Evening star., 1902-04-28
Where to Build the Ships.

Probably one of the most vexing ques-
tions the committee has had to deal
with" continued Mr. Dayton, ''is whether
our ships should be built in the govern
ment navy yards or by private contract.
We tried the experiment of building the
Texas in government yard, as well as a
number of other vessels, and that expert
ment was found to be wholly unsatisfac-
tory The cost was much greater and the
product was not altogether satisfactory. AS
a consequence Congress made it's Subse-
quent authorizations with provisos that the
work should be done by contract.
Notwithstanding this, the special repre-
sentatives of navy yards and of labor or
ganizations have insisted very strongly in
recent years that the conditions of our
yards have changed since the former expert
ments were made; that they have been so
improved and their capacity so increased,
and the personnel of their labor force so
built up that ships can now be built in the
navy yards as cheaply and as we'll as by
contract. l have fought hard to bring my
self to this view, but have not succeeded in
convincing myself that this is the fact.
'The Secretary of the Navy and the navy
experts insist strongly that the policy of
building ships In our own yards Is not wise;
that it viii cost not less than 25 to 40 per
cent more, and that the increased force
which it will be necessary to employ in
the yards will necessarily cause political in
fiuences to be operated in the selection of
this force. From careful study of these
conditions I am led to believe that the de-
partment isqright and that the proposition
carries with 1T still further Objectionable
features-the risk the government Is taking
from the entire lack of insurance, and the
possible loss of the entire ship If it should
prove faf1uresupon its trial BY the con-
tract system the government runs no risk
while the vessel Is building, nor does IL
lose a dollar IL the vessel does not come
up fully after it's completion to the require
ments and specifications. When it is re-
membered that battle ship completed costs
between six and seven millions of dollars
1t will be seen that this advantage in IA
vor of the contract system Is not to be
minimized. i
II am also of the opinion that to build
ships in the government yard is against the
notwithstanding the fact that very many
of them have petitioned Congress In behalf
of the project As 1 view it the effect
would be simply to give the 'favoned few
a superabundanee OF work at the expense
of the much larger number that might OBJ
tain employment in the private yard
Experiment to Be Tried.
''The committee has provided in the bill
that the Secretary of the Navy shall have
the discretion to build all Of the vessels
authorized in the bill in the navy yards OF
the government. and 1t makes it mandatory
on him to build at least one Of the battle
ships or cruisers in a government yard. An
appropriation of $175,000 is made for the
purpose Of fitting UP the yard selected for
the work to be DONE The justification of
this provision is that many of the members
of the committee earnestly desired that
another trial might be made, and that an
accurate account OF the cost of govern
ment construction might be compiled and
compared with that OF contract construc-
ton. so that the agitation may be settled
one way or the other. I am constrained
to diner from this action, because it Is by