The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-07-26
MILLIONSLOST
BYLAxSYSTEM
OF SHIP BOARD
Good Millions Being Thrown After
Bad Through Inadequate Sys.
TEN, Experts Declare.
BY J. FREDERICK RICHARDSON.

BY ]. FREDERICK RICHARDSON.
formerly a. member of the q. S.
shipping board special investigat-
ing committee and an expert on
shipping affairs)
San Francisco, July 16.-Good
millions are being thrown after
bad through inadequate shipping
board field organization.
Millions in stevedoring, for in
stance, are being lost because the
port captain of the shipping board
at each port has no staff OF inspec-
tors and timekeepers to check up
on work done, overtime, overload
ing of jobs with men, etc.
One lone man has to watch the
San Francisco water front to check
this work-a task, with the amount
of shipping in and out of hereto
tally beyond his capacity. He
couldn't even cover the water front
in a day and look at all the ships,
let alone watch the work on each
boat
The port steward of the shipping
inspectors, and is totally dependent
on the honesty of the vendors who
supply $70,000,000 worth of food
and engine room stores to the
American feet annually for proper
delivery, quality and quantity.
No Check-Up.
Under managing and operating
agreement No. 4, now in effect, the
checker watching repair work has
no authority to stop overlooking
of Jobs with labor. If 40 men are
put on a job which requires only
10. the checker merely sees that
all men charged for are on the job.
Whether they are needed or not is
no concern of his-it's out of his
Jurisdiction.
The director of operations has no
staff of inspectors. He has no way
of checking up on loading and I'M
loading, securing the cargo, etc
turn-around of ship, in short So
more millions go to swell the stag
gering losses through this avenue.
Auditor Rubber Stamp.
Auditors who have no wholesale
price lists from which to audit
prices, no adequate detail in the in
voices describing amounts. quail
ties, etc, to guide them, and, in for
eign purchases, no table of ex-
change values to tell them what
amounts of money are actually in
volved, pass and approve bills for
millions. In other words, under
shipping board practice the auditor
Is rubber stamp instead of watch
dog Of the treasury, as he should
be.
Recently a new ship, completely
overhauled Just before she started
her voyage, went from San Fran
cisco to Hong Kong. There SIS, 1000
worth of work most of which the
crew should and would have done
il directed to do so, was done-or
charged for, at least. The bill was
approved and paid for before this
port knew anything of it. The cor
rectness was certified to by the
shipping board agent at Hong
Kong.
Costs Excessive.
That agent is a private ship sur
veyor and has a business to attend
to. He represents American bu-
reau of shipping, Lioyd's bureau.
and handles shipping board work
on the side for $3.50 a month-yet
he has the spending of millions
within his jurisdiction-but no staff
to see that the work is actually
done.
There is no possible way for
shipping board auditors in this
country to check up on that work
Items such as $50 for putting
new top on galley stove, which
had made but two trips, and which
cost only $3.50 when new, made up
the list of work which cost the
tax payers $4,000.
Lack of Coordination.
Shipping board field officials are
powerless to remedy these condi-
tons under present centralized
practice of the shipping board.
The operating department, the
construction and repair depart
ment, the supply and sales depart
ment and the auditing department
all operate as separate units-and
lack of coordination between these
departments in the operation of
the feet is costing the tax payers
millions monthly.