New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-23
Unable to Produce That
Amount Of New Bottoms
in 1918
100000 Tons Have
Been Contracted For
% Vessels Already Have
Been Completed and
Accepted
IStaf COrrespondencel

WASHINGTON, Nov. 22.-Chairman
Hurley Of the Shipping Board to-day
denied that he had promised 100000
tons Of new American shipping for
1918. He declined to give any positive
assurance that this tonnage would be
produced.
The chairman of the Shipping
Boards prior statement, it was FIX
planned, was not promise of 5000, 100
tons of new American shipping in he
water, but merely a statement that Il at
figure was the programme laid down Jy
the Shipping Board.
eve will do everything possible, "
course" Mr.. Hurley said, ito reach thai
figure; but | will make no promise at
this time. There are too many things
involved to justify confident Dredic-
ton"
May Reach 5000, 900 Ton Mark
If all the foreign ships requisitoned
on the ways by the Shipping Board
and the vessels already contracted for
leave the yards in 1913 the 5000, 1000
ton mark will be passed. The govern
ment has Communicated about 2,000,-
900 tons of ships under construction
for foreign owners. Up TO last week
twenty-eight Of these vessels, qggre-
eating l59, 299 tons, had been completed
and accepted by the Fleet Corporation.
The first steel vessel of the new con-
struction programme will leave the
yard OF the Skinner-Eddy Company, at
Seattle, next Saturday. This vessel is
an 11-knot cargo carrier Of $500 tons.
The new construction oontractad for
by the Emergency Fleet Corporation 20
date. as reported by the Shipping
Board to-day, aggregates little more
than 100000 tons. This includes
fifty-eight composite ships wood and
steeD, 100000 tons; 345 steel chips,
2,665,400 tons, and rs wooden SHIPS,
100000 tons. Additional contracts
are being awarded each week, it was
stated.
Proposes 5000 Bonus
A plan for speeding up ship con-
struction in Pacific yards, laid before
the Shipping Board to-day by William
Pigott, president of the Seattle Manu-
facturers' Association. provides that
for each ship turned out by the West
ern yards in advance of schedule a
bonus of $4,000 will be paid from
fund to be subscribed by business men
in Pacific Coast cities. This money
will be divided among the men en-
ployed in building the ships. The plan
has the Endorsement of Shipping Board
officials.
Mr.. Pigott predicts that Pacific yards
will make much better records in con-
struction than Will the Eastern yards.
and the West coast business interests
he states, do not purpose TO let this be
the case without proper recognition.
At a meeting of the Atlantic Coast
shipbuilders in Washington on Octo-
Der 81, Chairman Hurley, of the Ship
ping Board, said:
"This meeting has been called for
the single purpose of establishing a
new goal for our expectations. Between
now and March / this country will
turn out approximately 100000 tons
Of ships, dead weight In the whole of
1916 we turned out little over 100000.
Thus we will achieve in four months
far more than we achieved previously
in twelve months. Conservatively
stated, we have quadrupled our output.
The new goal Of our expectations is
ten times the production Of 1916"