Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-05-06

ships at the New York navy yard is i
better for the United States govern
ment, from the standpoint of the
time consumed ard the money ex-
pended, than by private companies
The Connecticut is being butt at New
York and the Louisiana, sister ship,
is in course of construction by pri-
vate concern at Newport News. 1t
has been an open secret that there is
an investigation on foot and the men
engaged In building both the ships
have done everything in their power
to make good records at both places.
This contest, it is expected, will fur
nish figures which will be used in the
future to decide who will be the build
ers of several of the large ships to be
added to the navy in the future. 1t
has been the general opinion. not only
among the people at large but in con-
gress as we'll, that private concerns
take more time than is at all neces-
sary to build ships and the prime OBJ
ject of the investigation was to learn
if this was true.
The house labor committee has been
making careful tabulations. and in it's
report are found statistical data bear
ing upon the cost of the material, the
amount of work each man accom-
plished in given time. etc.. etc. The
report gives the information that the
average man at the New York navy
yard accomplishes as much every ten
minutes as the average man at New
port News accomplished in twelve
minutes and twenty-five seconds"
The officials of the Newport News
yard decided that the building Of the
hull afforded the best test for COM
parison, and accordingly they COM
piled statements of the material, cost
and the time consum ed, ETC., and the
same thing was done at the govern
ment navy yard at New York. The
result of a comparison Of these tabu-
lations show that "the average pro.
duction per man per hour on the Con-
necticut exceeded by 24.4S per cent
the average production per man per
hour on the Louisiana"
The explanation for this high aver
age is no doubt found in the follow
ing points appended to the commit
tees report, coupled with the thought
that there is more than normal differ
ence between Virginia and New York
labor:
Higher rte Of wages are paid at the
navy yard than by private companies
in Greater New York and elsewhere.
and the rates of the latter average
higher than companies elsewhere.
Employment the year around is
steadier and more secure than in pri-
vate yards.
The higher wages, shorter hours and
steady employment attract the best
grade of workmen to the navy yard,
where tacit recognition of an assert
ed economic theory prevails, that the
best workmen cannot be induced to
work extra hard without larger pay
than the average.
Prompt recognition Of good work
by advance in wages and promotion
in grade.
A large waiting list of mechanics
and others from private shops to Sc
lect from.
The expectation or belief that if the
Connecticut was built in record time
the building of another battleship
would be given the Brooklyn navy
yard.
A zeal generated by the general
CudISuSS VI IuS COuuIly W IuS navy
yard workmen to make good their
claims in this test.
Prompt discharge for ineficiency.
| Dismissal of workmen who could
not or would not come up to a re-
quired standard of output in quantity
and qaulity.
No restriction of output individually
or collectively.
Loafng, soldering or marking
time" not tolerated.
| Workmen required to begin work
i the moment the whistle blows, and to
continue working until the moment the
whistle blows at quitting time.
Strict technical and exacting super.
vision of high order of skill and ex.
perience.
A desire on the part of naval con
structors and workmen to remove an
impression of ineficiency growing
out of former navy yard construction
of war vessels, before civil service
regulations controlled employment
| u.