Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-07

the Government. Materials used ere
purchased either by the corporation as
agent OF Emergency Fleet Corporation
or, as In the case OF lumber. piling, Cross.
ties, etc. directly by the Government
corporation. Every order given Is ap-
proved In advance as to price and otner
detail by Emergency Fleet Corporations
representatives"
All the moneys spent is furnished by
the Emergency Fleet Corporation. MT.
Baldwin pointed out. and Is disbursed
under It's control. excepting the cost
OF the real estate, which Is owned by
the corporation" He reminded his hear
ers that the Emergency Fleet Corpora
ton has the right to terminate the COM
tract Immediately IN II decides that the
work is not being done to Its satisfac-
tion and that at the end OF the contract
Il may purchase the land at the price
paid for 1t by the international.
He described at length the plans for
building vessels of new designs, radically
simplifed and standardized and said
| that II fabricated shipbuildlng Is sue
cess, and there is no reason to suppose
that It will not be. the methods of build
ing cargo ships may be revolutionizet
and philadelphia become the shipbuildin'
center OF the world"
Concluding his survey OF work alread!
accomplished. he said:
BY the middle OF January. facilities
| not the best In the world but still un
usual as transportation development
goes. were at hand, sufficient to carr.
$4,000 men into and out of the yard
| Roadways OF standard construction hav'
been built into and through the island
housing facilities for many thousan,
| mn MI at ,1,,t tint of "a Inn I'M
ing and other necessary buildings com
pleted by the acre freight lines bull
into the yard and tracks laid sufiicen
to permit the unloading of ESQ freigh
| cars per diem, a water system has beei
! installed and electric power introduced
! The essential features of the shipyard
the fifty shipways along the waterfront
! have reached an advanced stage of com
! Fiction. All this has been done In tn
| face OF the greatest railroad Conges
tion ever known and during the mos
severe winter ever experienced in Phila
delphia, a winter in which for more thai
five weeks the thermometer has hardl!
gone above the freezing point.
"If any che OF you will turn TO hi
neighbor and ask him whether or no
in four months II Is possible to Great
n satisfactory organization embracin
tion;Sly he no. II would be absurd 70
me to tell you that our organization o
an equal number created i'm that spac
of time is fully satisfactory. There ar
but few organizations of this size in tn
country. all of which have been tn
result OF many years of growth an
careful preparation In normal times O
peace. Yet in spite of all that, and /
spite OF the natural difficulties of tn
site itself, and in face of the sever
winter, one of unparalleled railroad cor
gestion. we are today up to our schedrfi
and the yard has reached "a point q
completion beyond which no one coul
humanity expect u job OF this kind I
have advanced.
Moreover. ! am able today to say
you that. II we can from now on secur
a steady flow of material to the yard an
If we are permitted to continue with tn
fun program of fifty ways after complet
Ing the thrty-two which we are no.
pressing forward most quickly. we e,
: pect to deliver the ships contracted fo
! at the time originally expected. Further
! more as nearly as we can now estimate
: despite the increase in expenses and de
: spite the delay In time caused by cir
: cumstances uncomfortable by anybod,
the increased final cost OF the 1oO shin
to be built by us as agent for the Gov
ernment will probably not exceed 1
/ per cent Of their total cost even chargin
, the entire cost Of the yard solely to thes
vessels"