Evening star., 1917-10-31
IMMEDIATE RUSH
ON SH|PBU|LD|NG
Million Tons Promised by Ship
ping Board Between Now
and March |.
Conference HERE TODAY

Events today, added to other develop
ments Of the week in the United States
Shipping Board and the Emergency
Fleet Corporation, encourage officials of
the government and representatives OF
the allies who are profoundly interested
in the expansion of ocean carrying ia
cilities to count upon immediate speed
ing up of the shipbuilding program.
Rear Admiral Capps, general manager OF
the Emergency Fleet Corporation, and
Chairman Hurley Of the shipping board
promise to turn out approximately l.
100000 tons of ships between now and
March /.
The Emergency Fleet Corporation has
been expanded In its executive depart
ment, Charles Pieze of Chicago. preA-
dent of the Link Bell Company, has been
drafted from a $50.0oo-a-year position
and made vice president of the corpora
tion. to assist Rear Admiral Capps.
James Heyworth. one OF the largest
contractors in the west has been COM
mandeered from his immense business
and made assistant genera az nlnas an rson
Payne of Washington and chicago, mas
been placed at the head OF the IA" oe
partment of the corporation A panhei
Of national prominence Will De IN enat ts ss
of the auditing branch. The work OF the
corporation has been distributed among
departments upon a thoroughly morern
efficiency basis.
Joint Conference Here Today.
Today the shipping board and the
Emergency Fleet Corporation NEE. .. WIZ .ha
representatives. of labor and OF the the
Atlantic Coast Shipbuilders Associa-
tiou. who came to Washington unaeI
authority Of a recent meeting OF snat
body. They represented shippuiiost tr
Guiding such well known firms as the
Cramps of Philadelphia, the Harlan q
Hollingsw Company OF W liihlns
ton, the two immense shippuiiqlhs Sa.us
at Camden, n. j.; Pusey & Jones. tne
Fore River Company, the Lake Iorpeoo
Boat Company and. in fact, all the east
coast builders. +o
Five Recommendations were naue "
the shipping board by this Representa-
tive body, In brief they were as follows:
Five Recommendations to Board.
Adjustment and STANDARDIZATION OF
ahipyard wages on the Atlantic coast
with the cooperation OF LABOR repre-
sentatives and the moral suaslon OF
.D,stribution among all the shipyards
OF the visible supply OF LABOR. SO theIe
shall be no surplus In one plant ana
shortage in another.
OF materials in a systematic way.
which will keep each yard supplied
with the material it needs hrst-
Coordination and cooperation OF the
States Shipping Board with the build
An equitable policy for the adjust
ment Of unfinished contracts.
shipbuilders Pledge Cooperation.
The shipbuilders. in the name Of their
'organization. pledge themselves 70
auce possible, in full recognition OF
the paramount importance of putting
ships in the water. Competitive. rival
ry is to be subordinated to the gov
ers will put the country's necessity and
the worlds need ahead OF consldera-
tions Of profit.
Chairman Hurley Of the shipping
the purpose to turn out 100000 tons
Of ships between now and March !,
achieving in fodf months more than
was accomplished in the previous
were produced in 1916. He said the
government expects to build 100000
deadweight tons of ships in 1918. The
money is available. the will to accom-
plish Is fixed and he expects the results
to be obtained.
'sJust Begun to Fight"
"As John Paul Jones remarked. We
have Just begun to fight" remarked
Mr.. Hurley. as his auditors applauded
He did not minimize the seriousness of
the obstacles to be overcome The best
industrial thel
world, II suddenly called upon to multi
ply its output by ten. would have to
strain every nerve to accomplish the
Speaking for Admiral Caps as we'll
as for himself, Chairman Hurley said
he desired to take the opportunity to
pay tribute to the patriotism of labor.
The shipyard owners probably have not
fully understood the obstacles which
the patriotic labor of the country has
had to overcome, while labor did not
completely comprehend the difficulties
which the shipyard owners encountered
at the outset OF this sudden and vast
expansion.
Rear Admiral Caps and Chairman
board and the feet corporation, were
highly gratified with the spirit shown
at the conference today and privately
expressed themselves as being confident
that the meeting would produce results
which would be Immediately percep-
tible.
100000 Workmen Needed.
Some problems in connection with the
shipbuilding program remained to be
worked out. There is shortage of la
Dor estimated to amount to 390,0 men
in the shipbuilding trade and the in
dustries allied with 1t. The War De-
partment is now working out a plan to
relieve this scarcity of labor by ex-
empting from military service men who
have been drawn in the selective draft
who are fitted to engage in these sew
eral lines of work.
The government will bring pressure
to bear to put stop to the practice
which has obtained among the ship
yard owners of bidding against each
other for the services of high-class su-
perintendents.
A case is cited of one Pacific coast
shipyard bidding $4,000 to take a su-
perintendent away from rival. Great
Britain in its defense of the realm act
penalties this custom and Congress
will be asked to do the same in this
country.
No Reflection on Admiral capps.
The expansion of the executive board
of the feet corporation is explained to
. be in no sense a reflection upon Rear
Admiral Capps. the president of that
organization. Experience proved that
the volume Of work was so over
whelming as to be beyond the physical
ability of one man to direct it. The
men who have practically been COM
mandeered from lucrative private bus
H.