Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1921-08-18
$500 100000 NEEDED IN
SHIPPING BOARD LEAK
Much More Thrown Away by Ex-
travagance Shown During VIII
son Administration.

Washington July.-Disclosure OF
systematic misrepresentation of Ship
ping Board waste and extravaganza
in the Wilson Administration, neces.
stating the appropriation of another
$500, 100000 to make up the deficit
is made by Chairman Leasker of the
new Harding Board.
Chairman Lasker of the board
said he was prepared to appear be-
fore Congressional committees to ex-
plain the condition of the board S
finances and ask for a relief appro-
priation of approximately 100000
600 for the current fiscal year In
announcing the new estimate of the
deficit incurred in operation of the
government fleet, Chairman Lasker
declared the books of the Shipping
Board were in "deplorable condi-
tom and that they could not have
been kept with a view to cheating
and deceiving Congress and the
country
Il know and want to explain,'' tn
chirman 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 in
competency and though outside
auditors had produced the figures
given out, 81 don't guarantee them
even now"
when l showed the President the
figures he was shocked and dismay-
ed that such condition could exist, !,
Chairman Lasker continued. ''The
100000 received from opera
tons when deducted from the $780,
OOO,0 received by the board from
all sources shows net expenditures of
$3.50, 1000, although the public
records show S10O,0OO,OOO to be all
that had been appropriated by Con-
gress for the year. This is an as
furnishing case of absolute decep-
ton OF the country and of Congress,
as 1t was to the President, to hear
that the net expense of this enter
prise paid out of public funds last
year was $3.50, 1000"
hCa1rman. Lasker explained that
the extra funds to keep the estab-
lishments going were obtained chief
ly from the sale of $2O0,OOO,OOO of
capital assets, ships and supplies,
plus 80,000,000 of a balance from
funds left from last year
approximately $200,0OO,0OO rep
'esents the absolute loss on opera
ions in the fleet he continued,
and then there was $16O,0OO,O0O
spent on ship construction. What
.hese newly acquired assets are
worth is highly questionable.
The plans for the steamer Amer
can Legion, which starts on it's first
rip in few days, were redrawn
zen times, and it is easy to see how
hat would run up the cost. First
he American Legion was an Army |
transport, then a Navy transport, !
hen hospital ship, then it was de- |
ermined to make her a cattle boat. |
md after spending money on all /
hese blue prints, it was decided to
transform her into a passenger ship |
and she is a beautiful and fine
assenger ship-and she is a beauti-
I'll and fine passenger ship. But |.
he cost between 100000 and ST.
10000. before she sailed her first Il
lilies. Her real worth is probably H
alt the cost. SO you can see the Il
ssets are pretty sick assets. But.
fter all, there is a fleet. So that
ur task is to make what was a liza
ll1ty into an asset"