Evening star., 1936-09-13
SHIFT Of EASTMAN
MAY BEGIN BOARD
Maritime Commission, Long
Delayed, May Be Headed
ByI. c. c. Member.

As a solution for the knotty prob
lem Of appointments which has de-
layed creation of the Maritime Com
mission for more than two months.
President Roosevelt, it was intimated
yesterday, has about decided to draft
as chairman Joseph B. Eastman,
member of the Interstate Commerce
Commission and erstwhile Federal
co-ordinator of transportation.
Although Eastman, who has just
returned from his vacation, was
authority for the statement yesterday
that he has received no formal tender
of the post, his availability has served
to give credence to reports Of his
choice, both here and in New York.
A week ago, Mr.. Roosevelt said he
would announce the appointments
shortly, but he left for q trip down
the Potomac River last night with
assurance there would be nothing
Forthcoming on the subject until
some time this week.
Act Signed June 29.
Although Congress passed the ship
subsidy act of 1886 just before ad-
iournmert, June 20, the President did
not sign the measure until June 20.
Since the date Of its effectiveness
the speculation as to possible selec-
tions of five sl2,000-a-year men as
commissioners has covered q wide
field. Secretary of Commerce Roper
alone Is supposed to have submitted
a list of $50 names for the Presidents
consideration.
In addition to Eastman, to whom
the President apparently is turning as
chairman in an effort to break the
deadlock, the list Of those most
prominently mentioned, from which
the other four are likely to be chosen
II the President names the full COM
mission at one time, includes:
Thomas woodward, former vice
president Of the Merchant Fleet Corp.
and now consumers counsel for the
National Bituminous Coal Commis-
sion; Prof. H. L. Seward Of New Ha-
ven; Rear Admiral Emory s. Land,
chief Of the Bureau Of Yards and
Docks; James c. Peacock, director
of the Shipping Board Bureau OF
the Commerce Department; Harllee
Branch, second assistant Postmaster
General, in charge of ocean mail con-
tracts, and Paul Scharrenberg, acting
president Of the International Sea-
mems Union.
Three Members Enough.
Specifically, the ship subsidy act
provides that vacancies in the COM
mission, so long as there are three
members in ofices, shall not impair
the power of the commission to func-
ton - ="
With this in mind, it has been
hinted that Mr. Roosevelt will get the
machinery Of the act under way with
out appointing the full commission
membership Of five.
Eastman's wide experience in han
ding labor disputes makes him avail
able as D neutral and would place the
commission in position to deal imme-
diately with q labor problem arising
from expiration September 80 Of ex-
isting agreements between ship own
ers and longshoremen.
Another argument in favor Of East
man Is the fact the act places both
shipping regulations and administra-
ton of subsidies in the commission, q
procedure resorted to by Congress
over presidential objection.
Eastman also has had wide expert
ence In transportation regulation and
would find he has q freer hand under
the shipping act than ~ railroad CO.
ordinator.
(Copyright. 1896. New York Herald
Tribune.)