The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1917-08-09
sHIPBUHDING is AN M
MEDIATE NATIONAL DUTY

the greatest military power In the
world. Allied nations are in need of
supplies, munitions and food more |
than ever before. II we move our
own armies to Europe and supply |
them with equipments, ammunition |
and food we must have ships.
,, Rapid building of ships is the i'm
J mediate national need back of the |
whole situation for ending the world |
war and most of all our greatest i'm
perative need if we are to bear an
| honorable and efficient part in the |
struggle we have entered upon, and |
we cannot turn back, having put our
hand to the plow.
Shipbuilding is the immediate ma
| tional duty and demand. The Presi- |
| dent has removed contention from the |
Shipping Board and the country is
now ready to go ahead and get the
bottoms of steel and wood that are to |
enable our country to participate and
deliver our forces in the world strug-
gle for humanity.
In building the nations equipment
for the ocean the Pacific Coast states
and the states west of the Rocky
mountains will render the most i'm
portant part. We have the harbors
that are secure We have the raw
/
material for building wooden ships
and are able to build the steel ships
up to the standard required for mod
ern commerce.
The industry has gone forward
very encouragingly on the Puget
Sound, at Portland, and at San Fran
cisco and Los Angeles and many of
the minor ports on the west coast.
Probably a hundred million dollars
has been invested in shipyards, and
at least five hundred ships of steel
and wood are under construction.
Before the end of the year the Pa
ciic Coast shipbuilding industry
should be turning out ship every
day and possibly two day, and will
be employing fifty thousand hands in
this industry.
To illustrate: Take the Oregon
situation. In that district about one
hundred ships of wood and steel and
of all sizes are under contract for
construction, 23 contracts for steel
ships and the rest for wood.
Portland has developed this indus
try through its Chamber of Com
merce until at present $4,000 men
are employed directly and indirectly
of which $500 to 1000 are employed
under sub-contractors. There is $685.
100000 invested in the shipbuilding
properties and equipment. But Port
land is limited in further operations
by lack of workers.
| Portland needs 5000 men capable
of working on some kind of lobor in
building steel ships, and 5000 more
to work on wooden ships. Almost
any kind of wood worker or metal
worker can be utilized and it is not
question of wages. The wages paid
are better than in almost any other
line of industry and work is steady
all the year through
The Government will not let more
contracts at Portland until at least
several thousand ship workers can be
secured. They must be had and 1t is
the highest civic and patriotic duty
of every man who can handle tools
in wood work or metal work or has
intelligence and muscle that can be
applied to these tasks to help build
ships.
Young men and old men, men with
families or without families, will find
shipbuilding center profitable and
ideal place to serve his country, and
there should be enlisted in this in
dustry $4,000 men before another
year rolls by. The nation needs you,
Mr.. Mechanic. The world needs you.
Commercial bodies and newspa-
pers and business men reading this
statement can all do their little bit
directing men to shipbuilding CEN
ters. You will be helping the men
and helping your country at its point
of sorest need. If you cannot work
on thte shipyard send substitute
and help save the situation for with
out ships we are helpless.
Places like Portland ana other
points where ships are being built, or
can be built, are absolutely at the
mercy of the lobor situations, and
there must be a selective and coop
erative campaign to advance the
building of ships, or our country
faces the most serious situation in its
history.