New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-14

jns, AZ the same are in private shpbuilding. Inc
Constructors of the various yards who are, 40 lar
AZ we know, actuated by lsudable desire TO con-
duct their yards properly, would then have iar
play for their energies and ambition, and we might
reasonably expect to find them striving TO emulate
each other in building good ships at the io"eS1
rates. Now, these officers build costly ships ana
cannot help Themselves To do the most ana
the best work for the least moneyis the pride OF
every Mechanic Every true Mechanic is quite as
much ashamed to have his work cost too much as
10 have done it badly. Much has been said OF the
superior character of the work done on the Nj
,gara. Mr.. GEORGE STEERS built her in the
Brooklyn Navy Yard, under special commission;
and he took with him from Newly the best gang
of workmep that were ever in Nayy-fard. IL
was his pride, and theirs too, not only to do good
work but more of it than the " old hands" were
accustomed to- nevertheless, if Mr. Steers could
have introduced the job system, the niagara would
have cost considerably under instead of over
81 100000. We believe all other contractors
would, like Mr.. Steers, make their ships cost the
minimum instead of the maximum price, as they
are compelled to do now, under the stupid and cor
rupt system in vogue
We are not proposing any untried scheme. The
system we advocate with some slight modification,
has long been in use in the British dockyards. tits
there known as the "task and job" system, by which
definite sum of money is paid for each specific
piece of work in detail according to an established
scheme of prices, without defining the whole sum
| -, 10 a cd 4
system is somewhat used in connection with this,
known as "day-pay under check measure
" ment" Under it the men have fixed wages,
and the work performed by them is measured
and valued weekly by the scale OF prices for
task and job work If the work is worth their
wages for the week, they are paid them, and if not
then deduction is made. Should they do more
work, they are not paid for any excess OF earnings
| The third system is like our present day pay for
stated wages, and it is used as little as possible.
In this country, We should have no established
scale of prices; but the cost for which the whole
chip should be built should be defined by the
Secretary of the Navy, and naval constructors
should be required to keep within the limits
assisped. The constructor who should do the most
and the best work with the least money, should
have the best class of work, and the most OF 1t
10 do. lust as in all other kinds of business; or
he might be rewarded by an advanced salary.
Our Navy numbers only about As vessels in COM
mission, and in its maintenance Is certainly the
most expensive in the world. Great Britain, with
fully ten times the number of vessels, e1pends only
about four and one-third times as much money per
40 nd hahO txyla NJ
much. Ii these nations received no more for their
money than we do they would soon be bankrupt.
Let us compare the cost of war ships in the British
and United States nayies. Ismight perhaps be sup
posed that England would have the advantage in
manufacturing machinery, but in the construction
Of tie hull the difference in cost should be in our
favor.
In 1850 two steam frigates were but-the Sus-
quehanna at Philadelphia, and the Powhatan at
Norfolk:
1850 cost Of hull tun, SOB
Powhsan-Tunnsge, 24l5i coit Of hull per tun, slle 80
Total cost per un hu sps aud machinery su'qushsnn'
sfs5.
Total per tan hu, ssd msehlnery POwhaaD'
sS29.
In England, 1859, the frigate Indefatigable, 81
guns, United States tunnage about 2, 697 tuns was
built at cost Of 1913 per tun for the hull alone.
When our six frst-,lass screw frigatss were
ordered in 1854, we had nearly all the neces-
sary timber on hand at the Navy-Yards, yet
SC, G00 600 have been appropriated for their con-
.tructon and equipment. Their aggregate tunDase
is &c, $50. The Niagara is $50 tuns larger than
any of the other five ships, and her cost compares
with them, according to our best information, thus:
Nag.ra-Tunnsge, 1890 cost complete, per tun, s2aa
The fvo-Tunnage, 400; cost complete, per tun 800
While these vessels were building the screw
frigats Shannon of 81 guns and 1857 tuns (U. S.
M J, was constructed in England; cost complete,
Der tup, about $241. The Orlando and Mersey, 20
gun screws of $3.50 tms (U. S. NJ, recently
finished have cost complete per tun, about S243,
and they are vessels of 3-knot speed. William II.
Webb of this city has built the 70-gun screw fgae
General Admiral, 4,3O0 tuns, for the Emperor of
Russia, for the sum of S96i,000; cost complete,
per tun, 1924; speed l2 knots under steam.
In 1850, the l3-gun screw San Jacinto was built
at Brooklyn Navy-Yard, and last year Jacob A.
Westeryet of this city built the 14-gun screw
BROOKLYN on contract for the United States Gov
crnment
Broeiyr-Tmnsse, 700; cost complete, per ;un 500.
San Jocnto-Tunnsge, 49, complete, per tun,
The building of the Brooklyn was an Adminstra-
ton Job and therefore no criterion Of reasonable
cost--the price of the machinery was fixed at
$50 600 above its value, and there was no competi-
ton between builders in regard to the amounts of
their bids, this being confined to their plans, and,
we might add, their party merits.