Arizona republican., 1918-01-05
TWO Billion Dollars For Ship Building Is Plan
 Of The Shipping Board
Republican A. p. Leased Wire1


 WASHINGTON. Jan. 4.-PIans for two billion dollar govern ment shipbuIding program were revealed today when the shipping board asked congress for authority to place $7o1 ,0oo, 900 worth of ad- ditonal ship contracts At the same time an immediate appropri ation of Sa2,ooo,ooo was asked for the extension of ship yards and for providing housing facilities for workmen.
 Thus far the board has been au- thorized to spend for shipbuiIding S1, 1,234, 900, 900. contracts for most of which have been awarded Today's request for further authorization and addition appropriation brings the estimates of funds needed for shipbuiding to S2,o1s,o0o,o0o. If the additional funds are made available, they will be put largely into fabricated steel ship contracts, although some contracts for ordi- nary steel ships will be let as will few for wooden ships on the Pa cific coast.
 No new shipyards are planned by the board. The fabricatng yards have contracts for about 500 ships
 now, which will keep them con- stantIy employed into 1919, but the
 board is anxious to place more con-
 Yacts and begin on the task of pro- viding materials
 The boards housing pIaps call for tho expenditure of about S35,- 100000. The remainder of the S82,-
 600, 900 asked will be used to ex-
 pand shipyards already built.
 The senate commerce committee in vestigating the progress Of shipbuild- ing. took up today alleged high profits allowed in letting contracts, Wooder ship construction and the subject ot housing.
 Questioning of Theodore E. Ferris chief constructor for the emergency fleet corporation, in connection with report by the corporations district of ficer at Seattle, brought out that thu Clinchfield Navigation company O New York, was alleged to have ob- tained profits amounting to ST43,000 ol ship contracts when in fact the com pany was not an actual builder O ships. The company. it was testified sold to the government at a profit 0 $420, 900, four ships which the Sloal Shipbuilding Corporation of Seattle was building for it. and that it reeeiye' a commission of S323,000 on contract it obtained from the fleet corporation for twelve ships which the Sloan Cor poration now is building
 Mir. Ferris denied that he had any thing to do with the contracts but sai he introduced officers of the Clinch field company to Major General Georg w. Goethals, formerly general man ager of the fleet corporation. Conditions affecting the constructio of wooden ships are outlined by F. 4 Brown, general purchasing officer fo the fleet corporation and F. l.. Sanford a member of the Southern Pine Elmer gency bureau. Mir. Brown explaine the fleet corporations granting of a increase in lumber prices and said h thought it was fully justified in vie' of the fact that timber sizes were mad larger He said the sizes were made s large that pine producers could nc make deliveries, but that the corpora ton expected to have delivered fror Oregon within sixty days enough fir furnish the heavier timbers for 20 i wooden ships.
 Delays in pine deliveries were attrih uted by MT. Brown to some extent the fact that builders, anxious to dra' on the fleet corporations advanc funds, laid down too many keels ir stead of going ahead with the cor struction of ships already laid dow Their contracts he said, called for th payment of money advances whe keels were laid and many builders toe advantage of this to get money quick ly. The fleet corporation, he sai finally was forced to put a stop to u laying of keels.
 MT Sanford contradicted the test mony of Rear Admiral Bowles of u fleet corporation, who declared tn pine producers had fallen down on d. liVeries.