Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-12-18

uuCo SHIPS.
Washington, Dec. 1s.-Further re-
organization Of the governments ship
building organization was announced
today by the resigation of Vice Admir-
al Harris and the appointment of
Charles Piez, of Chicago, to succeed
him.
With the announcement Of the
changes Chairman Hurley disclosed
that the progress Of building ships was
going forward more rapidly than had
been generally known.
A general reorganization of the fleet
corporation will follow. Rear Admiral
Bowles. aide to Admiral Harris, will be
given an important place in the new
organization.
James Heyworth will take full
charge Of wooden construction and
Charles Day will become managed OF
the production department.
Much Accomplished.
admiral Harris resignation was ac-
|cepted, Chairman Hurley announced.
because Of his insistence. on moving
the offices Of the corporation to Phila-
delphia. The shipbuilding program,
Chairman Hurley announced, is in
better shape than at any time since It
was launched. Conditions on the Pa
ciic coast are excellent he declared,
and work is progressing everywhere
as fast as human labor can turn 1t out.
At present there are under construc-
ton and under contract, he declared,
1896, 3OS dead weight tons Of shipping.
Cause Of Disagreement.
Admiral Harris, upon the retirement
of Admiral Capps on Dec. l, on account
Of i'll health, was designated general
manager, Chairman Hurley said In q
statement.
while the reorganization was IN
progress he suggested to me that the
emergency fleet corporation be moved
to Philadelphia. l suggested that
mater of this kind, involving policy as
well as legislative approval, would GER
tainly have to be submitted to the
board of trustees, as it would have 70
be in any corporation to the poard Oh
directors. Admiral Harris also wanted
to give his immediate approval for the
expenditure Of s12,000,000 for housing
operations in connection with the ship
ward. This being departure from the
corporation's functions of shipbuildlng
7 felt that the trustees should pass on
1t:
admiral Harris then expressed his
opinion that his authority was to De
limited and he would be able to render
more service elsewhere. The board OF
trustees concurred in his Judgment
feeling that their duty required care
ful consideration Of projects apart from
shipbuilding.
Piez Strong Man.
"The grasp OF Mr. Piez upon the
whole shipbuil6ing program has Deen
so strong, and his knowledge of actual
conditions in the yards SO definite as
a result Of his study In the field, that
the best results can be obtained by
combining his function as vice .presf-
dent by those of general manager. y
.sIJnderlying the reorganization which
has been completed was the desire TO
bring the fleet corporation closer to
the shipyard. Mr.. Day, for instance,
served with Mr.. Piez in the personal
visit Of the production committee to
the shipyards where actual construc-
ition conditions were observed. Mr.. Day
went to England. where he made an
exhaustive investigation into the meth
ods which prevailed In the shipyards
there. He has now returned, and be-
comes one Of the important factors IN
our speeding up program. ~;
Results Apparent.
.The result OF the reorganization al
ready is apparent In all the yards.
Lloyds has just made q report which
has been carefully checked up and
which shows that there is a better bas-
O. for optimism than there has been at
any time since the emergency pro-
gram 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 report o. Admiral Bowles shows
that construction work Is progressing
A. fast as human labor can turn It
out, Tss plans Of last MAY have been
translated into hulls on the shipways
and into ships on the seas. We are
close to the point where the result u
what has been done Win be apparent
to everyone.
sThe carefully checked hgures OF Ad-
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