The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-04-02
OREGON TO BUILD
$50 WOODEN SHIPS
Hurley Authorizes Construction of Big
Auxiliary Fleet in Private Yards
on the Pacific

WASHINGTON, April 2-The Unit
ed States shipping board has agreed to
permit private capital to construct in
Oregon shipyards $50 wooden ships of
3 900 tons each equipped with Diesel
engines and sails, which will be used
in the Pacific trade, including trade
with China, in materials necessary To
the war.
The offer was made by Senator
| Charles L. McNary of Oregon in behalf
Of the Atlantic and Pacific Shipbuild-
ing corporation, a new organization, be-
| hind which, il is understood, are the
du Pont interests. Materials for the
hulls and their equipment must be oh
tanned from supplies not essential to
the plans Of the shipping board.
Yards in which the emergency fleet
corporation has no contracts viii be
used for the construction OF the new
type Of vessels, and. while they will
contribute to the war needs by bring
ing supplies from the Orient and re
leasing larger ships for trans Atlantic
service, the work will not be permitted
to interfere with the big government
program.
The ships are to sail under the Amer
lean flag. It is not proposed to com
mandeer them unless unforeseen cireum
stances arise They Will, however, be
subject to government charter rates.
The project is considered of great
Importance by shipping board officials
because it is believed that large feet
can thus be furnished for essential Pa
cifc trade without expense to the gov
ernment The timbers necessary to tn,
: construction Of the ships are not suit
, able to the cargo carriers building un
+ der government contracts, and the aux
T iliary machinery viii not in any wa,
complicate the orders placed hv TIL
I government.
c Senator ATrNarv asked that the fol
lowing ruling be granted by the ship
/ ping board:
p That wooden shipyards not EN-
z ployed in the construction Of woode
IS ships for this government shall be FIRE
G to contract with private interests 70
j the construction Of wooden ships: sue
2 ships to be built by American orgauza
{ tions and sailed under the flag Of tn
United States Of America; steamers t
'e be approximately 1000 tons dea
le "That any wooden ships that sue
5 concerns shall contract to build. With
the limitations of this ruling and undc
u any contract dated prior to further o.
ders by this government changing sue
= limitations, they, the said concern
: shall be free to build, complete and d,
J liver to the parties entitled to the sam
. under the contract.
:. In his reply Mr.. Hurley gave III
! decision on that point:
i Ruling is hereby granted, but sui
!. iect to the further conditions that II
i regulation of shipping rates shall /
Is under this shipping board, that sal
board shall be informed from time
ne time upon its request Of the numbc
III capacity, and equipment of the shiI
Of in process of construction by the shi
II, building concern that shall engage
business under the ruling above s.
forth, and further, that all such COZ
Germs will comply with all instruction
rs to wages or conditions of emplo
of ment of labor, or process Of materla
iii writing by the shipping board,
other agency OF the government havil
jurisdiction or control of the subie
te matter.