Evening star., 1925-01-04


vested In the Shipping Board. Pres
ident Coolidge in his recent message
to Congress declared that this was
the first step which should be taken
with regard to the continued opera
ion of the Government fleet, declar
ing that the organization of the
board did not lend itself to handling
such business proposition.
Chosen BY President.
The president of the Fleet Corpo-
ration, under the operation of the
BILL will be selected by the Presi-
dent of the United States. AS a mat
ter of fact, although elected by the
board, the present head of the Fleet
Corporation, former Admiral Leigh c..
Coolidge year ago, the board merely
ratifying the selection as 1t had to
do under the existing law.
Senator Jones, II Is expected, will
ask his committee to consider the
bill at an early date. Whether legis-
lation can be had at the present short
session of Congress, however, is
problematical Opposition may be
able to block Ii. If the bill fails of
action. it will be submitted at the
next regular session, 1t is understood
Under the merchant marine act of
1920 the Shipping Board is authorized
and directed to investigate and de-
termine what steamship lines shall
be established and put into opera
tion from the ports of the United
States to foreign ports and markets.
The new bill provides that whenever
the board determines from it's in
vessigations,' made pursuant to the
merchant marine act, that new lines
should be established or that made
quactes of lines or service exist it
shall communicate its findings to the
President, who shall direct the Secre-
tary of Commerce to endeavor to
secure the establishment and main
tenance of such lines or ADEQUATE
services with vessels owned and oper-
ated privately by citizens of the
United States, and If the Secretary
shall fail In such endeavor' he shall
communicate the facts and his recon-
mendations to the President with a
view to the establishment of the de-
sired lines or services by the Fleet
Corporation, provided that no service
Established under and pursuant 10
the provisions OF the merchant ma
rtne act shall be discontinued as
therein provided. except with the ap-
proval of the President"
Given Final Word.
This section, II is hoped, will re-
move objections which might be made
to having the Fleet Corporation and
not the Shipping Board detremine
what routes and services are to be
established and maintained AS a
matter of fact the new provision
makes the President of the United
states the final arbiter as to what
routes are to be established and
maintained IL there comes a clash of
opinion between the Shipping Board
and the Fleet Corporation over this
important matter.
The regulatory powers of the Ship
ping Board are to be continued as
indicated by the following language
of the new bill:
This act shall not be construed
to diminish the power and authority
now vested in the board for the regu-
latfon of carriers by water engaged
in the foreign and interstate COM
merce of the United States, and the
board shall exercise the same charac-
ter and measure of control over the
activities of the Fleet Corporation
that it exercises over those lines
owned and operated privately by citi-
zens of the United States"
In other words, the Shipping Board
becomes in large measure to ship
ping what the Interstate Commerce