Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-08-11

FeOple OIL ulCOH COulIJ ~
though not near a seaport are d.
re tly interested in an American
Merchant Marine that is the trans
70. tation of the products of Amerl-
can farms and factories to market IN
American ships and the bringing OF
merchandise from foreign ports Tor
American use in the same ships.
All American citizens are interest
ed lor at least two reasons; First Tor
the benefit of American labor and in
d, ssry and second the effect upon
the -ast to us in the taxes we pay.
Mr.. Lasker believes that the only
way to solve the Shipping Board
problem is to place the facts before
the American people. Following is
his statement:
Mr. Lasker: This has been very
difficult thing to ascertain. l have
Mr.. Tweedale and the other auditors
here in order not to do them any in
Justice. But the books are in de-
plorable condition. In any CONNER
cial institution they would not be
called books at all. They were start
ed in the stress of war and continu-
ed in the stress of incompetency un-
til MIR. Tweedale and the others are
now trying to straighten them out.
Any of our great corporations would
have been in receivers hands long
ago had its books been kept as those
of this organization have been and are
kept and the operations of the Fleet
necessarily must be just as incom-
petent as the books are because it is
impossible to operate any business
if there isn't a figure on which re-
mote reliance can be placed.
In the presence of the men who
have had charge of the books for Il
months (and | ask them to challenge
me if / am stating anything incor
reetly) / want to say it is incon
ceivable that an institution like thi:
could be in existence and be turned
over to men to administer in the
shape it is. Had the books beer
kept with view to cheating and de
ceiying Congress and the countr!
they could not have been kept il
much different shape than they hav'
been. and measure the words / an
using. 1t has almost worn me on
physically and mentally to get any
thing from the books that could b
regarded as complete.
Last year, nominally out of tn
public treasury, approximatel
100000, 900, actually authorized b
Congress, was expended on tn
Shipping Board. This sum repre-
serited the total of appropriations
One might deduct from this tha
only a hundred million was used b
the Board during last year. When
showed to the President a few mir
utes ago, the figures / am about t
reveal to you, he was shocked an
dismayed that such condition coul
exist. AS a matter of fact, tn
Shipping Board used during the las
fiscal year approximately $380,000
900. Besides the $100,000,000 al
propriated by Congress, and $4,000
900 on hand at the beginning of tt
fiscal year, it sold assets for 5000
100000, all of which money wei
back into the enterprise. Then
addition it received from operatiC
of vessels, etc, S300,0OO,0OO, whie
was also spent, thus making a tot
expenditure by the Shipping Boa
of $3.50, 100000. This 100000
900 received from operations wh'
deducted from the $6S0,O00,O00 r
ceived from all sources shows n
expenditure of $3SO,0OOO 900, althout
the public records show $100,00l
900 to be all that had been appropl
ated by the Congress for the yea
This is an astounding case OF abs
lutte deception of the country a.
Congress. / know and want to e
pam LnaL AuHtlTdi DeIhSOu anu
Tweedale had not the remotest thil
to do with such gross misreprese
tation. They were acting in accol
ance with the system under whi
the books had been kept from /
hour the institution started and tn
were so busy trying to straight
out the mix-up in settlements and {
erations that they never had
time to try TO systematize the
cords. The only reason this sitl
tion has become apparent now is
cause coming in as a new admin
TRAITOR / desired to find out for !
own guidance what the loss had be
This necessitated calling in outs
auditors before the facts could
aScertained. / do not guarantee 1
figures now; they are the best
could secure from the books and
are assured by Mr.. Tweedale's ass
tants, all of whom are here, that Il