New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-29

A statement issued by the Navy Department
recently said that one Of the 1lO-footers hsd
been launched at the New York Navy Yard
and another at the New Orleans yard. 1t
further stated that it would be several
weeks before these two boats would be ready
for commission.
According TO the terms OF the contracts
with the boat builders and the orders issued
to the naval constructors in the many yards
where these boats are to be built 800 are 10
be finished by December 81. The New York
ward was TO have one boat ready by June 80,
nine more by July 81, and after that to nm
ish ten each month, making sixty IN all. Inc
New Orleans ward is to deliver one each
month from July to October. inclusive, and
two in December. The Charleston yard IS
TO build eight. delivering ore in July, Au-
gust. September and November, and two IN
October and December. The Norfolk yaro
will build twenty-one, delivering the hrst IN
July and the last in November. The Mare
Island yard, at San Francisco, will build M
teen, delivering one in July, five in August
and nine in September The Puget Sound
yard will build twenty-five, making deliveries
the last four months of the year.
Consequently the six navy yards are 70
make deliveries as follows: June, /; July, 10;
August, %; September, 81; October, %; No
vember. 20; December, 10; total, 1876. The
orders for these boats were given in March
and the keels of some were laid on April l.,
so that it will take nine months for the Navy
Department with all its wonderful equip
ment in six yards, to build 135 boats.
II would seem, therefore, that il the Ger
hold off until the end OF
the year there will be by that time a small
feet of patrol boats to hunt for them.
Contracts VS.. Performance
Contracts for more than two hundred boats
have been placed in private yards, and Naval
Constructor Taylor is not so sangune about
getting these in time. OF those building in
private yards, three are to be delivered IN
July, eight in August, nineteen in Septem-
Der, ffty-seven in October, thirty-seven IN
November and seventy-six in December
that is. if the builders are able TO make good.
There are some who will be able to do the
work assigned to them, but many concerns
exist only on paper, and some of these are
vainly trying to secure yard In when 10
build or to get some reputable concern to
take the contract off their hands. With
these it seems to have been the idea that
having secured the contracts it would be an
easy matter to transfer them at a profit;
but builders who have the proper equipment
are not anxious to take contracts for any
more of these boats, particularly as they
have as a rule bid higher than have the
mushroom concerns.
A we'll posted builder, who knows the capa-
bilties of the different yards where these
boats are to be built, and who also under
stands what task has been undertaken, hav-
ing studied the plans, says that if the gov
eminent gets so per cent Of those to be con-
structed in private yards it will be very lucky.
First of all, he says not half of these build
ers are properly equipped for the work. They
have not the necessary machinery, and what
they need in addition TO the usual saws and
planes is a pneumatic boring and riveting ma
chine, which is an expense, and just now ra-
Their difficult to obtain because of the de-
mand for all tools. Then there is the scare
ity Of labor and last, the difficulty in obtain
ing lumber and other materials. The navy
yards have a great advantage over private
concerns and have been able to procure all
materials At moderate prices, and can also
obtain the labor
How much better it would have been il
these boats had been built with some system.
The keels would have been cut in one yard,
the frames cut and bent in another, the plank
ing cut and beveled in another, the iron and
metal work would have been obtained at some