Evening star., 1924-12-25
Continued from First Pase.)

board after the resolution Of 1924
had been adopted and they had stated
they wanted him to handle the fleet
and they were not going to interfere,
but that they would lend every as
sistance.
This has actually been the at
titude OF some Of the commission
ers," Mr.. Palmer told the committee
His subsequent testimony indicated
that Commissioner Lissner and Hill
had been helpful, 1t also specified
instances when other corppission-
ers had sought to interfere with
matters he believed to be wholly
within the operating department OF
the fleet.
He declared that commissioners.
and sometimes the board by majority
votes If not by unanimous votes, had
interfered in personnel matters Of the
Fleet Corporation which should. be
left entirely to the operating power;
that the board had interfered in. or
at least had held of little account.
his efforts TO keep the expenditures
of the feet within the budget allowed
by Congress for the present fiscal
year, and that 1t had nterfered In
the consolidation of the services,
which was vital to more economical
Testimony Of Plnmmer.
Mr.. Palmer called attention to the
fact that Commissioner Plummer OF
the Shipping Board had gone before
the House investigating committee,
and declared that II he were president
Of the Fleet Corporation he could dis
pense with the services Of various as.
sistants employed by the president OF
&ta JT1ant Carnorafia Mr. Palmer
said to the House committee in this
connection:
Certainly this was not a Cooper
ating attitude on the part Of the COM
missioner. It would appear that the
president of a corporation with world
wide activities should at least have q
free hand Ito choose his assistants,
without criticism from within. Such
action tends to hurt the morale OF
the organization"
Elsewhere in his testimony, Mr..
Palmer said:
my understanding is that the
President Intended me to have a free
hand in the operation OF the fleet.
The meat Of the whole matter Is
whether 1 was to have the usual au-
thority and responsibility that goes
with the President Of any large COM
mercial organization, or whether !
was to be hampered in operating
matters so that would be always IN
the position OF having to explain
every action before I could proceed
with in Neither did I wish to be
handicapped by an unsympathetic at
titude toward the personnel of the
Fleet Corporation and Interference
with any of these details. II such
unsatisfactory procedure were fol-
lowed, it would thoroughly dis
organize the Fleet Corporation and
impede our progress.
'It Is my belief" continued Mr..
Palmer later IN his testimony, that
the present set up, which includes
the Fleet Corporation with admini-
strative and executive functions and
the Shipping Board with semi -ju-
dicial. regulatory and supervisory
functions, cannot result In successful
operation Of the American merchant
marine, II tho board by law is in a
position to exercise all Of the func-
tions Of both organizations at the
same time"
Letter Of Hoover.
At this point there was placed in
the record a letter OF Secretary
Hoover Of the Department Of Com
merce, under date Of April z, 1894,
to the joint committee on reorgani.
zation OF the Government depart
ments, suggesting that the Shipping
Board hold only semi-judicial and
regulatory powers. while the Fleet
Corporation handle all administra-
tive matters, with a president ap-
pointed by the President Of the United
states and a board Of directors rep
resenting the various branches Of
the Government interested in ship
ping.
Getting down to matters OF person
mel, Mr.. Palmer told tho COMMITTEES:
Commissioner Plummer on Juno 4,
sent a letter direct to one of my sub
ordinates, Mr.. Rossbottom, insisting
that he should make q certain change
In the personnel Of the United States
Lines. This followed interference on
this matter of several months dura-
ton and 1t had to do entirely with
operating affairs and not with broad
general policy. Both Mr.. O'Connor
and Mr.. PIummer frequently stated
to me that q certain head Of the de-.
partment Of the United States Hnss
should be discharged, but on q re-
cent audit when the accounts were
gone over, II was shown that this
mans department was almost the
only one that was In an entirely sat
isfactory condition.
/ Mr. Palmer said that the day AFTER
mailing the letters to Mr.. Rossbot-
tom, he happened to be In Commits