The Washington herald., 1920-12-28
Senator Submits Resolu-
tion Seeking Account of
Boards Stewardship.
SEEKS FACTS NOT
MADE IN REPORT
Information Sought in
Order to Supplement Mer-
chant Marine Act.
By ROBERT BARRY.

BY ROBERT BARRY.
Supplemental shipping legislation
seeking to promote business methods
in the operation of the American
merchant marine was forecast in the
Senate yesterday by Senator Edge,
of New Jersey. Edge presented a
resolution calling upon the Shipping
Board for an account of its steward
skip relative to the physical opera
tion of vessels. His resolution de-
manded pertinent facts not embodied
in the annual report of the board.
and it was adopted by unanimous
consent.
Senator Edge declared the Ameri-
can people have an investment OF
81, ,o0o, 600. 900 in ships. He said they
were entitled to know what positive
results are being derived from the
management Of those ships. He
cited that the interest charge of the
investment amounted to S250,000, 900
a year, OF approximately s650,0O0 a
day.
Seeking SoIons' Course.
The facts called for by the Edge
resolution are intended. according to
the Senator, to develop what course
Congress should follow with respect
to legislation supplementing the
Jones merchant marine act He in
dicated that such legislative propo-
sails would deal exclusively with
methods of operation.
A full reply by the Shipping
Board to the questions embodied in
the Edge resolution would disclose
to the public all details of con-
tracts entered into or contemplated
by the board with reference to lease.
sale or charter of ships and to
whom; detailed reports as to where
Shipping Board vessels are tied up
and why each is not in service. as
well as an estimate of deprecia-
tion, and the financial report on
every vessel.
Separate from House Probe.
The Edge inquiry has NO bearing
upon the investigation by the Walsh
committee, as the House committee
is dealing almost entirely with ad-
ministration matters within the
board. The Edge resolution calls
for the desired information with
out loss of time, in a concise re-
port. devoid of arguments, and in
telligible to the average citizen"
Shipping Board officials declined
to comment on the Edge resolution
until in possession of its text, but
Chairman Benson in a general dis
cussion Of the shipping situation
yesterday said that conditions had
not been "all that they should have
hnnn hut hot cit ;a 4
wide. The situation for the future
| looks better" The board has just
received from Commander r. d.
Gatewood, chief of the division of
construction and repair, a report on
the Leviathan, which has been out
of commission for almost a year.
He said that the refusal Of the
I board to repair the vessel a year
ago has resulted in a saving of $2,-
100000 due to falling costs of ma
terials.
Information Sought.
The information sought by the
Edge resolution follows:
l. The total amount of moneys
appropriated for and otherwise pro-
vided for the United States Ship
ping Board and the Emergency
Fleet Corporation and the United
States Shipping Board as it's sue
cessor, from September Z. 1915, to
and including November 80. 1920.
! 2. Gross profits or losses for the
same period.
5. Net profits or losses for the
same period.
4. Disposition of any net profits,
/ if any.
S. Capital on which the Shipping
Board is operating.
6. Number of vessels at present
owned by the board, giving mate
rial of which each is constructed
and tonnage.
| z. Number of vessels, IL any, at
present owned in part by the board,
giving material and tonnage.
s. Number and description of ves-
sells owned by the board now in
operation under its sole manage
ment, and number and description
under charter by the board in op-
Grafton under its sole management
3. Number of individual and ag-
gregate value owned by the board
now managed by it in conjunction
with private interests.
10. Number of vessels owned by
the board now chartered by it to
private interests and operated en-
tirely by private interests.
IL. Number and individual and
aggregate value of vessels owned
by the board not at present in op-
GRAFTON, giving:
(a) Name and description and
tonnage of each, (b) length of time
it has not been in operation, Co
why 1t has not been and is not now
in operation, (d) place where each
is locked or tied up, (e) expense of
| daily maintenance of each, (f) per-
centage of each vessels value lost
monthly by such idleness, (g) Esti-
mated percentage of each vessel's
value lost monthly in depreciation.
IL. Concise description of the sys-
tenn by which:
(a)Profits or losses of the Ship
ping Board are determined. (p,
loss by depreciation is estimated,
(c) individual profit OF loss.
13. Copy of any standard form
of contract the Shipping Board may
have established.
IA. List of all contracts with pri-
vate individuals or corporations op-
Grating Shipping Board vessels
either by themselves entirely or in
conjunction with the board.
Is. List of contracts now ready
for conclusion of Shipping Board
vessels, and list of tentative con-