The New York herald., 1921-09-16
GEN. BLACKS EXPOSE
PROVED LAW EVADED
His Report on Profiteering in
Docks Was Address Made to
Chamber of Commerce.
GAVE US. SHIP BOARD SIDE
Tells How Hylan Commended
Hubert for Refusing to Let
Piers to U. S. Ships.
GAVE US. SHIP BOARD SIDE

Dock Cor ssioner Murray HUI
bert in the course of his testimony
yesterday before the Meyer commit
tee laid particular emphasis on the
fact, as he stated, that he had been
utterly unable to procure copy OF
the report" made by Gen. William
NJ. Black, U. S. A.. retired, concern
ing the distressing conditions under
which the United States Shipping
Board suffered throughout 1919 and
1920 in the matter of procuring dock
facilities in New York harbor.
AS THE New YORK HERALD dis
closed yesterday the Shipping Board
was compelled. through lack of dock
facilities, to pay extravagant prices
to lessees of New York city owned
piers for berth accommodations at
piers rented by the city to brokers
or steamship companies, who paid
the city as little as $50 day for
such piers.
Commissioner Hubert said in his
testimony that he had tried several
times to get copy Of Gen. btack's
report" extracts from which were
printed by THE New YORK HERALD,
but had been unable to obtain a
copy.
ut 80 ctnf hu
Commissioner Hubert, THE New
YORK HERALD to-day draws his atten-
ton to the fact that the supposed
report" OF Gen. Black was in point
Of fact speech or address made by
him as an employee Of the United
States Emergency Fleet Corporation
On June I, 1920, at conference held
in the library of the Chamber OF
Commerce in this city, attended by
the Chambers committee on foreign
commerce and the revenue laws.
Many Heard Gen. Blacks Address.
Members OF the Maritime Ex-
change and of the Merchants Asso-
citation were present at the confer
ence and many business men of the
city, not members of these organiza-
tions. were there also to hear Gen.
3lack's address. Gen. Black. in
opening his address. explained that
he had been sent to deliver it by the
chairman of the United States Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation in order
that, as the General phrased il,
You might hear the Shipping
Boards side of the story" concerning
harbor conditions in this city.
There were no reporters present
at the conference and no newspaper
report OF It was made, but the text
Of Gen. Blacks address has always
been available to any one desiring
1t and making application to the
Chamber of Commerce. In fact the
text of Gen. Blacks address was d
matter of comment for many weeks
among shipping circles, for, as Gen.
Black stated, it was the result of a
physical survey OF the port facilities
which he had made during the winter
Of 1920, covering every pier in the
city.
But in his address Gen. Black did
not confine himself to mere statistical
details concerning the piers. He set
forth some cogent arguments and
important information which Com
missioner Of Docks Murray Hubert
might we'll have studied.
Getting Around the Law.
For instance, quoting the General:
Under the law II the city leases
a pier II cannot be subleased ex-
cepting on terms that are accept
able to the Commissioner OF Docks.
and the city charges are quite rea-
sonablc. Now in a number of in
stances here in the port the law is
gotten around in this way: The
pier owner Is allowed TO charge for
berthing space by the day what he
pleases. and that is not considered
a lease, II the pier is let out by the
day.
And then Gen. Black went on 10
tell OF tho "gentlemen's agreement"
which la used TO cover up the get
ting around OF the law" Persons
who heard Commissioner Hubert
testify yesterday, when he insisted on
putting the blame for all these condl-
ticns on Corporation Counsel OBrien.
wondered " Commissioner Hubert
had ever read in full section s63 OF
the City Charter. which sets forth
that amy porson owning or having
charge of any pier" who shall charge
more thnn the statutory rates set
forth in section $50, namely two cents
a ton for the first 200 tons burden
and half a cent a ton for all tonnage
Continued on Second Page.