Evening star., 1925-10-05
The Thompson Resignation.

Commissioner Frederick l. Thomp-
son Of the Shipping Board, at variance
with the policy of President Coolidge
which looks to the operation of the
Government fleet of merchantmen by
the Fleet Corporation with a single ad-
ministrative head instead Of by the
board, has resigned. Mr.. Thompson
says frankly in his letter of resigna-
tion that he wishes TO feel free to fight
a change in the law which would take
this executive function from the Ship
ping Board, a change which will be
sought from Congress when that body
reconvenes..
The commissioner in support Of the
operation of the fleet by the board of
seven commissioners, seeks to appeal
to sectional interest. He says, in ef-
feet, that with single executive run
ming the fleet. the Gulf coast, the
Pacific coast, the Atlantic coast. the
Great Lakes States and the interior
States may not have their interests as
jealously guarded as by a board
whose membership Is picked to repre-
sent these various regions. He looks
at the shipping problem from the sec
tional rather than from the national
point Of view. If his argument was
followed out to its logical conclusion
the executive power Of the United
States, now vested I'm a President,
would be in the hands Of a regional
body Of seven men or more, made up
of men Of different political faiths.
Under such plan the Government OF
the United States, or the management
of any great business such as the Gov
ernment's shipping business, would
largely be at the mercy Of debating
society.
The Shipping Board and its func.
tions are compared by Commissioner
Thompson to the Interstate Commerce
Commission, an independent regula-
tory and semi-judicial body regulating
the railroads and fixing rates. The
analogy is faulty. The Interstate Com
merce Commission does not operate
the railroads. 1t merely decides what
rates and practices shall be main
tanned by them. This is the Job. by the
way, for which the Shipping Board
was originally planned by Congress,
with relation to shipping, job which
the board very properly should con.
tinue to handle. It may be argued
that the Government owns no rail-
roads, except one in Alask and an
other across the Isthmus of Panama,
while 1t does own the ships But dur
ing the war, when the Government
took over the operation of the rail.
roads, did it place that operation in
the hands of the Interstate Commerce
Commission? 1t did not. A Federal
railroad administration was set up,
with one man, a railroad administra-
tor, at its head in Washington. Nor
does the Interstate Commerce Com
mission operate either the Alaska or
the Panama railroad.
Furthermore. Mr.. Thompson asserts
that some Of the sections Of the coun-
try have suffered under the operation
Of the Government feet since the plan
Of the President has been in effect,
with the Fleet Corporation handling
the ships. But 1t is well understood
that NO ships have been taken off, no
lines have been consolidated or aban-
doned without such action having
been finally approved by the regional
Shipping Board for which Mr.. Thomp-
son now contends. The Shipping
Board, in adopting the resolution pro-
vtding for the operation Of the Gov
ernment fleet by the Fleet Corpora
ton, withheld to itself final decision
in these matters.
The postal service, which includes
the transportation of the mails, an ex-
press business and banking business,
is transacted by the Federal Govern
rnent with a single executive at its
head. All the various regions of the
country are cared for. II they were
not their representatives in Congress
would be found vigorously protesting.
And If any discrimination in the oper-
alton of the shipping business were
attempted there would be protests
from the same source.
What the country needs and the
people demand is the most economic
and efficient administration of its Gov.
ernment-owned fleet for the sake Of
commerce and national defense, until
the ships can be owned and operated
by private Americans. These ends
can be achieved far more successfully
through a system with single execu-
tive head than through a multi.
partisan board.