The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-12-19
Senators, Tired of Bicker-
ings with No Results, Vote
for an Investigation
! URGENT DEMAND
FOR INVESTIGATION
Committee on Commerce Is
to Seek a Rem
edy

Washington. d. c., Dec l9.-The ship
ping board will be abolished and Thu
work of ship construction put into tn
hands of one man, if the spirit and speed
with which the Senate yesterday adopted
a resolution 10 investigate the shipping
board and the emergency fleet corpora
ion reflects the general sentiment OF
Congress Senator Harding OF Ohio, q
Republican started the ball by offering
the resolution. He was Immediately sup
ported by Chamberlain of Oregon, chair
man of the committee on military af-
fairs. The swift and warm discussion
which followed tool0 no partisan tinge.
The southern men swung into line pre-
sumably through disappointment at the
failure of wooden ships program.
Senator Fletcher of Florida, chairman
of the committee on commerce, which
will conduct the inquiry, made no siren
nous attempt to stem the tide, and in
less than ten minutes the resolution
came back from his committee with a
unanimous report. 1t was broadened and
adopted and the committee is practically
under instructions to report a remedy
for the existing state of things. What
this may do to the shipping board can
only be conjectured
Almost at the same moment the SEN
ate voted to investigate the railroad sit
uation The sugar inquiry is still going
on and military affairs will keep busy
learning about the lack of munitions.
Colonel Isaac Lewis, inventor of the ma
chine gun used by the allies, but rejected
bv the United States, probably will tell
omorrow of the influences which worked
against his gun in the war department.
1T is a crime that the money placed
IN the hands of the shipping board has
been so lily handled, entailng red tape
of character to delay the shipping pro
gram" said Senator Harding. He added |
that it would increase materially the |
confidence and morale of the people if |
they could have some assurance that the
shipping program is being handled ca
pably.
Senator Chamberlain of Oregon, a
Democrat, surprised the Senate with
backing up the Ohio senator The Pacific
coast can build wooden ships, be said,
and wanted to do so, for private ac
count, but the government insisted upon
clause in the contracts whereby the
machinery for the ships could be com
Wandered even if the vessels were loaded
and ready to sail. He had taken up the
matter with the shipping board repeat
edly he said, but could not get any sat
isfaction. The senator declared that il
private parties were willing to add to the I
war tonnage the methods of the shipping
board should not be permitted to stand
in the way.
Senator Fletcher of Florida, chairman
of the committee on commerce, mildly
deprecated an investigation. There should 9
be no conflict of authority in the board, J
he said, as the law provided that the
shipping board should be supreme over !
the corporation. He did not believe that t
the fact that one official dsplaces anoth a
er in the organization will prevent the II
of ships contracted for. Ships t
are being built on the Pacific, he said 5
and launched on the Atlantic. d
Senator James Hamilton Lewis of Hi
nois said the investigation would be wei a
'omed by the members of the present j
chipping board. He said the inyestiga- &
ion should establish definitely who b
,hould have the power" "
Senator Swanson declared that if the o
hips had been turned over to the navy W
n the first place they now would be well pr
lnder construction. The time has come, f." 81
le said, 'to determine whether the board Il
: good one or not" Il
A general colioquy followed from W
which it might be inferred that the ad Il
has decided to accept all the I'll
Investigations that come along, but there
ppeared to be doubt, and the resolut ion 10
ias side-tracked temporarily by other sa
usiness, evidently to ascertain the so
Jews of the White House hurried dc
leeting of the committee on commerce ell
lay result in adoption of the resolution a
The Harding resolution authorizing an gr
of the program and prog err
~ OF building ships" was reported back VII
'om the committee on commerce in less m
nan ten minutes. Senator Gallinger ex- WI
ressed the hope that the committee vi
ould consider the propriety of changing
De dual organization and putting a sh
lsiness man at its head. We
Senator Lodge remarked that if the tn
lilding of the ships had been given to an
ie navy they would he built. Il do not tic
the least desire TO entrust TO the navy mi
le building Of ships" he said, "but it is REL
1iair TO the navy to charge it with de-
Y. ! regard Mr.. Hurley as an excellent :
an, pul we nave had the shipping board
'arly year and we have no ships and
It much prospect of any. l would sbol.
b the shipping board and put in one
mpetent man TO get the work done"
Senator Brandegee asked for broad. -
ing of the resolution TO cover all Il
Iases of the shipping problem. I
The Senate ioyously assentcd and
opted the resolution so amended with -
i division n
Ri