Evening star., 1920-12-14
DRAS1CSH|P BOARD
ieHANGES OUTLINED.

.!SHtuSts svSSsN
/; gency Fleet From It, He
Tells House Committee.
Reorganization of the Shipping
Board by divorcing from it the Emer-
gsncy Fleet Corporation and the Sc
lection Of men experienced in varied
lines of the shipping industry for the
management of each organization
were among constructive sugges-
tionS' submitted today by Martin J.
Gillen Of Wisconsin to the House
committee investigating the boards
operations. Mr.. Gillen was executive
assistant to John Barton Payne when
Mr.. Payne was chairman of the
board, and recently declined appoint
ment as a member OF the new boaru.
The suggestions were offered at the
request of Chairman Walsh, who.
when Mr.. Gillen testified before the
House committee in New York recently,
asked him to submit it report tending
TO correct the conditions and evils sur
rounding the Shipping Board and the
Emergency Fleet Corporation.
Favors Separation Of Duties.
Separation of the board and the
Fleet Corporation, Mr.. Giiien said,
would enable the board to give its
entire attention to the problems aris-
ing from the management OF the
wartime heritage of 1,4OO govern
ment-owned ships. The value OF these
$500, ,00O. 900.
The Fleet Corporation should func-
tion only as "a hquidating corpora
tion,' Mr. Gillen said. Its duties
would be to clean up the vast volume
of accounting, completion OF con-
tracts. sale of ships and surplus ma
terial which the armistice left on the
governments hands. Surplus mate
rial and housing projects to be han
died he valued at approximately
$4So, 100000.
M. Gillen said the chairman of the
,board should be man experienced
? in large executive work" and that the
other six members should be men Of
known experience in rail transporta-
ttion, admiralty law and legal matters
, portation. He suggested division or
the work among members OF the
board according to their special quail
lfications, and said the salary OF the
chairman should be $4,000 and that
the other members of the board
! should receive $4,000 each.
Would Cut Down Expenses.
Among other suggestions were: Re-
/, dnction Of present operators OF GOV
! ernment ships from 176 to 50-entafl-
J ing q saving in overhead expense and
preventing confusion.
Readjustment of sales contracts
! made and to be made by reducing the
at 500 to $125 ton-in order to
! create an investment market in the
United States for shipping
Regulation and license by the Ship
ping Board of all companies and per-
sons engaged in warehousing. docks.
stevedorfng. ship repairs, towing and
bargfng, the purpose being to control
alleged evils which interfere with the
upbuildfng of American shipping.
The establishing of a uniform, ade-
quate system of accounting and the
compelling OF masters and deck ON
GERS who purchase supplies for ships
their salaries that they have not ac-
cepted brtbes, bonuses or rebates in |
any fofn. Z,
Trial LAWYERS Are needed.
establishment of staff of COM
merctal trial lawyers for restitution
cases-the members of the star to be
tice. Tho compelling Of corporations
with which the board does business
to submit income tax returns also are
urged.
Investigation of and curtailment of
activities :of the Army in alleged use
OF IN efAh1ports in commercial bust.
ness and the turning over for com.
mefc11t ahtpnfng purposes of piers
Department.
Mr.. Cullen also urged that all funds
received In liquidation be paid, to the
general Treasury OF the United States
and thai tankers not needed for Ship
ping boards own service, as well as
cargo and passenger ships. be sold.
In conclusion Mr.. Gillen expressed
his conviction that the American peo-
PIE would demand that the control
OF the merchant marine be placed In
etrong hands and kept unshackeled
from evils which now threaten its
very existence"
EX-Chalrman Denman TesttAe..
The governments failure to outline
cennite policy with regard to the
American merchant marine~-is hold
ing development of American ship
ping oy private capital practically at
q standsti1l. William Denman de-
clared.
No one knows what the policy of
the government will be-" MI. Den.
man said. Private shipping com
panies won't go ahead with construc-
know what the government intends
to DO about disposing of ships it al
ready has constructed"
The government must assist If the
United states IL to have a large pri-
vate merchant feet, Mr.. Denman said
adding that the government should
quit drifting along on British and
German propaganda in regard to
shipping as 1t has for years"
Mentors Many "Leaks.-
Relating his experiences as head Of
the shipping Board, Mr.. Denman said
that although members of the boa "a
saw the need Of keeping certain con,
troversies from the public. s-eyervfbino
! said leaked" He said that E. N. HUI
Icy. who succeeded him as Chairman
OF the board, was usually right. buf
ping"
All Mr.. Hurley did regarding rec.
concentrations for the construction
Of Diesel ships was to turn out four.
nalisttc articles about them"
MI. Denman told the committee that
during the early days of the war
hysteria spread over washington.
almost anglo-mania in Character" He
said that when he became head NJ
the shipping Board he did not know
me inside OF the New York shipping
him on the board was familiar with il
! either. W." -
A BFftish HanAlcap.
"A number Of the men engaged in
shipping in New York with whom WE
. consulted were tied up with Rritish
shipping interests" Mr. Denman add
ed. This was unfortunate. az thera
was need for the United States to ~
cure all the shtpbuilding facilities nos.
sibie." 1''
A. 8. Franklin Of the Intsrnatio,ai
Mercantile Marine Company as one Of
those with British shipping connec.
ttons who had advised with the board