The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-08-31
Army and
Navy News
BATTLESHIPS TO COST
TWELVE MILLION EACH

WASHINGTON, August 1S.-Beek-
man Winthrop. acting secretary OF the
navy. stated tonight that the battle
ships Florida and Utah, as well as the
new battleship, as yet unnamed, which
is to be built at the New York navy
ward. will cost the government nearly
$12.00O,000 each, with armor and arma-
ment. Mr.. Winthrop denied a story
emanating in New York that Naval
Constructor William J. Baxter had sub
mitted to the navy department an estl-
mate for the cost of the new ship to
be built at the New York navy yard,
including the widening of the Florida s
launching ways, approximatlng Sly
GEO zoe.
This naturally would not be Mr.. Bax-
ter work to do, and the estimates for
the cost of the new vessel are now
being prepared in the bureau Of con-
struction and repair, the bureau OF
steam engineering, the bureau Of ord
nance and other bureaus Of the navy
department here in Washington which
have had charge Of such matters.
eff any one has said that it will.
cost $12,0O0000 TO build the new bat
tleship.'' Mr. Winthrop said to re.
porter for the Herald tonight, ''the
statement has been made on guesswork,
pure and simple. We are trying to find
out at the department what it will cost
TO build this ship.
at may be said, however, and I do
not think it is generally known, that
when the cost of building the Florida
and the Utah is calculated up to the
last cent. it Will be found that these
two ships cost the government approx
matelv or nearly $12,000,oo0 each. On
that basis it would be safe for guessers
who know the figures to say that the
new hattleships viii cost at least $l2,-
GOO 900.
"Detailed plans and specifications for
the two new battleships authorized by
the last congress will not he prepared
and ready until October ], so | DO not
see how any one can say what the
J ships will cost. One Of these vessels
was ordered by congress to be built at
government navy yard. TIE New
York ward is naturally the principal
! ward Of the country and was selected
! for the place Of building this ship. This
! ward was carefully and fully fitted up
/ for the construction of ting Connecticut
and the Florida, which were built there
! - Ships built at government yards are
! bound to cost much more than those
built at private yards. This has been
/ 20 as far back rs to the Connecticut
At government Yards we have an eight
/ hour day while outside yards have a
ten-hour day. We give government
employees fifteen days vacation, while
the leave private yards grant their EN-.
ploves is charged to them. We grant
Saturday half-holidavs in summer at
government yards. which means the los,
Of good many days of work, taken in
the aggregate, while outside yards, as
a rule, only pay their men for The
work they do.
| . Under the act of congress by which
the two new battlcships were authoriz
ed Il was specified that not more thar
an. eight-hour day should be employed
on the construction Of these ships. Thi:
will affect all the actual work done
on the vessel in the yard. but VIII not
affect any material, supplies or equip
ment manufactured elsewhere, to he put
on the vessel. 1t applies 70 work done
! on q government reservation only. This
will increase the cost Of the new bat
tleship to be built in the New York
yard
There is no question of the New York
ward submitting a bid for the construc
| ton of the new battleship. The gov
| eminent yards do not bid against each
other in this matter, as was indicated