The Washington times., 1920-04-23
CLA|MU.S.PA|D.
FOR IDLE SHIPS
Baltimore Transportation Com
pany Springs Sensation at
Hearing Before !. c. c.
BIG COMPENSATION CITED
Charge Rival Lines Vessels
Were Taken Over and Re-
turned Unused.

Evidence tending to show the pay
ment by the United States Shipping
Board of large sums of money to
the Clyde and Mallory steamship
companies during the war for the
charter Of vessels which never per-
formed a days work in the
service of the Government has been
submitted at hearing before a
board of referees of the Interstate
Commerce Commission.
Claims Are Contrasted.
The testimony was offered in con-
nection with the proceedings which
have been brought by the Merchants
and Miners Transportation Company
of Baltimore for the recovery. of ap-
proximately $1.220,O00 compensation
claimed from the United States Rail-
road Administration.
The evidence was in the form OF ex-
hibits offered by Otis b. Kent, general
counsel OF the Merchants and Miners
Company. for. Ahe purpose of contrast
ing the claim of the Baltimore Ship
ping Company with the sums paid the
rival coastwise lines by the Shipping
Board, and were prepared and certi-
fed to from the records of the Ship
ping Board.
Mr.. Kent was careful to explain
that he intended no criticism of the
boards action, but the submission OF
the exhibits and their reading into
the record created a sensation in the
hearing room. Counsel for the d.
rector General of Railway Admins.
tration objected strenuously o.their
introduction on technical grounds,
and after hearing the exhibits read
by Mr.. Kent the referees sustained
the objection, with the understanding,
however. that the evidence and data
might be submitted to the Court of
Claims In the event that the Mer-
chants and Miners case. as it is
likely to do, goes to that tribunal.
Vessels Too Small.
1t was shown by. the exhibits that
the Clyde and Mallory Lines, along
with other coastwise shipping, were
requisitioned by the Shipping Board
October Is. 1917. Ten of the vessels
of the Clyde Line and eight of the
Mallory Line, however. being under
$500 tons each, were found unavail-
able for overseas war service.
The Shipping Board records showed
that these vessels were left in the
service of their owners, though
nominally under requisition by the
Government. On December 2S, 1917,
the Shipping Board adopted a resolu.
tion, a copy OF which was included in
the exhibits offered. directing that
these vessels be turned back to their
owners and relinquished from requisi-
tion.
In spite Of this resolution, which
appears never to have been rescinded,
the officials OF the Shipping Board
never actually relinquished the nomi-
nal requisition until more than three
months later, when they were trans
ferred to the railroad administration.
In that period, from October Is. 1917,
to April IL, 1918, the Shipping Board
paid the Clyde Line for its ten ves-
sells in charter rentals s567,000 and
the Mallory Line for its eight vessels
s555,23412, or a total to the two COM
panies for these eighteen vessels of
S1,122,73i In addition. and for the
same period, these companies have
submitted unpaid claims for rentals
on these same vessels of s1,206, 1881.
In other words, the total amount paid
and claimed under this nominal re-
quisition for the six months period
aggregates s2,32s.173.61.
NJ. and MS Claim Smaller.
Contrasted with this. the claim OF
the Merchants and Miners Company
against the railroad administration
Continued on Page ., Column 81