The Republican journal., 1922-02-16
A NEW RECORD OF WASTE

The Shipping Board has sold its village
at Fairview, near Camden, New Jersey.
There were 1873 houses sold at auction.
The average cost of these houses was
about IS. 900 each. The average selling
price was about 81, 420. They were built
during the war and occupied since they
were built. There is now no shipbuilding
going on in that vicinity and, all things
considered, it would seem that the gov
aernment made a good bargain for itself
Sn selling. Few people are aware of the
amount of money wasted by the Shipping
Board and the Emergency Fleet Corpora
4ion. The facts are just coming to light
On the 10Th day of last month Represen-
tative Wood of Indiana made speech IN
Congress in which he made serious charges
(which were not disputed or excused.
Among other things he said the Shipping
Board built, near Philadelphia, "the larg-
est hotel that was ever built by the hand
of man. 1t would accommodate more
roeople than any hotel that was ever built
IN the world" He also said: "They built
--tire towns for the housing of their
IN. They built miles of paving,
ms, water mains and sewer mains
quilt moving picture houses, and
all the necessaries of municipal life. They
built and operated street railways and in
terurban railways. They owned forests
that were measured by thousands of
,.cres." These are but few of the many
extravagances mentioned by Represen-
stative Wood. A new Shipping Board
was appointed and took charge on the
,srst day of last July. The new board
soon learned that about $3 O0G, ,O0O, 600
had been spent and Mr.. Wood said that
the property was located in ''750 different
places, scattered to the four points of the
.world." ~ \ \ "At Hog Island there were
s25. 600 characters of property, compris-
inn millions of units, and an inventory of
4his property filled 1900 typewriter
sheets" Mr.. Wood stated that $500
Deople were employed to take this and
ther inventories at different places and
It took them two months to finish the
rob.
The footings of the inventories
amounted to Ssl6, 600. 900 against which
were current liabilities to the amount
of SOC, 900, 900. The assets consist
xof the inventory above mentioned,
shops, warehouses, and other buildings
and property, and what can be realized
from the sale of these is not yet known.
of ships we have about $50 built during
the war. About 375 of these are consid-
cred to be fairly good ships and are run
ming on trade routes at loss. The cost
of these ships was from Sl70 to $240 per
gross ton and their value today is from
S25 up to $50 per ton. About 280 of the
ships built are tied up and the expense OF
keeping them is said to be about $4,000
n mo nth. 1t may be asked why not sell
4he m OF put them into the carrying trade.
There are several replies to this question.
~ will mention two OF them. First, the
i shipping of the world is about Co.
600 tons and the worlds maritime
sa, merce needs only about 81, 600
tons. Second, under present conditions,
the cost to the United States for 5000
ton vessel to make a certain voyage is
IS, ,OOU; it costs an English vessel OF the
same tonnage to make the same voyage
81. 500; and Japanese ship of that size
can make the same voyage for less than
81, 900.
The present Shipping Board seems to
ne merely an assignee of an insoivent
and mismanaged concern. Among Its
other troubles it has been found that
there are outstanding, as legacy from
the past, some 8. 500 claims and cases IN
wolviug some $500. 600, 900. These cases
IN ust be heard and examined by the law
dep artment of the Board.