Evening star., 1925-10-15
One.Man Control Debated
AS Shipping Board Remedy

Post. which declares: whether there
are any further changes and resigna
tons or not. this nagging. quarrel
some. blundering and extravagant
board has demonstrated that it has
neither reason for nor right to any
further existence"
The existing situation remarks
the Canton Daily News, will bring
careful analysis of the work of the in
dependent commissions and boards,
and no doubt the elimination Of some
OF them and the further definition of
the province of others. There is no
question that there are too many COM
missions and too much division of au-
thority, but this should not be taken
as an excuse for the abandonment Of
all or weakening the observation-disclosures
system, which has proven it's worth.
The Daily News feels that it is mot to
be admitted that the Shipping Board
Is useless body" notwithstanding the
fact that the President has found it
Is not functioning in proper manner"
r. 4 X x
Vigorous opposition to Admiral
Palmer is voiced by the Portland
Oregon Journal, which declares that
the Shipping Board has done its duty.
and 1t should now fight to build up the
American merchant fleet as Congress
authorized 1t to do. created it to do and
as America wants 1t TO do" In
further explanation of it's stand the
Journal states: stripped Of his powers
by vote OF the Shipping Board. Ad.
miral Palmer can do nothing further
to scuttle the American merchant fleet
He cannot refuse to supply American
ships to Boston shippers and give the
business to British ships, as he did
on one occasion. He cannot refuse
American ships to Charleston shippers
and force them to do their business
with British companies. as he formerly
did. He cannot withhold American
ships from Pacific coast shippers and
try to force them to send their prod
ucts by foreign vessels, as he once did
to be finally compelled by them to pro
vide American ships. He cannot de-
prive Portland OF its fine local ship
line, as he recently planned TO do
Supporting a similar contention, the
Charleston Evening Post expresses
doubt as to lust what the principal
grounds of objection are TO Admiral
Board" but it maintains that what.
ever they may be their significance
has been lost in the larger issue Of the
independence of a statutory body from
the dictation of a Chief Executive"
This independence Of the board is also
emphasized by the Bristol Herald
Courier. which remarks that "it is not
responsible to the President, and It 1.
natural that the most of the commits
sioners should resent Mr.. Coolidge's
attempt to control it,"
X X X X
Describing the enterprise as a rash
Government ownership and operation
scheme" the Providence Journal as
serts that while the experiment lasts
one man clothed with great power at
the head OF the business is far prefera-
BILE to control by seven men Of con-
flicting opinions"
"Our surmise is that Admiral Palmer
made the mistake of trying to save
money" says the Baltimore Evening
Sun. The Bakersfield Echo similarly
holds that the board has become q
costly appendage Of the Government"
Even further, the Hartford Times con
siders that 1.-The board has seldom
known where it was going or what il
was DOING and the New York World
upholds the view that 1.-The people
should support the President" in the
event that he will "have to ask Con
gress TO deprive the board of the power
TO- manage the Government sAipA~