The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-01-09
BIG SH|pDU|LD|NG PLANS.
BOARD CALLS ON CONGRESS FOR
MONEY.
Legislative Bodies Ask For Authority
to Place Additional Contracts To-
falling Largo Amount.

Washington, Jan. 4.--Plans for q
$4,000, 100000 government shipbuild-
ing program were revealed today when
the shipping board asked congress for
authority to place s701. 100000 worth
Of additional ship contracts. At the
same time an immediate appropria-
ton Of $32,000,00 was asked for the
extension of shipyards and for pro-
viding housing facilities for workmen.
Thus far the board has been author.
lied to spend for shirouilding ST.
234 100000 contracts for most OF
which have been awarded. Today's
request brings the estimates Of funds
needed for shipbuilding to $2,018,-
000, ,O00. The additional funds are to
be put largely into fabricated steel
ship contracts.
No new shipyards are planned by
the board. The fabricating yards
have contracts for about 500 ships
now which will keep them constantly
employed in 1919, but the board is
anxious to place more contracts and
begin on the task of providing mater
/ ials
The boards housing plans call for
the expenditure Of about $35, 900, 900.
The remainder of the $4,000. 900 ask
! a 1>o % SaA nNt
shipyards.
The senate commerce committee in
vestigating shipbuilding took up to-
day alleged high profits allowed in let
ting contracts, wooden ship construc-
tion and the subject Of housing.
Questioning of Theodore E. Ferris.
chief constructor fol he emergency
feet corporation. in connection with a
report by the corporations district
officer at Seattle. bro sght out that the
Clinchfeld Navigaticn Company OF
New York. was alleged to have OBJ
tanned profits amounting to $743,000
on ship contracts. when in fact the
company was not an actual builder of
ships. The company. IL was testified.
sold to the government at profit Of
$420,o00 four ships which the Sloan
Shipbuilding Corporation OF Ssattie
was building for it, and It received
a commission Of $323.000 on con.
tracts it obtained from the Fleet Cor
poration for IL ships which the Sloan
Corporation is now hailding.
Mr. Ferris denied that he has any
thing to dc with the contracts, but
said he introduced officers Of the
Clinchfield Company to Maj. Con.
George W. Goethals formerly general
manager OF the feet corporation.
Conditions affecting the construc-
ton Of wooden ships were outlined by
F. A. Brown, general purchasing Of
Acer for the feet corporation and r.
L. Sanford, a member of the South.
ern Pine Emergency Bureau. Mr..
Brown explained the fleet corpora
tion's granting Of ar increase In lum-
ber prices and said that 1t was fully
justified in view of the fact that TIM
Der sizes were made larger. He said
that the sizes were made so large that
pine producers could not make de-
liveries. but that the corporation ex-
pected to have delivered from Oregon
within so days enough fir to finish the
heavier timbers for 200 wooden ships.
Delays In pine deliveries were at.
tributed by Mr.. BrC wn to some ex-
tent to the fact that builders, anxious
to draw on the fleet corporations ad-
vance funds. laid Gown too many
keels instead Of go & ahead with the
construction of sh ps already laid
down. Their contracts. he said, call
ed for the payment OF money advanc.
ed when keels were laid and many
builders took advantage Of this to get
[ money quickly. The fleet corpora
ton, he said. finally was forced to put
stop to the laying Of keels.
Mr. Sanford contradicted the testf-
lnony Of Rear Admiral Bowles of the
! fleet corporation. who declared that
pine producers had fallen down on
deliveries. Production was retarded
in the summer he said, by the fleet
corporations changes i'm specifica-
tions but he predicted that all the
lumber called for in the contracts
would be delivered by next July, the
time set for final deliveries.