The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-11-12
WORK OF SHIPPING
 BOARD ALMOST 100
 PER CENT PERFECT
This Is Declaration of Chief Aide to Chairman Benson In :. Testimony Before h.
 quiring Body
By Associated Press

New York, November n-Commandet
 A, E. Clements, executive assistant to
 Admiral Benson, chairman of the United
 States shipping board, today told the con.
 gressional committee Investigating the
 affairs of the board that considering
 everything. 1t is a remarkable tribute
 to the board that the United States se-
 cured as near 100 per cent value as it did
 The witness referred to the work of the
 board in building up new trades. and told of the business connections estab-
 lisied that were proving remarkably successful. He deelfred conditions in dif- fefent trades were such that a general operating contract covering everything
 vas in his opinion, a dream
 The United States shipping board now
 employees 1o000 men with an annual pay roll of s19,0O0,000, said Commander Clem- ents. The size of the organization is be- ing gradually reduced, he added. Commander Clements was on the stand all day. testifyng as to hts personal knowledge of the charges contained in the report to the committee made by Sec retaries Fisher and Richardson. Of ma jorfty of the matters. he said he had but little personal Knowledge, his work consisting mainly of matters of the fll- ture,'' having particularly to do with trade routes.
 ADMITS REPORT CORRECT As his examination was drawing to q close, he said, in reply to question by Representative Foster, that the report submitted was substantially correct in so far as his personal knowledge of mat ters alleged were concerned" Later he modified this statement by saying that the Irepcrt was substantially "eorrect" only as to things which he knew, and that his : testimony showed there were isolated leases which had come to his knowledge. Under the administration of Admiral Ref.son, the witness asserted, the board was always ready to hear and act upon complaints and constructive criticisms. Much of his testimony during the day tended to show that the shipping board was preparing or putting into effect reg ulations, checking sNstems and account ing which would alleviate most of the report. He said Chairman Henson had Instructed the legal department of the board to 'go the limit" to correct ex- isting abuses.
 Efforts are under way to bring UT lthe system of accounting. so that the board will know just where it stands financially in it's relations with it's op- orators and agents at any time. BALANCE IMPOSSIBLE At present, he testified in answer to . question by the chairman, no member of the board could cast balance to ascer- tain if the government had lost or made money iR it's operation of ships. Money he explained is advanced to the oper- ators on the operators own showing. the board being protected by bond An oper- ator might have lot of money due him or he might have lot of money due the board, This condition. he added. is possible, due to ire ght charges beins collected. both in adv5nce and at point oi delivery of freight and the accounts be. ing carried by the operator sin the gen 1 eral account of all his ships. Day tc day accounts have not been possible, hs said. as auditing. takes place at termina- 1 tior' of voyages.
 "The board now has force of CO working to bring it's accounting up to date" the witness testified. He added that the board intended to perfect It. system SO that it could receive promptly separate accounting of each ship and voyage.