The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-05-14
By MARX SULLIVAN.
National Political Correspondent
Of The Intelligcncer.


Washington. May 14-Everybody IN
Washington understands that Presioen'
Harding's long delay IN naming new
Shipping Board has been due 10 his wish
to get the biggest possible man for the
job. Practically everybody believes
that the two big men whom President
Harding has considered are James FAR
rell president of the United States
Steel Corporation and William Teagle'
head of the Standard Oil Company.
Gossip in the most authentic sources
saws that President Harding. ever since
he first gave thought 10 the subject
when he was In Florida in February
has been eager to get one or the otheF
Of these men. To both the men the
acceptance Of the job would. or course
mean great sacrifice. 1t is not merely
that they would sacrifice their earning
capacity in their present positions. They
would suffer further sacrifice in the fact
that under the law 1t would be neces-
sary for them TO sell every security
| they might have OF n sort, that would
| conflict with the interests or the Snip
ping Board.
| How either or both of these men
may have felt about such approaches
that may have been made 10 them. no
body knows The more thoughtful
/
! believe that Teagle would be the better
! man. They say that while Farrell Is
| extremely able he has the lesser elias
! ITCHY Of greater years. Also they
! point out that Farrell is the type of cap
tain of industry who has come up from
the ranks, who has been 4 workman in
| the yards himself and who. as as often
! the case with this type or man. Is more
rigid and uncompromising towards
labor than men of a different experience
Moro Sympathetic to Labor
Teagle Is q younger man. whose train
ing has included more that Is academic
and who has shown q greater Sympa thy
toward the modern point OF view about
! the relations of capital and labor.
! Teagle Is credited with invcnting and
! putting into effect those devices Tor
! cooperation with labor which make TN"
Standard Oil Company one of the most
modern American Industries IN this re-
spect. The difference in deSirabllttE
between the two men is not great how
ever, and it is recognized that if l'reSi-
dent Harding should succeed In getting
either Of them he would 20 far towards
solving what is unquestionably tn" moSt
emba IRA ssing business problem the Gov
eminent has.
The public generally does not r"roG-
nize what very serious mess the
shipping Board is. senator Edge the
other day said that the government ~
losing million dollars Il day in the
mere upkeep Of idle ships. Officials
familiar with the situation do not ad-
nit this. They say that the Idle ships
arc tied up in uts of eight ship III a
group. with the entire group cared Tor
by skeleton crew maintained on one
ship. They say that $l0O.O00,00o year
4 will coyor governments loss in tax
ing care of the idle ships.
But whether the estimate OF 500
200. 600 year is correct or whether
Senator's Edges estimate of $SonO0O.-
900 a year is right. in either event the
ships are monstrouS source OF loss
and waste. Taking the ship that tn"
government owns az whole. they are
worth today close TO billion collars
less than they cost to build.
Government Must Take the Goas.
Whatever VIC do as matter of policy
as to the future, and whoever Is chosen
As head of the shipping Board, there Is
probably 40 way out except TO charge
oq that billion dollars as one OF the
expenses of the war, just like the cost
Of shells and rifles. 1t is tru" that there
was a time when we might nave sal
yaged most Of this money. For fully
a year after war cndr the price OF
ships was high and they were in demand
all over the world. Mr. Farrell himself
the other day rStimat"d that at any
time during 1919 tn" United states
could have sold the ships when ar"
now a burden To il at price thar would
have saved the government SAh.""o.hh".
There is no pOSs lille description OF the
governments shipping experiment cN-
cept as that of diSrouraginE weller
of mistakes. The results Of old mistakes
are coming back today. Soon after the
tarmistlce the shipping Board. in half.
hearted way. sold Il good man. ships
on long-tcrm instruments. In its eager
ness to make sales. the GoNcrnn.ri's oc-
casionally sold the ships to Compa
not financially stable. With the present
depression in business. many or these
companies are now failing. and the gov
eminent is in the most uncomfortable
! and expensive position Of mortgHgcC
taking over property of doubtful value.
Whoever is appointed chairman OF
the Shipping Board. the policy und"ubr-
edly will be 10 liquidate this experiment
very largely. We shall give up the early
ambition we had TO maintain subsidized
shipping routes all over the word. We
shall probably pick out rev main
routes and he content with maintaining
ships on these. AS to the enormous