Politics and Steamboat Disasters
It is stated that a “rigid inquiry” into the cause of the “Slocum” catastrophe, to ascertain the general regard or disregard for conditions of safety maintained on the boat by the managing officials, will be conducted by the federal government. According to testimony given by a government inspector of steamboats, the inquiry will show in the last analysis that at the bottom of this, as of many other catastrophes due to carelessness and disregard of the laws, is that corruption which has become so prevalent in all spheres and among all classes of the people, but is perhaps most closely connected with politics. A Washington paper prints the following on this point:— There is much feeling in the bureau [of Commerce and Labor] over the loss of the “Slocum,” as the officers believe that the steamboat inspectors are in a way as far responsible for the horror as is the captain. They say, however, that they make every effort to enforce the law, but that politics interferes. Supervising Inspector Uhler said, for example:— “What is the use of having the laws? They no longer act as a deterrent. We go out, discover a boat with rotten life preservers, bad boilers, and a dozen other things, which some one is operating in defiance of the law. This is punished by a heavy fine. That is the limit of our powers. Now what happens? The violator of the law appeals to a Senator or a Congressman, and others high in political authority. The fine is reduced. I know of scores of cases where fines have been reduced from one thousand dollars to twenty dollars, and others from five hundred dollars to ten dollars. The records will show cases where fines of fifteen hundred dollars have been reduced to twenty-five dollars.” “Does any one suppose that the owner of a big excursion steamer cares for these fines, especially when to obey the law would mean the outlay of hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars?— Of course not.” “This is the condition the inspectors have to face.” “The love of money is the root of all evil.”