The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-02-05
WARSHIP CONSTRUCTION
~ IN OUR NAVY YARDS


the chances are that there is stock
of material on hand Of every kind that
would be needed to make those re-
pairs. The matter of having the ma
teriai on hand IS one OF the most eS-
sential items in carrying on work rap
idly
The third advantage is that the
amount expended for repairs will be
reduced by the fact of having ships
building in the yards. That may seem
a curious thing, but if is perfectly
true that if you have got enough to
do to keep an efficient force at work,
there will be no tendency whatever
TO magnify repair work, or even to
devote attention to considering what
improvements can be made in exist
ing ships.
The fourth advantage in carrying
on new work in the navy yards is that
it enables the government to maintain
high standard of workmanship and
design, by which the contractors can
be made to conform to what is neces-
sary under their contracts, and con-
slider this great advantage.
Il Will combine that with the fifth
item on my list; that building ships
in navy yards provides a training for
those who must inspect the contract
work. l maintain that a man is unfit
to be a government inspector, to tell
the contractor how his work shall be
done and what is acceDtab'e and
what is not acceptable unness he has
had that kind of work himself.
The next ADVANTAGE to the govern
ment in doing the work Is that no
profit has to be made The cost of in
spection can also be saved When a
ship Is built by contract. the govern
ment maintains a force of inspectors
and craftsmen. who inspect the work
in progress and make projected plans.
The cost of a trial trip is another item
. <ed, for ii is the custom TO rennu-
nerate the contractor, either by In
Guiding it In his contract. or fairly, as
an extra bill. for all the expenses of
the trial trip
Now, since the above telling argu-
ments were presented-and they are
just as valid today as when they were
made-the question, as we have noted
above. has been Dut to the test by the
construction at Brooklyn of one OF a
pair OF the largest battleships so far
bul't for our navy; and the question
naturally arises, How far have the pre-
dlcuons of the former chief construc-
tor been verified? In answer. it can
be said that the Connecticut. in suite
OF the strenuous efforts of the private
firm which WAS building the sister shin
Louisiana, was completed within the
same time as that ship, and within
TWO or three months less time than
called FOR by the contract. Because
OF the tact that hours are shorter and
the pay somewhat higher. in the gov
eminent yards, no claim was ever
made that the Connecticut could be
built as cheaply as the Louisiana. 1t |
was estimated that she would cost
ABOUT 10 per cent more than the other |
snip. As a matter OF fact. in the fina! /
summing or the costs, it was found |
that she cost only per cent. more. |
The latest official report of the navy |
department gives the total cost of the |
two ships to Sept. so. 1907-the fig
ures including the expense of alter 1
atoms chargeable to original con-
Struct1on, and also OF armor and per-
manent ordnance fittings-as follows: J
For the Connecticut, $685., 30S.22 for !
the Louisiana, s6,O37344.47.
Ihe question may be raised as to |
whether as good ship can be built |
at our navy yards as at the private
Yards Perhaps the most conclusive |
test of this point is to compare the |
actual cost OF repairs on these two |
ships Since their completion Fortu-
1ately, the figures are available; for !
The same report gives the cost of such
repairs for the Connecticut as s94.-
i14-56, and for the Louisiana as s11O.-
o6O19. difference OF about II per
cent in favor of the Connecticut. AS /
matter OF fact, the comparison is
more favorable than appears on the
are, and this for the reason that the
-otaIs for the Connecticut include re-
pairs made necessary by her having