Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-06-12
British Ship Yards
Make Ne,U Building
Record During May

London. une 12.-Merchant shipping
completed in United Kingdom yards
and entered for service during May
totaled 1924 gross tons, the highest
figure for any month during the last
year.
Official figures published recently
show that the competitions for May
marked an increase in tonnage over
April. 1918, of S5.741 tons. The next
highest figures for any month in the
last year We're 1915 gross tons in
March, 1918.
The total competitions for the twelve
months ending May 81. 1918, were l.
4Os, S3S gross tons. The correspondents
figures for the year ending April so.
1918, we're 1,27O,337.
Commenting upon these figures, the
controller general of merchant ship
building says the satisfactory output
for May reflects great credit on the
whole industry, particularly on the
firms engaged in fitting out vessels.
The average time for fitting out has
been reduced considerably. In one in
stance during May a 5,000ton steamer
was completed for service within nine
teen days of it's launching.
THE return Of new merchant ships
conpleted/in May" says the Times,
Shows a great advance on the pre-
vious month, and this is not the only
proof Of the energy now being thrown
into shtpbuilding. The accounts of new
shipyards created where three months
g go there was nothing but open fields
is another piece of evidence. There has
also been a great deal Of enterprise in
the extension of existing yards. These
achievements afford proof that the in
dustrial energy of the country is not
exhausted and has an abundant re-
serve force.
Other items Of news point to
general increase Of activity in ship
building. not only here but in the
United States and Canada. an activity
which, will certainly be stimulated by
the new German offensive off the
American coast.
Big Gains in Canada.
! "A ccording to the chairman Of the
imperial munitions board. there is
under construction in Canada one
quarter Of the total merchant tonnage
of the United Kingdom in 1917, ana
! four fifths Of 1t will be completed thi.
year That is a remarkable achieve
nent for country in which, ten years
ago. shipbuilding hardly existed IN
embryo. All this enterprise will bear
fruit in due course, and before this
time next year the shipping position
will be totally different from that Of
today.
There has been a general progress
i've Improvement in regard to the rate
| Of losses in the last twelve months,
and It now is quite certain that at
some future but no longer distant date
the requirements will overtake the
losses and the balance then will In
cline positively to the right side. But
that time has not yet arrived and
meanwhile, the need of shipping stead
lily increases and must be expected to
increase.
THE spirit of emulation which had
entered the yards can not fail to stimu
late production, but it needs direction
| into the right channel. Opinions diner
about the recent rivetdrivins COM
petition. 1t is not so much in individual
feats of skill and endurance that com
petition should be applied, but in the
combined work Of the yard. Direct
comparison Of output in given perioo
Is impra cticable because conditions
vary indefinitely. But that does not
apply to the test of grit proposed by
the Daily Mail, which is offering prizes
for the highest percentages of time OF
work out Of possible maximum. This
seems to us to be the best suggestion
yet made for utilizing the sporting
spirit in the yards
Archibald Hurd writing In the Daily
Telegraph, says the output Of British
tonnage during the twelve months
ended May q was almost exactly twice
that of the preceding twelve months