The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-07-19
LASKAR READY
TO TELL WHY
BOARDS NEEDS
IMMENSE SUM
Chairman Of Shipping
Board Calling for
$500, 1000, Say S
Deficit for Year Is
Eighty Million More
Than Sum Now De-
manded- Exonerates
Benson.

Washington. July 19.-With the
/ publication today of revised estimates
Of the shipping boards deficit for the
! last fiscal year showing Il total of
S3S0,000,000 or approximately $3.50
000,000 more than previous estimates.
Chairman Laslier. of the board said
he was prepared to appear before con
greSSional committees to explain the
condition of the boards finances and
asked for a relief appropriation OF
approximately $300,000000 for the
! current fiscal year. In announcing the
new estimate of the expenses in
Cured in operating the govern
ment fleet Chairman .Lasker declared
I the bookers were lin a deplorable
conditionr and that they could not
have been; kept in much different
shape had they been kept with a
view to cheating an. deceiving con;
gress and the country"
81 know and want to explain" the
chairman added. that Admiral Ben
son (former chairman of the board)
and Auditor Tweedale had not the
remoteSt thing to do with such gross
misrepresentation
The accounting systems" he said,
were started in the stress of war
and continued in the stress of incom-
potency" and though outside audi
tors had produced the figures given
out, 81 don't guarantee them even
now"
"When | showed the president the
! figures lie was shocked and dismayed
that such condition could exist"
4 GaTnt.z
$500 900, 600 received from operations
when deducted from the $3.50. 900 900
received by the board from all sources
shows net expenditures of $2S0,000,-
I 900. although the public records show
! $l00. 900 900 to be all that had been
appropriated by congress for the year.
This is an astounding case of abso-
! lutte deception OF the country and of
/ congress. 1t will be a shock to con.
greSS as ii was to the president to
/ hear that the net expense of this
enterprise paid out of public funds
last year was $3S0,000,0 900"
Chairman Laskar explained that the
funds to keep the establishments 60
! ing were obtained chiefly from the
sale of 100000, 900 of capital assets.
ships and supplies, plus $4,000. 900 of
q balance from funds left from last
year.
Approximately $2O0,OOO,OO0 repre-
sents the absolute loss from operation
of the fleet" he continued. and then
there was $160000.000 spent on ship
construction. What these newly ac-
quired assets are worth is highly
questionable.
THE plans for the steamer Ameri-
can Legion which starts on it's first
"trip in a few days was redrawn seven
times and it is easy to see how that
Would run up the cost. First the
American Legion was an army trans
port, then navy transport, then a
hospital ship, then it was determined
to make her a cattle boat and after
spending money on all these blue
prints. it was decided to transform
her into passenger ship-and she is
a beautiful and fine passenger ship.
But she cost between $6,000,000 and
S7000,000 before she sailed her first
mile. Her real worth is probably
half her cost. So you can see the
assets are pretty sick assets. But
after all there is a fleet. So that our
task is to make what was a liability
| INTO an asset.
President Harding has instructed
the board that the public is to have
the factS-all the facts,'' Mr.. Laskar
added. The ships are being operated
on commission basis under con-
tracts that cannot be discontinued i'm
mediately. he said, and I'VE must grin
md bear that system for some months
to come"
Il have actually heard of boat
turning back in mid-sea to take ON
cargo on which the operator made
$4,000" he remarked, "and the gov
ernment lost $8,000-and this boat
was half way across the China sea
when they turned her back to get
that cargoat Manila. Anybody can
see that a system where the operator
has nothing at stake. whereby the
government loses and he wins is a
system that makes for efficiency.
Eventually business conditions OF
the shipping board" Mr.. Lasker said
ARE sick and the morals of the men
on boats because of all these condi
tions are likewise pretty sick. The
flood tide of the loss from the poll
cies of the past cannot be stopped
for months to come"
after his heart was accidentally
| pierced with a knife and then PROMPT