Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-12-12
THE BUILDING
OF BATTLESH|PS
Ability Of Government Navy.yards
To Equal Contract War.
ships, Demonstrated.
SUCH ADMIRAL cAPP'S VIEW.
Preliminary Work on Designs for
20,000-Ton Batticship Has
Been Begun.

Washington, Dec, 12.--rhe ability OK
government navy-yards to turn out
warshlps equal In all respects TO those
built under contract, In the opinion OF
Rear Admiral Cappa chief OF the bu-
reau OF construction OF the navy, In his
annual report, has been fully demon
straied. lie urges that at least one
yard on the Pacific coast and one on the
Atlantic coast, when practicable should
be glven a reasonable proportion of nav
construction work In order that such
yards may always DO available for
any work the government may desire
to undertake therein,
In this connection reference Is made
30 the battleshipa Louisiana and Con-
neetieut, the actual condition OF work
on the vessel was practically Identical
with the Louisiana SO tar as concerned
all matters uneennected with armour
and armament. Admiral Capps admits
that IT costa less to build " warship ny
contract by reason OF the shorter hours
Of labor, paid holidays. vacations, etc.
granted TO navy yard employees put ne
believes nevertheless that the govern
ment should be always prepared 10
turn out It's own ships in times OF emer-
gency, The lack of suitable docking
facilities at Norfolk and Mare Island
is commented upon as being especially
embarrassing to the bureau as no bat
tleships OF any class can be locked at
either OF those yards, He recommends
the building of an additional drydock,
capable OF docking the largest vessels,
at both the Norfolk and Pensacola navy
yards and provisions should be made
for enlarging and rebuilding drydock
No. at the New York navy yard. The
development of the Norfolk navy yard
to meet the requirements Of fleet as
regards construction and repair Is re-
commended for special consideration.
The appointment of n special board
to consider matters relating to the per-
sonnet Of the corps OF naval construc-
tors, the report says, is In contempla-
ton. While recording the fact that
the proportion Of casualties by reason
of death and resignation continues to
be large. Admiral Capps says that the
departments policy of years past In
assigning for special course OF IN
struction graduates of the naval acade-
my OF suitable attachments, with view
TO their ultiamte transfer to the con-
struction corps to fill vacancies, viii
in time, make the eject OF such casu-
plties less serious, The excessive
amount of work devolving upon the
bureau. Admiral Caps adds, combined
with its limited number Of officers has
resulted in the gradual impairment OF
the vitality. and in some Instances,
complete breakdown OF officers whose
services were especially valuable.
The report speaks at length OF the
work on new and old vessels during
the past year, and states that prelim-
mary work has begun upon the designs
of the 2OO00-ton battleship authorized
at the last session OF Congress
Admiral Caps doubts the expedien-
cy OF repairs to warships on foreign
stations, and says that both economy
ana efficiency will result from carrying
out all large repairs and overhaulings
of naval vessels in navy yards within
the continental limits Of the United
States wherever practicable.