Evening star., 1924-12-25
FREE HAND FOR FLEET DIRECTOR
is OBJECT OF LATEST MOVE

sioner Plummer's office and that he
was told then OF the letter.
This kind of interference has been
going on for several months" con-
tinued Mr.. Palmer, land In addition
does much TO undermine the morale
OF the organization"
Another case mentioned by Mr..
Palmer was a written memorandum
from Chairman O'Connor asking why
q subordinate member OF the Fleet
Corporations organization had been
laid off. saying that he didn't know
anything about It, but that he should
have been informed.
These cases amount to . notice
to the personnel that the board will
handle their cases II they do not like
the way the Fleet Corporation Is do
ing It," said Mr.. Palmer.
The case mentioned by Mr.. Palmer
had to do with the separation OF Mr..
Weems as district agent at Galveston.
Tex.
Interferenee With Plans.
Owing to the unsatisfactory con-
dftion of the accounting methods Of
the United States lines" said Mr.. Pal
mer, Il decided to send the general
controller to New York as assistant
to the general manager of the lines"
He said he went to see Chairman
OConnor about It. and that Mr..
O'Connor said he did not want Mr..
Burke to go to New York unless he
(Mr. Burke) said he wanted to go.
and that he thought the rest Of the
board would feel that way about It.
1T happened that Mr.. Burke want
ed to CO." continued Mr.. Palmer. But
whether he wanted to go or not, II
was a matter that should have been
left entirely to my judgment as head
of the Fleet Corporation"
Chairman o'connor. Mr.. Palmer
said, sent for him and told him that
Commissioner Plummer could see no
reason why the district director at
Baltimore should be sent abroad and
that he wanted to know why he was
going"
This director" Mr.. Palmer said,
was sent abroad on operating mat
ters OF great Importance, and there
was certainly no reason for interfer-
ence or criticism on such q matter by
any commissioner OF the board
Question Of Budget.
Turning to the budget, Mr.. Palmer
told the committee that matters in
regard to the budget figure OF $780,
100000 for this year have not been
handled by the board through me.
Chairman O'Connor sent for one Of
my subordinates In this matter and
took the figures that were furnished
by that subordinate. The figures
were not such as I would have rec
commended to the chairman. this hav-
ing to do with the ALLEGATION OF GER
tain parts OF the budget figure over
the different quarters Of the year, and
cannot too emphatically state that
matters OF such great import should
tho head OF the Fleet Corporation X
he is to be held responsible for them.
In this particular case knew nothing
Of the figures until q written request
came from the chairman asking IL
was living within the amount allotted
by the board, and even this did not
como to my attention until recently"
with reference to the consolida-
tions effected during the calendar
year and interference with carrying
out these consultations, Mr. Palmer
told the committee that In the case
of the North Atlantic ic-Mediterranean
cancellations the board had inter-
fered, and that when he had sub
mitted his recommendations Chair
man O'Connor sent fer him and said
that he did not think the board would
agree 10 tho recommendations and
that he ought to send recommsnda-
tions that tho board would agree to-.
my stand 10 that should submit
recommendations consider for the
best interest Of tho merchant ma
rine and not submit recommendation 9
Just because II is thought the
board would approve them,' COM
mented Mr.. Palmer.
Mr.. Palmer called attention in de-
tail also to interference by the board
In the Black Diamond -CosmopoIitan
cancellations from North Atlantic
to French, Holland and Belgian ports.
and in the South Atlantic European
cancellations and Gulf consoiida-
tionR