The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-11-11
ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE
 GIVEN COMMITTEE

New York, November 10-A Additionai evidence of alleged irregularit and mlsmanagement in the affairs Of thu United States shipping board were intro duced here today before the congress sional committee Investigating the at- fairs of the board by J. F. Richardson
 assistant secretary and statistician or the committee, in concluding his direct | testimony. The investigation is based largely upon d report submitted by MT Richardson and A M Fisher, secretary and statistican of the committee, afuec 1 a years work.
 ! At the conclusion of todaY's session. Chairman Walsh announced that Com
 mander A. E, Clements, executive assist
 ant to Admir- Hnnson, chairman of the
 shipping noaae he q witness to-
 morrow morn aasrfoan Walsh read
 d telegram 85uhai Heasaa which
 stated tha 0@ w2Uia N9t 01scf | to Comms C. stsEvinp. ard that "the reI. E aad ena.fl.x of the board were :. 9oasl or sa
 committee at any time 0. guce the
 mttee desired"
 ! Chairman Walsh said Admiral Ben and other officials of the board as well as Charles NJ, Schwab and Charles E. Piez, former heads of the emergency
 fleet corporation, may be asked to ap- pear before the committee. The hear
  for two weeks, and then 1t is likely, said Chairman Walsh that the committee will go to Philadelphia and Washington to continue it's work.
 Cross-examination by Representative Henry j. Steel of MT. Richardson took up a considerable part of the nfternoou session. Characterizing the witness pre- lVious testimony as general indictment5s { MT. Steele sought to bring out specific instances of alleged political influence, favoritism etc. The witness prefaced his reply tG the first question asked with the statement that his report did noI seek to prove any illegal act on the part of any person.
 WANTS CREDIT GIVEN The purpose of our criticism" he said. lis, we hope, to bring out existing con
 ditions so that they may be rectified by the shipping board itself. I want to give full credit to the board for it's achieve
 ments It had gigantic task-one or the greatest ever met by men" l Answering questions as to specific ! instances of alleged political influ- z ence he recited that he had been in 1 formed a shipbuildng firm in Texas had threatened" to appeal to a seaa tor from that state to bring about
 what was claimed by the company to be delay in q settlement of an sc l count. He added that he had no knowl- edge as to what, ie anything. the sena- l ter did. Another instance recited was that a former congressman had ae- | ccmparisd an officer of shipbuilding
 company t5 Washington se assist in ! securing a contract He added that
 he had no knowledge oi shy shipyard
 or contracting firm n which q mem ] Der of Congress was interested. He | also said he did criticize all the con ! tracts entered into by the board. 1 The witness also brought out in his | testimony incidents of what he termed | careessness in the handling and pre-
 serving Of shipping board records INS one of the southern districts he said l desks and file cabinets were disposed l of without the contents being removed and that these records were scattered
 and many of them destroyed. In one
 ease he testified, where filing eases
 had been certified and sold as surplas
 cupllcstes were purchased but short
 tme later at greatly increased
 price"
 , He also charged sales of material
 had been moo without proper inven- tory. RegardiIs 9 &mortizing of plants he said be had fcEnd instances where l there were many thousands of dollars difference between accounts rendered
 to ths shipp'u hoard and those pri- yate CT Tnnnieips' bodies of the same properties He also said no had found cases where rentals were included
 Tn valuations presented for settle
 nlent.
 The sal. of Liberty Eon4s also came into the testimony Of Mir, RichsYdscn Bends were bought he said, by some cs the companies with advance funds ar I afterwards sold at discount. Efforts lon the part of these companies to be reimbursed by the board for tho dis- count losses were not allowed and inc ! arn ffr<ax rf,7r >r percentage in selling to cover cost Of selling campaigns.
 Operators who run thesr own vessels Tn addition to ships of the board said MT. Richardson, usually send the gov ! ernment ships on the least favorable
 routes. They feel confident. he added, 1 that although the government shared
 l nthe profits it is required Co pay all the losses. No employees. he ex- p,ained. were retained in foreign ports,
 lCs.ta..e4 s> P.xe Twe)