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ag ee Ne Pra phe ag ee eS | U. = Shipping Board Reorganized Resignation of Chairman Hurley and Appointment of Three New Men Presages Important Changes in Policy--Many Problems to Solve ITH the passing of Edward N. Hurley as chairman of the United States shipping board, the coming in of John Barton Payne as his successor, and the arrival of two new men to fill vacancies created by other resignations, the question natur- ally arises as to what will be the future policy of the board? A definite answer cannot be given at present, but a brief study of the situation might, however, give some idea of the trend which future policy may take. The senate ; JOHN New Chairman of the United States Shipping Board BARTON PAYNE committee in charge of the nominations of Judge Payne and the other new mem- bers of the United States shipping board returned favorable reports soon after the names. had been presented and shortly. afterward the new members re- ceived the full approval of the senate. Chairman Hurley left the board two years and four days after he took office following the unfortunate Goethals-Den- man controversy which almost wrecked the emergency fleet project before it had Started. -What Mr. Hurley and the board associated with, him. and what the board's subsidiary,, the Emergency Fleet corporation, accomplished during those two years is known internationally. It was chiefly a period in which every effort was bent toward building ships. Operation, of course, and yard manage- ment were big questions, but,.of late BY M. L. FEISER disposition of yards and ships have be- come a problem almost as great as that of operation. Before leaving, Mr. Hurley sent to congress his conception of the policy the government should adopt to encourage the establishment and development of the American mer- chant marine; this policy is well known to shipbuilders, ship owners and_ ship operators, Problems Loom Large To the incoming shipping administra- tion the question of construction is prac- tically settled. There is no longer the urgent need for ships that prevailed throughout the early and major part of Mr. Hurley's incumbency and _ while some big questions in connection with the "balancing of the fleet" remain to be solved, the main points demanding the attention of the reorganized board include those of operation and manage- ment of the ships built and building, the disposition of those for which the government sees little need now and putting into effect of the government's own policy as to the control of ship- ping. It is these and other questions the new administration will have to answer, in addition to explaining some of the mistakes the Hurley administration made. Congress is already prepared to find out about. the mistakes, but con- gress, the people, the board, everyone is more or less at sea. Because of this indefiniteness of things it might be well to look into the personnel of the board and from that get an idea of what may be expected. Starting off with the old members of the board, R. B. Stevens and John A. Donald, it may be pointed out that Mr. Stevens is the only original member of the board as it was first constituted under Chairman Denman. Mr. Stevens is familiar with practically all phases of the shipping board's and the Fleet corporation's problems, has _ especially been. concerned with labor and is more or less familiar with international ship- ping matters, having for many months been the Anterican member of the allied mari- time -transport council. The shipbuild- ing and"shipping industry is more or less; familiar with his activities as it is algo; with; those of Mr. Donald. Mr. Dorald;, owner and operator, has had much to do with the operations end of the industry during his membership in. the board., His. peculiar experience 411 in this line of work permits him to stand almost alone in the board. Another member of the board who is - an authority on international shipping matters and who also is familiar with labor problems, is Henry M. Robison, who has been named to succeed Charles R. Page. Primarily an attorney, Mr. Robinson has been so closely identified with. business and industrial matters that he was one of the special American ad- visers at the peace conference. He pre- pared shipping facts for the American EDWARD N. HURLEY Retiring Chairman United States Shipping Boara delegation and prior to going to Europe and since his return had been assistant to Mr. Hurley on subjects pertaining to foreign trade. A fourth member of the board is Thomas A. Scott, a practical marine en- gineer who, during the war, was in charge of the navy's salvage operations. The disposition of surplus materials, of yards, of ships, etc., and the construc- tion of necessary equipment and vessels for balancing the fleet will require the special service of a man of Mr. Scott's profession and his experience in private life in New England ritime matters and in the government's: service during the war gives him a fitness for the work held by no: other member of the board. : Mr: Scott is president of 'the T. A. Scott. Towing, Pile Driving & Wharf.