The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-12-19
SHIP BOARD
SUCCESS
Hell DUP
Attempt to Advertise SaiIings
as Private Lines Do Block
Cd Other Cases Cited
BY WILLIAM HARD.

hands an enterprise Of colossal
commercial national meaning in
which, right before the eyes Of the
country, it is arguing out the
issue Of Government ownership
not in words but in deeds.
No reader of these articles will
suspect this writer of any par
tianship for Government owner
ship.
Nevertheless in the case Of our
American merchant marine this
writer wishes well to Government
ownership and operation.
We must have an American
merchant marine. We must have
It for national defense, If for no
other reason. Government owner
ship and operation seems at this
time to be the only way in which
we can have it. Therefore, for
merchant ships this writer will
write all day and all night to help
Government ownership and oper-
alton be successful.
Didn't Like Publicity.
What have we all done to make it
successful?
In the first place, just for illus
tration, every private shipping firm
likes to get out little publications
showing what good ships it runs.
But Is the Shipping Board free to
90 ahead according TO business
necessity or ability.in that line?
Certainly not. Congress- did not
like some OF the Shipping Board
publicity. The Bureau Of the Budget
follows Congress- on points Of law.
The recommendations and directions
of the Bureau Of the Budget for
the next fiscal year provide that:
mo part OF the funds made avail
able for the Shipping Board or for
the Emergency Fleet Corp0ratiOa
shall be expended for the prepaid.
1inn. pubIicatioIi oS distribution OF
any NEWSPAPERS, magazines, jour.
+
ing, however, documents and4epDftg
required by law 80. s.,s.,.ss.ss
If the 5S1 gentlemen sitting IA the.
Senate and ia the House of Repre-
eentatives think that more cargoes
or more passengers could be se-
CURED by the Shipping Board or by
The Emergency Fleet Corporation
through issuing a certain document
and IL they require that document
to be Issued, then the Shipping
Board or the Emergency Fleet Corr
poration may thereupon issue 1t.
Otherwise not.
More or the Law.
4 And by no means must the Ship
ping Board or the Emergency Fleet
Corporation ever get out any .pe.
riodicals" even il in its Judgment
a periodical would bring 1t bust
ness.
Shipping Board resigns, and IL he
came from q State on the Pacific
Ocean, and IL there is somebody in
6 state On the Atlantic Ocean who
would make the best successor for
him, the President must not appoint
that Atlantic State man.
No! On the Shipping Board there
must always be two members from
the Pacific States, and never more
than two from the Atlantic States.
That's law.
Imagine the Standard Oil Com
pa1y of New Jersey providing that
It must always have two directors
from Hoboken and always two
and never more than two-from
RahWayi .E
Again, II anybody offers more
than $4,000 year to the best
man in the employ of the Shipping
Board or OF the Emergency Fleet
Corporation, and the man wants to
90. nothing must be done about IT,
that is, nothing financial.
just one man in the whole employ
Of the Shipping Board or of the
Emergency Fleet Corporation may
be paid as much as $25, 900 year.
That's law too.
Only five men may be paid as
much as $4,000 year by the Ship.
ping Board or the Emergency Fleet
Corporation. Nobody else in the
whole employ Of the Shipping
Board or OF the Emergency Fleet
Corporation may be paid more than
$4,000 year.
IL Decides All Salaries. Il
You see, Congress, sitting as a
board of directors. besides knowing
all the other things that 1t knows
about everything, knows that the
national American merchant marine,
In its competition with all the
other merchant marines of the
world, will next year need only six
men with salaries in excess Of
10000 q year, no matter what
these other merchant marines
may do.
This writer does not blame Con.
gress. Congress has to think Of
the public. The public spends its
time in private life being ruled
by business magnates with enormous
Incomes and it thinks that never.
theless in public life 1t can hire
people for nothing to 60 out and do
equal battle with those private'
business Inagnates
Y 1t thinks so; and therefore Com
gress cannot think differently.
When you get down to the very