Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1920-11-13
SERIOUS CHARGES
IN SHIPPING QUIZ
Witness Before House Committee
Tells of AI!OcatiOn to IRE
Sp0nsibIe Firms.
nEPOTISM SHOWN, He SAYS
Vessels Communicated From Estab-
Iished Lines and RealIocated to
Private Companies-Lack of
Foreign Agents Handicap.

New York, Nov. l1.-United States
shipping board vessels have been allo-
Gated for operations to individuals
and corporations of no financial stand
ing and no experience in maritime al
fairs, j. T. Richardson testified here
when the Walsh congressional com
mittee resumed its investigation of al
legged irregularities in shipping board
affairs.
Richardson, who is secretary and
statistician to the Walsh committee
and who in this capacity conducted
an investigation of facts regarding
the boards operating methods, de-
clared that irresponsible individuals
were favored while established steam
ship companies complained of inabll-
ity to obtain any tonnage whatever
from the government.
Complaints Over Ailocatinq.
Such ALLEGATION, the witness assert
ed, has been performed at will by
director of operations" under the
shipping board who commandment
vessels from established transport
lines and reallocated them to private
companies Ships, he said, had been
turned over to companies in which
relatives of men connected with the
shipping board were financially inter
ested.
The competence of applicants for
ships, Mr.. Richardson stated, was in
vestigated only through facilities pro-
Nv, so1 To
that those who have purchased out
right vessels from the board have
complained they cannot compete with
companies financed and equipped by
the shipping board. Others, he said,
felt they had cause for dissatisfaction
| when the board took back and reallo-
Gated vessels turned over to them.
1.-THE statement has been made" he
said, "that out of 200 to which ships
| have been allocated, there are so
many irresponsible companies that the
list must be cut in half"
No Foreign Agents.
One of the gravest deficits of the
shipping boards system, Mr. Richard
son said, was the lack of foreign
agents, which, on occasion, has made
it necessary for supercargOes on the
boards vessels to go out and solicit
freight so that the ship might not be
i compelled to return to its home port
in ballast.
He criticized the failure to estab
with other agents through which ships
might be kept busy, adding:
"There are instances where an Cd
orator with cargo enough for hall
dozen ships has but one vessel or two
while other agents at the same time
may be keeping ships idle for lack OF
| cargoes''
The recent creation of the United
States bureau of shipping, the witness
characterized as entirely unneces
sary.'
Benson Issues Statement.
Washington, Nov. 11.-Admiral Viii
liam S. Benson, head of the board fol-
seven months, in a statement said:
"The shipping board stands ready t,
lend every possible assistance either
by furnishing documents or data with
III the oodlu Soh'Aoi, VI HdNlnS any
of its employees appear before the
committee to give testimony. The
chairman does not give out state
ment other than this because he feels
that this investigation is directed by
congress, and that he is not privileged
to make any comment upon it,
Chairman Walsh announced that
Rear Admiral Benson and former
Chairman E. n. Hurley, Charles M
Schwab, Charles E. Piez and John Bar
ton Payne will be summoned as wit
neSSeS.