that could well be saved were the law amended as above suggested. Respectfully, To Hon. CHARLES NAGEL, GEO. UHLER, Supervising Inspector General. Secretary of Commerce and Labor. NOTE. The report of the Supervising Inspector General of the SteamboatInspection Service, as separately published, contains, also, in an appendix, the following: 1. A detailed statistical statement embracing the various matters and occurrences relating to vessels navigated under the acts of Congress that have been acted upon by the several boards of local and supervising inspectors for the year ended December 31, 1910. 2. List of domestic vessels inspected during the year ended December 31, 1910, showing, by supervising and local districts, the class, name, and gross tonnage of each vessel inspected, when hull was built and rebuilt, when boilers were built and rebuilt, where vessel was built, date and place of inspection, and date and local district of previous inspection. 3. Summary of casualties, violations of navigation laws, and investigations for the year ended December 31, 1910, by supervising and local districts. 4. List of United States Government vessels and buildings in which boilers were inspected by officers of the Service during the year ended December 31, 1910, showing the number of boilers inspected in each, and the places and dates of inspections. 5. List of United States Government vessels whose hulls were inspected by officers of the Service during the year ended December 31, 1910, and places and dates of such inspections. 6. List of foreign steam vessels inspected during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1911, showing, by headquarters of local inspectors, the name, gross tonnage, nationality, and date of inspection of each vessel. 7. Number and gross tonnage of foreign steam vessels of each nationality to which certificates of inspection and certificates of examination were issued during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1911. |