Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-12-18

70. - T. 4 Z
With the. announcement Of the
changes Chairman Hurley disclosed
that the progress Of building ships
was going forward more rapidly than
has been generally known.
4 general reorganization Of the
fleet corporation will follow. Rear
Admiral Bowles. aide to Admiral IIar-
ris, will be given an important place
in the new organization.
James Heyworth will take full
charge of wooden construction, and
Charles Day will become manager Of
the production department.
Reason for Resignation.
Admiral Harris resignation was ao-
cepted, Chairman Hurley announced,
because of his insistence on moving
the offices Of the corporation to Phila-
delphia. .x
The ship building program. Chair
man Hurley announced. Is in better
shape than at any time since It was
launched. Conditions on the Pacific
work issprogressing everywhere as
fast as human labor can turn It out /
At present there are under con-
struction and under contract. It was
annoupced s.3s5,3os dead weight tons
OF shipping.
admiral Harris, upon. the retire
ment Of Admiral Capps on. December
I, on account Of ill-health. was desig-
mated general manager" said Chair
man Hurley in a prepared statement.
Would Move to Philadelphia.
While the reorganization was in
progress he suggested to me that the
emergency feet corporation be moved
to Philadelphia I suggested that 4
as well as possible legislative ap-
proval. would certainly have to be
submitted to the board Of trustees. as
it would be submitted in any corpora
ton to the board Of directors. Ad-
miral Harris also wanted to give his
immediate approval to san expenditure
of $12.000,00O for housing operations
in connection with the shipyards. This
being q departure from the CORPORA
that the trustees should pass upon it.
admiral Harris then expressed his
opinion that his authority W44t to bei
limited and he would be able to rell-e
der more service elsewhere. ,-se4he
board OF trustees concurred IN thts
judgment, feeling that their duty res
quired careful consideration OF
pIOJeC6 dpdTl tlEO1Il 6IAAROQAAulAS... s.t.
"The grasp of Mr.. Piez upon the
whole shipbuilding program has been
so strong and his knowledge of actual
conditions in the yards 80 definite as
a result of his study in the field. that
the best results can be obtained by
combining his function as vice prest-
dent with those of general manager.
/, Closer to ShipyaIds.
Underlying the Reorganization
which has been completed was the de-
sire to bring the fleet corporation
close to the shipyards Mr.. Day for
instance, served with Mr.. Piex in the
personal visit Of the production COM
mittee to the ship yards where actual
conditions were ascer-
tained MIR. Day then went to Eng
land where he made an exhauStives1nA
vestigation into the methods which
prevail in the ship yards there. He
has now returned and becomes oi11sof
the important Yactors in our spee1s
ing up program. ~ ~ is
"The result Of the reorganization
already is apparent in ~ the yards.
Lloyds has just made report which
has been carefully checked$eup and
which shows-that there is better
basis for optimism than there has
been at any time since the emerkency
program was launched. Conditions
on the Pacific coast have SO improved
that records are being broken In the
speed with which ships are being
turned out. The reports Of Admiral
Bowles show that construction work
is progressing as fast as human labor
can turn it out. The plans Of last
May have been translated into hulls
on the ship ways and into ships on
the seas. We are close to the point
where the results Of what has been.
done will be apparent to everyone.
THE carefully checked figures Of
Admiral Bowles show s.3e5.30s dead
weight tons under construction and
under contract" ..s y55
Friends Of Admiral Harris declared
he had acted unselfishly in resigning
because he thought a general re-ar-
ranKement of affairs at the ship
building organization would hurry the
work. s ypes