Arizona republican., 1920-11-11
SHIPPING BOARD
 OFFICIALS MAY APPEAR BEEFORE INVESTIGATORS
Probe of Tar Time Acts Likely to Result in Wide spread Inquiry, Say Com mittee Members
(RepuhIjcan A. p. Leased Wire)

(Republiean A. D. Leased Wire) NEW YORK, Nov. 10. - Additional evidence of alleged Irregularities and nlismanagement in the affairs of the United States shipping board were in- troduced today before the congressional committee Investigating the affairs of the board by !. F. Richardson. assistant secretary and statistician of the com mittee.
 The investigation is based largely upon a report submitted by Mir. Rich ardson and A. M. Fisher, secretary Rnd -statistician of the committee. after z Ears work.
 Steel King May Be Summoned
 At the conclusion of today's session Chairman Walsh announced that Com mander A. B. Clements, executive as- sistant to Admiral Benson, chairman of the shipping board. would be wit ness tomorrow. Chairman Walsh read a telegram from Admiral Benson which stated that the board would not object to Commissioner Clements testifying and that the records. officers and em- ployes of the board were at the dis posaI of the committee atfany time or place the committee desired"
 MT. Walsh said Admiral Benson and other officials of the board, as we'll as Charles M. Schwab and Charles Piez former head of the emergency fleet cor poration. may be asked to appear. The hearing will be continued in New York w-.. v,I &fo,1 fc Iilra1y i'd Chairman Walsh. that the committed will go to philadelphia and Washing ton.
 Cross examination by Representative IT. J. Steele lf MT. Richardson took uI a considerable part of the afternoon session. Characterizing the witness previous testimony as general in. dictment," MT. eteele sought to brint out specific instances of alleged "po. iitical influence" favoritism, etc.
 BIanss No Individual
 The witness prefaced his reply C She first question asked with the state mcnt that his report did not purpor1 fo fix any illegal act on the part oi any person.
 "The purpose of our criticism is." h' said. that we hope to bring out ex. lsting conditions so that they may b' rectified by the shipping board itself want to give full credit to the boar' for it's achievements. It had a gigan tic task-one of the greatest ever me by man."
 Answering questions as to specifi instances of alleged political influence he recited that he had been informe that a shipbufiding firm in Texas ha threatened" to appeal to a senate from that state to bring about wha was claimed by the company to be delay in a settlement of an accoun He added that he had no lnowledg as to what, if anything, the senate did.
 Another instance recited was that former congressman had accompanie an officer of a shipbuilding firm Washington to assist in obtaining contract.
 Claim Records carelessIy Handled
 He added that he had no knowledl of any shipyncd or contracting fir in which a member of congress W; interested. He also said that he q not criticise all of the allocation col tracts entered into by the board.
 The witness also brought out in h testimony incidents of what he term' carelessness in the handling and pr serving of shipping board records. one of the southern districts, he sal desks and file cabinets were dispos of without the contents being remov and that these records were scatter and many of them destroyed. In O case. he testified, where filing cas- lad been certified and sold as surpll duplicates were purchased but a shC iirne later Ut a greatly increas pJce."