205 BUREAU OF NAVIGATION NAVIGATION LAWS 201 nder section 4 of the act of July 5, 1884, the Commissioner of igation is directed to investigate the operation of the law relato navigation and annually report to you such particulars as admit of improvement or may require amendment. LOAD LINE he report for 1924 the report of the committee appointed by consider Senate bill 1319, Sixty-eighth Congress, first session, forth at length. It is generally accepted that legislation on ect is essential, first, in the interest of safety and, second, to the commercial standing of our great fleet of ocean-going mers. The Senate bill referred to, if amended as sugour committee meets the more serious objections which have delayed legislation on this subject. This legislation pproved, first, in consideration of the safety of the vessel nd the avoidance of the damage and extensive repairs ith inadequate freeboard, and second, because the leading tions all have different load-line provisions, and their our ships loading in their ports to comply with their ed requirements in the absence of similar regulations The United States is now the only maritime nation of ose commerce is liable to be hampered by these pro ATION OF MARITIME BUREAUS AND ACTIVITIES reorganization of the whole relation of the Federal the merchant marine in all of its administrative urgent. Such reorganization should be made to ministration, prevent duplication, insure and define sponsibilities, and provide an expert and efficient resulting benefits to the merchant marine. al services involved in the proposed centralization is the transfer from the Treasury Department to Commerce of the personnel now in the customlusively on navigation work. These employees liction of and receive their instructions direct t of Commerce, but are appointed, paid by, and strative supervision of Tre n performs nearly all of ing need is the tran fficers. The through od on che his ort, tute Cure. rters the admeasurers, but who is able to make the complete circuit only once in two years. In the meantime there are changes of ad measurers at many of the ports. The results are not satisfactory even at ports where large vessels are measured, and experienced men give practically all of their time to the work. Centralization of the personnel will improve the service. It will engender professional pride, consolidate efforts, and secure more responsive action; all of which would attract competent men and through central direction render expert and adequate service to the credit of the department and benefit to shipowners. Such service would be standard and expert advice would be available in the construction of vessels on points of law regarding tonnage. saving delay and expense entailed in changes later found neces sary to secure the benefits of deductions and exemptions. The Panama Canal authorities have expressed the view that such service should be instituted as soon as practicable as the variation in methods of admeasurement at our various ports is reflected in the work at the Canal. RADIO SERVICE Radio has probably grown more rapidly than any other industry within the same period of time. It has been estimated that sales have increased from approximately $2,000,000 in 1920 to approximately $350,000,000 in 1924, and it is contemplated that the amount will reach $500,000,000 in 1925. This enormous increase can be attributed almost entirely to the broadcasting service which began the latter part of 1921. There is little doubt as to the permanency of this branch of the industry. The enjoyment and value of the service is being increased by means of improved apparatus and careful supervision of programs. At the end of this fiscal year we have 571 broadcasting stations, compared with 535 at the end of last year. There has been a growing desire to increase the power of broadcasting stations. From June 30, 1923, to June 30, 1924, there was an increase of 6 per cent, while during the past fiscal year there has been an increase of 94 per cent. The increases have not met with public favor generally. It may be found desirable to increase the power during the summer and decrease it to some extent during the winter if serious interference develops. This can be determined dur ing the coming winter. International broadcasting may be successfully accomplished dur ing the coming year. The difference in time between Europe and this country presents some difficulty in the interchange of programs which can be enjoyed simultaneously. The maintenance of constant frequency or wave-length and the elimination of harmonics and other undesirable emissions must be given more consideration. The use of crystal control in maintaining the proper frequency of broadcasting stations may be found practical and ultimately become necessary to prevent stations interfering with each other.' As a safeguard to life and property our inspection force gives first consideration to determining the reliability of radio apparatus on foreign and American vessels clearing from our ports. The clearances and inspections during the past fiscal year exceeded those of any previous year. There were 12,141 clearances and 8,603 inspections during the fiscal year just ended, while for the previous year there were 10,436 clearances and 7,727 inspections. The inspections developed 316 cases of inefficient apparatus or other defects which would have constituted violations of the law had the vessels sailed under the conditions as found at the time of inspection. The previous year 299 such cases were reported. Merchant vessels are relying upon radio to an increasing extent. Not only because it is their only method of distant communication and has frequently been the means of saving lives, but it is now coming into extensive use to insure safe navigation. There are at present 128 American ships which have radio compass installations. There were 75 such installations made during the fiscal year just ended. Considerable progress has been made during the year in developing the transmission of photographs by radio. At present this use of radio may be considered as in the experimental stage. The success thus far achieved apparently justifies the prediction that this new use of radio may be found commercially practicable, and take its place among other important radio developments. The limitation of existing radio laws would have seriously handicapped the department but for the excellent cooperation received from all of the radio interests. To encourage this spirit of cooperation three conferences have been held during the past three years, and another is to be held this fall. The recommendations of these conferences have been carried out almost to the letter, and have been of great assistance in providing for the orderly operation of the various radio services. Many of these recommendations should be covered by new legislation. Realizing the difficulties experienced by the radio service of the department, due to the inadequate appropriation provided for this service, the last radio conference recommended a more liberal appropriation. The last Congress did not approve the increase requested by the department; therefore, it will be necessary to renew the request in our estimates for the next fiscal year. No other country is so fortunate as the United States in having a reserve force of more than 15,000 skilled radio operators constantly training and experimenting with practically all of the most modern developments in radio. They are referred to as amateurs, although a large number of them are expert operators, and some of them have qualifications of radio engineers. Through their existing system of international communication they have an opportunity to promote good will and a better understanding between the young men of the world, which may be more far reaching and beneficial than can at present be realized. Under authority of the general appropriations act for the Department of Commerce, fiscal year 1925, the personnel and equipment of the international radio accounting section of the Navy Department was transferred to the Department of Commerce. During the past fiscal year 1,784 accounts were handled, and 680 accounts were on hand at the end of the year upon which settlement had not been made. Receipts, including $5,360 transferred from the Navy, amounted to $176,125.28. Disbursements to foreign administrations, $131,666.77. Balance cn hand June 30, 1925, $44.458.51. 66548-25-14 ENFORCEMENT OF NAVIGATION LAWS Administration of the navigation laws has proceeded througho the year along the usual lines but with increasing results. Dura the year there were reported to the department for mitigation or n mission of penalties 9,544 violations of the navigation laws, an m crease of 677 over 1924, with a corresponding increase in the amou of penalties collected. Our inspection service developed a growing compliance with the laws covering life-saving equipment and sa navigation. An average of 9 boats out of 10 inspected are fully equipped. Many of the violations reported are technical, but so of them are of a serious nature. Without constant supervision it i not unlikely that some degree of carelessness would develop, espe cially on the part of small-vessel owners, with possible consequer: loss of life and property. It is a matter of note that preventable los of life on the water has materially decreased during recent year This result undoubtedly is due in part, at least, to the improve equipment and navigation, especially of the smaller vessels. Our five inspection vessels operating along the Atlantic and Gu coasts during the year made 36,450 inspections and reported 3.2 violations of law. This service has the cooperation of moto boat owners, publications, and organizations. In addition to the work these vessels, in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Burea reported taxes on pleasure vessels on which assessment has beer ordered aggregating $30,655.42; cases investigated and assessment recommended, $23,150.47; and cases pending investigation, $129,401, of which it is estimated one-half will be collected. The total revenue produced by this service is about $118,000, exclusive of fines and penalties, against an appropriation of $79,615 for its operation. It is a popular and beneficent service, more than self-supporting, and doing much to safeguard life and property. Under the numbering act of June 7, 1918, there have been recorded in the customhouses as of June 30, 1925, 191,217 vessels, an increase of nearly 7,000 over the previous year. This is a fair index of the extent to which small motor boats are used for pleasure and inland commerce. SHIPPING COMMISSIONERS During the year 551,136 officers and men were shipped, reshipped and discharged before shipping_commissioners, as compared with 555,633 for the previous year. The average cost per man for this service was 22 cents. Collectors of customs acting at ports where shipping commissioners' offices have not been established shipped and discharged during the year 53,582 officers and men, as compared with 58.446 officers and men during the previous year. American consu shipped and discharged 36,389 officers and men. Of 280,964 officers and men shipped before shipping commissione 119,135 were native Americans, 41.926 naturalized Americans; 161.0 in all, or 57 per cent. This does not give an entirely accurate ide of the nationality of crews of American vessels leaving the various orts, especially on the Pacific coast, inasmuch as many vessels firs on fo The those o anned with a proportion of aliens sign on their crews before consuls 1 foreign ports for the round voyage. Last year the bureau compiled from applications filed at the time essels are first documented a statement of the number of officers and en actually employed on American vessels. These figures are subct to correction as trade, motive power, and rig of such vessels hange. The following, however, may be taken as approximately >rrect: On steam vessels 185,295; on gas vessels, 35,665; on sail essels, 15,887; and unrigged, 5,229, making a total of 242,076 officers nd men, excluding masters, manning the documented vessels of the Inited States. PREVENTING overcrowding of passenger vessels During the fiscal year passengers were counted on 9,275 trips of xcursion steamers, the number of passengers aggregating 6.370,788. Of this number, navigation inspectors made 7,326 counts of 3,256,597 assengers. On 459 occasions it was necessary to stop passengers going on excursion boats, the limits of safety having been reached. This involved the safety of 277,327 passengers, as in the absence of he inspectors there would have been an overloading. The reports o the bureau indicate a reasonable supervision of the water-excursion business of the country. This business increased over the preious year. There is always present danger of overcrowding. PASSENGER ACT OF 1882 During the year 1,257 vessels entered our ports bringing to the United States 187,127 steerage passengers. The law regulating this transportation is comprehensive providing for the health, comfort, and morals of these immigrants. But five violations of the statute were discovered and these were in each instance of a technical nature. In recent years there has been a material improvement in the quarters furnished these passengers. NAVIGATION RECEIPTS The receipts from tonnage during the fiscal year amounted to $1,813,755.66 compared with $1,713,432.68 from the same source last year. The taxes and also the navigation fees and fines are collected by collectors of customs in the administration of the navigation laws through the Bureau of Navigation. The receipts during the past year compared with those of the previous year and 1917, the last pre-war year, were as follows: The accounts covering these various collections receive administrative examination and check in the Bureau of Navigation in |