Evening star., 1924-01-04
Coolidge Giipes One Man Control
OF Vast u. S. Merchant Murine

man. and Representative Edmonds Of
PennSylvania, ranking republican
member Of the House merchant ma
rine committee.
ment of the fleet operation from the
Shipping Boards duties in a. list OF
recommendations dealing with tne
merchant marine he submitted re-
Gently to the President expressed his
personal opinion that the new CHAIR
man of the board would be selected q
from its present membership after
the retirement OF Mr.. Farley. Tne
middle-westerrer to be chosen TO NIL
Mr.. Farley's place, it Is understood
will serve merely as a member.
Palmer War Veteran.
The selection OF Mr.. Palmer follows
a series of conferences between the
President and the former Navy Du-
reau chief. Mr.. Coolidge, after con-
sidering the whole matter In the
light Of the plan to place operation
Fleet Corporation, is understood to
have decided that the most userul
service could be performed by MT.
Palmer as president Of the Fleet Cor
poration.
Navy soon after the conclusion OF
the world war, during which ne
served with the rank Of admiral, has
since last April been the shipping
Board representative in Brazil. He
recently returned to Washington
for London TO become the Shipping
Board representative in Europe. He
is a native of Missouri. a graduate
of the United States Naval Academy
and has had extensive experience In
shipping matters. &
Other IssueS Passed Over.
Other proposals recently submitted
by Chairman Jones providing for ex-
tension of the coastwise shipping
ordination between rail and ocear
shipping and adoption of a tonnage
replacement program, were not
taken up in detail at last night
conference and remain to be worked
| out later The question OF extension
| OF the coastwise laws Is awaiting re.
ports from the War Department an6
Shipping Board as to the adequacy
of American tonnage to handle the
Philippine trade.
tion from the Shipping Board and
place it under the Emergency Flee,
Corporation Is the first step taken by
the President in his endeavor to for
| mulate definite merchant marine
policy. Chairman Jones in his rec
ommendation to the President assert
ed that much fault had been found
with the management of the govern
ment-owned ships by the Shipping
Board and urged that the powers
duties and properties involved be
lodged with one man or some organ
ization headed by one man.
Board Has Proven Power.
The physical property of the board,
the sales and operations of the ships,
should be under q unified control and
head, but the primary powers and du-
ties OF the board should not be placed
in one man, no more than the powers
and duties of the Interstate Com
meIce Commission should be SO
placed" Senator Jones said in his
recommendation. The Shipping
Board was primarily created to ex-
ercise u control over shipping very
similar to that exercised by the Inter
state Commerce Commission over
railroads. The acts of 1916 and 1920
contemplate this very thing"
This course is the one which the
President has decided to pursue and
Senator Jones. after last nights con-
ference. declared IL was generally
agreed that no new legislation would
be needed. Under the plan decided on
no member of the Shipping Board will
be a member of the board of trustees
OF the Fleet Corporation.