United labor bulletin., 1912-12-19
GOVERNMENT EIGHT-HoUR DAY;
INCREASED COST QUESTIONED.
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1 lNShGASGO SOS SOES ION6O.
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later in the construction of the large,
modern battleship Connecticut, at the
| New York navy yard, when the work was
i carried through SO expeditiously that the
private yard which had taken the con-
| tract for the sister ship QLousiana) had
to extend itself to the utmost to keep
pace with the government-built ship.
One of the main objects of giving work
of new construction to the navy yards
was to spur the private builders to
greater activity, for, up to that time, it
was notorious fact that the govern
| ment contract work was treated as a
kind of standby in private yards, the
! first attention being given to orders for
private firms.
"The record made by the Connecticut
| for rapid construction has acted as a
most effective spur to the private yards,
and our latest warships, in spite of their
| greater size, the being built in from so
to 60 per cent of the time taken to build
the earlier ships. The Con-
| necticut, in spite of the strenuous eff
| forts of the private firm which was build
| ing the sister ship, Louisiana, was COM
pleted within the same time as that ship,
and within two or three months less
| time than called for by the contract. Be-
cause of the fact that hours are shorter
| government yards, no claim was ever
made that the Connecticut could be built
as cheaply as the Louisiana.
ut was estimated that she would cost
| about 10 per cent more than the other
| ship. AS matter of fact, in the final
summing up of the costs, it was found
that she cost only per cent more. The
| latest official report of the navy depart
ment gives the total cost of the two
I,sv,1 t<. 0,t4t ,l,@,
including the expenses of alterations
chargeable to original construction, and
also of armor and permanent ordnance
| fittings, as follows: For the Connecti-
cut $685., ,30S.22; for the Louisiana,
$6,O37, 7,344.47.
THE question may be raised as to
whether as good ship can be built at
our navy yards as at private yards. Per-
haps the most conclusive test of this
| point is to compare the actual cost of
repairs on these two ships since their
completion. Fortunately, the figures are
available, for the same report gives the
cost of such repairs for the Connecticut
as $94,314.56, and for the Louisiana as
| S110,500.19, a difference of about II per
cent in favor of the Connecticut. AS 1,
| matter of fact, the comparison is more
favorable than appears on the face,
and for this reason, that the totals for
/
necessary by her having been run
aground during the past summer, an ac-
cident which, of course. is in no sense
chargeable to the quality of the work of
the ship itself
In regard to the per cent increased
cost of the Connecticut, it is but fair to
draw attention to the fact that this be-
ing the first large battleship to be built
at the Brooklyn navy yard, there are
several items of cost charged to her
which would not appear against any SUBJ
sequent battleship built upon the same
ways There are expenses due to work
of preparatory kind-to the provision
of special tools in the machine shops
and special appliances in the yards.
which, once built. will be vaailable for
subsequent Ships
on output, Senator La Toilette, in the
Congressional Record of May 90, 1910, |
stated:
II wish to submit some figures with
respect to two sister battleships, the |
CONNECTICUT, constructed in the govern |
ment navy yard at New York, and the |
Louisiana, constructed upon contract in |
private yard by the Newport News |
Shipbuilding company. The Connecticut !,
was navy yard-built battleship and the |
Louisiana was constructed in private |
shipyard. The difference in the cost of
construction of the two battleships was |
S29,S55. | state the figures from the re-
port of the paymaster general of the !
navy. The Connecticut cost somewhat |
more than the Louisiana. But the addi- |
tional cost over and above the sum of
$29,S55 was due to delay in the delivery |
of armor, and to the fact that she re-
quired special fittings flagship.
The relative quality of the work |
upon these two sister ships may be |
fairly tested, l should think, from the |
amount of money expended annually for |
repeairs upon each of these ships there
after | find that the cost of keeping |
the two sister ships in repairs for each |
of the years since they have been out of
the shipyards presents some very inter-
esting figures, tending strongly to show,
if not absolutely proving. that the navy
yard-built ship was very much better
constructed, and the work of a superior
quality. 1t cost for the repair OF the
Connecticut the first year, 1906, $236.97.
1t cost for repairs on the Louisiana in
1906, her first year out, the sum OF
s5,S51.09. The second year repairs upon
the Connecticut cost $53,557.47, and the
repairs upon the Louisiana for the same
year cost 500 9,S51.09. For the third year
the repairs upon the Connecticut cost
$111 ,S335S, and the repairs upon the
Louisiana cost $149167-a difference in
favor of the Connecticut for the three
years of 33 per cent. If any other ex-
PLANTATION can be offered to account for
the difference in cost of maintaining
these two ships, shall be very glad to
hear it stated"
| That private plans coming under the
operation of the extended eight-hour law
| will make every effort to create unfa-
vorable impressions in the minds of the
public is in line with the Vaccinations
of large private commercial enterprises.
The organizations of labor, however,
and those favorable to normal work
day of eight hours, can fully justify by
facts. past and present. that in the last
| nIvcis 1uorIr nrnducad lindar the aipht-