The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-08-03
HOLDEN EVANS
WRITES A BOOK
NAVAL CONSTRUCTOR, WHO is A
NATIVE OF THIS COUNTY, TELLS
WHY SOME OF THE sHlPBUILD-
ING PLANTS BECOME BANK
RUPT.

Naval Constructor Holden A. Evans.
Q. S. N, who is a native Of this coun-
ty and went from here to the naval
academy, has written a book in which
he tells why shipbuilding plants be-
come bankrupt, and which is attract
ing considerable attention. The Army
and Navy Journal of recent date con-
tatned the following regarding the
book and the naval constructor:
The chance of battleship building
forcing shipbuilding plants into bank
ruptcy, as has been the case in the
past, is very remote now, according to
the assertion Of Naval Constr. Holden
A. Evans, u. s. N. in his book, Cost
Keeping and Scientific Management,
lust published by the McGraw Hill
Book Company. New York and Lon
don. A few years ago it was not I'M
usual for bids on battleships to differ
by as much as half a million dollars.
This enormous difference did not rep
resent difference in efficiency of the
shipyards, in the cost Of labor and ma.
terial, nor in the figured profits. 1t
was almost entirely due to the lack of
knowledge OF the actual cost of SINH
lar battleships previously built.
TT was due to those causes, Mr..
Evans says. that large contracts for
warshfps were taken at prices far be-
low cost, and consequently several
yards went to the wall. These expert
ences have taught their lessons, and
there are few shipyards now that do
not know at least their total costs on
each contract. In small shops, how
ever, the lesson Is not so quickly
learned. A shop goes under here and
there, but the real cause is not known
and another takes it's place, and there
always seem to be enough shops with
out a knowledge of costs to keep bust
ness disturbed. On the Pacific coast
these conditions prevail at present and
there is little prospect Of the most eff
ficient shop which has figured on a
moderate profit obtaining a contra ct
where bids are required, except through
luck. II is fortunate for these that
many contracts are placed without re-
quiring bids. Not only would accurate
cost keeping prevent this demoraliza-
ton Of business, but 1t points the way
to more efficient produ ction. The con-
struction department of the Mare
Island navy yard. under direction Of
Mr.. Evans, serves for illustration, and
pictures Of various shops and rooms
in that yard accompany the text.
I'VE are told on page 1874 that in a
large blacksmith shop at Mare Island
time studies disclosed the usual glar-
ing defects, many Of which were i'm
mediately corrected. They also showed
the very large amount Of time in
which the smiths were not working at
the hammer or anvil, but were tending
their fires or waiting for heat The
steps taken to correct mary OF the de-
fects IN the machine shops at Mare
Island are described in some detail.
Managers Of jobbing shops and small
manufacturing plants should be CRATE
full to Naval Constructor Evans for
his book, (which is written for Just
such minor establishments. In them
the author finds accurate cost keeping
and the principles OF good manage
ment have received but little attention
At the same time he INDUCES the
modest hope that the volume will not
prove uninteresting to the officials of
large manufacturing and shiubuilding
plants"