The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-06-01
Teag|e Of Standard
Oil TO Be Head Of
U. S. Shipping. Board
BY DAVID LAwHaHcH.
(CopyriSht by tho IntsillYencArD

Washington. May Sl--prcSidt Mt Hard
ing has had no more difficult problem
10 solvc since he took office than the
selection Of a chairman OF the shipping
poard-and he thinks that at las, hr has
Il solved. Mr.. Harding has been able
when knouy question arose :" pass
il over to some member OF IN" cabinet
In whose domain the matter lay but not
50 with the shipping beard. 1t comes
under none Of the ten departments OF
the government. but IS ;n indrp"ndent
body.
SO the president has mad u aprtai 70
tho cabinet as u whole for advice. Last
Friday the subject WAS discussed at
some length but as IN the cast with sup
Jccts that involve personnel. no con-
clusion could be reached except as to
the type rf man who ought to be Sc
!ectcd. An seem t9 bo agreed that the
lob should be in the hands OF = prac-
tical shipping man. The troubl" about
that, however. is the fast that the men
who have made a success OF shipping
are in the shipping business ana It As
difficult to pick a man whose nrm may
be dn;ms business with tn" shipping
board now or In thr future. rntS OBJ
lection, however. Is purely the result OF
a fear of undertaking or political OPP
position. Everybody in the gov Nernmcnt
knows that If the man seicctcu Is d
person of integrity il doesn't make any
difference with what company ne WAS
previously sftiliated. Mr.. Harding didn't
. hesitate heretofore to name y. ". Mel
ION secretary vi the treasury in the face
Of the fact that the latter is reputcd to
be the second riches, man IN !Ame<lca
with holding in many important bust-
ness concerns.
TeAgis Slated
The chances are that President Hard
ing will appoint Walter e. Teagle. pres
ident OF the Standard Oil Company OF
New Jersey. as the chairman OF the
shipping board. Mr.. Teagle is 4 ship
ping expert. He is the one man IN
America on whom everybody hereaoouts
seems to be agreed that so rar As max
Ing a success Of the job Teagle could
do II. But as has been the case with
many appointments. it is one thing Tor
the president to select and 1t IS quite
another thing to persuade man VI big
business affairs to come into the gov
ernment service
There IL no certainty at this writing
that Tear could be persuaded to take
hold OF the governments shipping prop
lem but the chances Acc totr that ne
will do so.
The search for a practical man 10 be
chairman Of tho shipping board began
.yen before Mr.. Harding was inausu-
rated. He didn't hesitate 10 summon "
his aid men who had had some eS-
rerIepcc In the government Sntpplns
board. He asked Edward y. Hurley.
former chairman for his views. anu no
named T.agie Ie asked Charles NJ
Srhvab TO come 10 Washington the
other day to get his advice. Tine presi-
dent has spent more hours or reai worry
and concentration trying 10 sofre inc
shipping problem than anything e'S''
and that Sno cNaggeratlon tor even per
nlcxior matters OF foreign policy haN'
not been so hard to settle becaus" SO
able a lieutenant as Secretary f>dshe"
shared that responsibility. Mr. Haro-
ing has asked his cabinet 10 90 so"''
thinking about the shipping board ana
give him some treas about possioIe
solution.
Nay Sell shtps-
For the moment the question con-
yerCes on the ability Of one man--'hH
chairman As for shipping policy tna''
roo. Is literally up in IN" air but ~hen
,nce n capable executive Is cndSen II Is
Mr. NardinS'S hope that the chairman
riu be the Moses To lead the govern
nent out OF the wilderness or rs pre-
vious shipping policies.
The tendency ucrE' - 20 uGuldate--lo
get tho government Gu, "r the ShfIPlhs
business JUS, as soon as = is practicaole
and eCunomlr.L 10 do 50. But X tne
government does sell its ships 10 pri-
yatc owners, can these owners opcrale
The ships IN competition with the shps
~ other countries where aoor costs
and labor regulations are not so eS-
n.nsiye as in the United states. The
soamen contend that economies or op-
Grafton can be achieved without reduc-
ing the labor Standards; the snip
owners insist that the labor cost rs the
nrohihi,iyc factor. When the govern
rnent ships arc in the hands or private
ouncrs how,Ncr the problem Will n"'
ha theoretical buc practical. Then II
- ureLiCtcd the ship owners WILL DC
askinS the government for subsidy
20 cover tho heavy Cost--and they nave
g, the pas; argued for IL on III" ground
hat other governments found II nsc'S-
>ary 70 make ship subS:di,S /" mainta n
g, good merchant marine. For the mo-
mont. Il is a question Of whether the
Government will lose NOSE m"ne% Try
IN. to operate III" ships itSHlt or
,,bethcr ship subsidies would actually
no cheaper IN the long run.