Salt Lake Tribune | 1917-01-28 | Page 9 | Baker Objected to M'adoo's Dictation

fiffl OBJECTED TO M'JtOOSDICTATlDN Secretary of Treasury Asked That Pacific Coast Get Chairmanship. v WASHINGTON, Jan. 27. The resignation resig-nation of Bernard Baker of Baltimore as a member of the federal shipping board, was officially announced today. Secretary McAdoo, who had much to do with the passage of the shipping board law and the selection of the board, issued this statement: " It is true that Bernard N. Baker has resigned from the shipping board aud that the president has accepted his resignation. res-ignation. Mr. Baker resigned because I suggested to him that I thought it would be wise in the circumstances if he would consider giving the chairmanship chairman-ship to the Pacific coast. The president presi-dent was in accord with this suggestion. "'Mr. Baker said he iesired to think the matter over for the night. The next morning he sent his resignation. "The selection of suitable men for the shipping board and the proper organization or-ganization of the board has been a matter of great concern to the administration admin-istration ever since the passage of the shipping bill. The suggestion about the chairmanship was made in a spirit of co-operation and with a desire to be helpful. ''The board has the right, under the law, to select its own chairman, but there is no reason why a suggestion from the administration" should not receive re-ceive consideration. I have had a warm regard always for Mr. Baker and 1 regret his hasty action. " William Deiiman of San Francisco and Theodore Brent of New Orleans, both members of the board, were in Washington today. John A. Donald of New York and John H. White of Kansas City will reach horn Monday. The first meeting of the board, it is said, will be called by Mr. Denman Tuesday.