The Washington times., 1923-06-11
FINAL PLAN
GIVEN IN
REPORT
Provides Various Lines If Ves-
sells Are Not SoId-DetaiIs
of His Views.


Accomplishments of the Ship
ping Board for the past two years
and definite plans for direct Gov
eminent operation, designed to
insure to the United States an
adequate merchant marine and
second place among the maritime
powers, were recommended yes
terday to President Harding by
Albert D. Lasker, retiring chair
man of the Shipping Board.
Points in Letter.
Chairman Lasker's letter trans
mitted his formal resignation, ten
dered informally to the President
several months ago, to take effect
tomorrow. His successor is Ed
ward p. Farley, of Chicago.
Admitting the failure of the
boards efforts to dispose Of it's
established lines to private Amer
lean interests, Chairman Lasker
gram for Government operation.
Failure of private interests to pur-
chase the shipping board fleet, he
further points out, leaves to the
Government no alternative but to
go "the full length of Government
operation"
Results of Efficiency.
Among the achievements Mr.. Las
r in h iS of 6n
settlement at IL cents on the dollar
of claims aggregat1ng 5000 900 900;
the bringing of the Emergency
Fleet Corporation out of chaos into
an economic, efficient and distinct
entity; the reduction of it's def
cheney from $16,000,000 a month to
$4,000, 900 a month; the development
Of commerce through the operation
Of American ships and the disposal
Of surplus real estate and materials.
At the end of the current fiscal
year the Shipping Board will have
on deposit in the Treasury, Mr..
Lasker states, $125, 200, 900 as
against a total cash reserve of
$4,000,000 it had when Mr.. Lasker
took office.
Creation of eighteen subsidiary
corporations. each to control one
of the consolidated |putes is recon-
mended by Lasker Nas the basis of
Government operation of the Fed
eral merchant marine in case the
efforts to transfer the ships to pri-
vate operation finally fails.
"In the event of the adoption of
this plan," Mr.. Lasker said, "these
corporations will have the fleet cor
poration as the parent body con-
trolling the general policies of it's
subsidiaries and the responsibility for
their operation resting in the Separ-
ate entities. The subsidiary corpor-
atoms will control the good will
and terminal facilities Of their re-
spective routes, and will thus pos
sess assets of steadily increasing
value, the property Of the Govern
ment.
I'm this light, while. Uf course, the
officers and most of the directors of
the subsidiary corporations should be
practical shipping men who devote
all their time to the enterprise, there
should be invited on the respective
boards in each locality citizens of
eminence who would thus give a
local interest 10 each undertaking.
The twelve to eighteen routes in
dicated will require. to begin with,
about $50 ships, replacing almost 400
ships now in these services, and
these $50 ships will represent ap-
proximately 100000 lightweight
tons.
Surplus of Ships.
After allotting these $50 bottoms
for this service we will still have on
hand a little more than 1900 sur
plus steel ships. The first compre-
hensive survey to be made of the
fleet is now practically completed,
and il will undoubtedly prove that
several hundred of these vessels,
built for war purposes, are inoper-
able under peace conditions.
uITn1I the dismissal of this tnIi.