The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-11
WORKING FOR NARSH|PS.
DIVISION OF CONTRACTS WANTED
FOR THE PACIFIC COAST.
Commerce Sends IN Argunenta-
tive Letter to the Washington
Delegation, urstn9 Cooperation.

Z a . .t
In line With the letters presented by the
Moran Bros. Company to the Chamber OF
Commerce at Its meeting last week, Score
tary Prosch has prepared and sent to the
members Of the Washington delegation IN
congress the following letter. urging that
concerted effort be made TO secure an
equitable division OF the work Of construct
ing United States warships, that the Pa
ciic coast builders may secure more work.
His arguments are similar to those out
lined in the Post-Inteligencer heretofore,
though special stress IL paid to the high
expenditures the government Ia required 10
make in sending vessels around Cape Horn:
THE members OF our body believe thst
the federal government should encourage
Pacific coast shipbuiders by giving them
a dlnerentisl on vessels built for service
in these waters. 1t Is understood that IN
the past per cent. has been allowed IN
few cases. In other cases the bidding was
thun per cent. Al the last letting an oner
was made by one company In this state 70
build cruiser at the Atlantic price, though
the offer came too late 10 be considered
The aid that the government has gwen AZ
lAntie snipbu,ders by contracts has been
the means OF building up great establish
sneuts there capable Of putting anoat the
largest finest. fastest and strongest OF
ships and which otherwise the country
would not today possess. II has had the
same effect though to ess sx as r,rs or
Britain In the same direction has had
wonderful effect on tns shipyards and snip,
Ping interests of England. ireland and
Scotland. putting them In the iead OF the
world
Our Pacific shipyards should be further
helped and Il IL to the interest OF the whole
people tina, they should be helped. II costs
less to build war vessel now that we
have a dozen yards In the United states
capable OF It's building, than II cost when
we had but one, and the cost VIII be Sun
bar xab en uaD
yartH tsH 4
s',rhe navy department has generally had
nm inadequate idea OF the Importance ana
necessities OF the Pacific coast On ms
Atlantic coast there are today probably hity
of the best vessels OF the United ststos
navy, not including torpedo boats, On the
Pacific there are three. Here there are two
naval stations: there. there are a dozen or
more. In general the Atlantic Is no more
important than the Pacific. suppose the
Eoyernmen, should want 70 sdd hst, u a
70 send one from an Atlantic shipyard? Tine
trip would consume about ninety days. The
coal burned would be fully i0,0o tons
There would be three months pay and care
for 500 men and the ship
What does all that amount to? Not
less than $4,000 The per cent. different
o00 by paying that diferentiaI TO the Pa
cinc coast builder the government would
save 100000 Such a saving Is worth the
while even Of the government Of the Unit.
spply TO any vessel with as much force az
to a battleship. When the battleship ar
fives In San Francisco or ON Puget sound
from New York she ~ In bad condition. is
more on less racked and foul. and has to
be put In the dock. and cleaned and re-
paired. The vessel built on the Pacific
saves 10 her owners that expense. YES
sells are sometimes lost on these long trips
One vessel 80 lost would be equal to the
per cent. dlTerential on twenty like vessels
built on the Pacific.
TIM. xxst.n ~.
that 1t was impossible 20 get such vessels
on the Pacific. but the Charleston, the san
francisco, the Monterey. the Olympia. tie
Oregon, the Rowan and the Goidsborough
are proofs indisputabie that this statement
is no longer true. They can be built here
and at only slightly greater cost. That
cost the government can well AFFORD 10
bear, In view of the advantages and saw
fngr elsewhere. 10 which reference has been
made With n merchant vessel the stna-
tlon Is somewhat different, as II comes
from the Atlantic loaded with mercnan-
disc and mskes money by the trip, the trim
OF the government ship being one wholly
OF loss. That YOU will do what vosi can for
The Pacific coast builder In this matter
aiding the government at the same time
Is here confidently expected"