The Washington herald., 1921-08-10
BOARD'SREQUEST
FOR slE, 100000
MEETS DISFAVOR
Need Not Shown by Evil
dence, Says Com
mittee.
CLAIMS IGN 0RED
Amount Intended to Cover
Years Deficit, Salaries
And Expenses.
CLAIMS IGN ORED

The appropriation Of s4s'Soo'oVo
which the House Appropriations
Committee approved for the Ship
ping Board should be suftieient 10
tide the board over until II Sah
be thoroughly reorganized, the
committee told the House yesterday
in an offieial report on the Dill.
The report on the deficiency ap-
propriation bill was submitted 10
the House by Chairman Madden OF
the Appropriations Committee Tne
bill CHANTING the money to the
board will come up for a vote To-
day and a lively fight over> conoi-
tions and policies in the ooaro 10
expected.
The report says although Chair
man Lasker. Of the shipping Board
asked s125. 100000 with which TO
operate the board until January
he was unable to show why that
sum was needed. and the commit
tee consequently reduced the ngure.
what the Amount Covers.
The only fact that Chairman
Lasker demonstrated before the
committee, the report states, was
that a deficit Of s1s.7O0.OO0 for op-
erations existed July Is. 1921. The
S4s.50o. 900 is to cover the existing
deficit and the deficit that It is es-
timated will occur by the end of
the year. and to provide for SAL
aries and expenses.
An item of s24.000.oO0 for settle
ment OF claims was rejected by the
committee. the report says. when II
was agreed that the adjudicated
claims should be reviewed. A new
review board has been named for
this purpose. Chairman I.asker told
the committee when he appeared
before IT. The committee also
eliminated an item of s27,500 900
which II believed could be saved
through lower operating expenses.
Strings on the Money.
Restrictions are placed on the
board by the committee. A provi-
sion placed in the deficiency bill
prohibits use of any part of the
s4s.5OO,OO0 for the payment Of
claims. Another provision places
the corps Of special attorneys. en-
ployed by Chairman Lasker to rep
resent the board in the numerous
suits pending in the courts, under
the Department of Justice. They
were appointed by Chairman Lasker
Independently of the Attorney Cen
eral
TT was Secertained." the report
states in this connection. that a
wide variance exists in the method
Of employing attorneys. particu-
larly special counsel. between the
Shipping Board and the Department
of Justice. The provision recon-
mended will give the Shipping
BOARD tho benefit of the long ex-
perience and established policy of
the Department Of Justice in Sc
lectinC personnel for its legal
work.
Very DIncuIt Problems.
The report says the committee
was presented with "one Of the
most dificult requests ever pre-
scented in connection with the grant
ing Of funds from the Treasury"
because of the inability Of Chair
man I.asker to give the committee
any definite facts about the fnan-
cial condition Of the board. The
report concludes:
Tac committee is Of the opinion
that the appropriation recommended
should be approved by the House
and the Shipping Board given a
working capital and an opportunity
to effect its proposed reorSaniza-
ton and inaugurate its reconstruc-
tion policies. The appropriation is
for the period ending December 81
next. and by that time ii is hoped
that sufficient progress will have
been made in the reorganization Of
the accounting and operating divi-
sions of the Emergency Fleet Cor
poration to give Congress accurate
data as to operating costs and a
definite program for the future of
the fleet"