The Pascagoula chronicle., 1918-11-23
FUTURE OF sHIPBUlLDING
Hurley Says ShipbuIIding to Continue
END Of War Means Removal Of
Meanace That Has Existed

BY Edward N. Hurley, Chairma
United States Shipping Board.
wish to take advantage of this o
portunity, to reassure and encourae
the efficient managers of men
American shipyards, who may fes
that their efforts to provide a
emergency fleet are limited by tn
necessities of war. think a plai
statement of the future plans of tn
United States Shipping Board will hel
to clear up certain misunderstanding
and remove certain fears which, PEI
haps, may exist in the minds of tn
shipbuilders. Now, the United State
government is building great flee
of merchant ships for permanency,
fleet to serve the world in years t.
come, to carry American trade and t,
represent truly the ideals and great
ness of the American nation. Th
project to build the fleet was con
ceived in the emergency of war, bu
it has never been intended, nor is i
intended now, that this great move
ment shall cease when the war is
ended.
In building new shipyards during the
emergency of war it is to be expected
in view of the fact that the shipbuild
ing industry of this country had been
reduced to minimum, that many
yards would be started with men of
very limited experience in that par
ticular line; and it is also to be ex-
pected that many of these men with
their inexperience should, in meas
ure, fail to develop efficient organiza-
tions to produce ships promptly and
economically. An inexperienced man.
agement naturally cannot obtain that
standard of efficiency out of its work
ers which a well-managed yard can
obtain. The United States Shipping
Board recognizes that during war em-
it is necessary, in many
cases, to allow yards to continue pro-
ducing ships at cost above normal. 1t
also recognizes that fact that it re-
quires some time for the manage
ment of the Emergency Fleet Corpor-
alton to ascertain by experience which
yards were efficient and which yards
inefficient. The officers Of the
Fleet now know which
yards are building ships at fair prices
and those that are not doing so, as
we'll as the yards that are not keeping
heir promises; and they are prepared
Q take effective measures to bring,
about the necessary results.
We are only now beginning our
progress of ship construction. The
'emoval of the emergency cannot and
will not bring an end to the worlds
iced for ships, nor prevent us from
out our program to a success
ul conclusion. We shall continue to
lse all the facilities of shipbuilding
hat business economy will permit.
] mean by that, all shipbuilders
Who live up to the expectations placed
n them by the government will be ex-
ected to continue to build ships. |
hey shall be encouraged to do So
here will be plenty of work for every
fficient yard.
On the other hand, the government
xpects to continue to supply the ma
erial and direct the vast energies now
evoted to shipbuilding. The end of
he war will mean only the removal
( the menace which confronted the
'orld's shipping; it will not and can
OF mean the immediate elimination
the need for ships.
To take advantage Of this establish
industry and restore to the world
S lost tonnage is a natural and busi-
ess-like procedure. 1t offers America
lie chance now to serve humanity by.I
ltting ships on the high seas to carry
aterials for reconstruction, and to be
service to our own peple and ur
lies.
So, | can say with frankness that {
lr shipyards will be kept going to
cir capacity, and they must not let
}. The inefficient plants which have {
zen permitted to operate because of I
e war emergency and the immediate S
led of ships WILL as a matter of bust c
,ss expediency, drop out when the 7
nergency is removed, but efficient c
rds will be encouraged and supported /
cause we can depend upon them to 4
rry out their promises and produce S
ips economically. In this way we Il
ii be able to compete in the markets
the world with our ships on a price {
r ton basis, as compared with the
fps of other countries.
Ships Must Be Built. b
But the ships must and will be built. n
lie work that these inefficient yards c
mot do will fall to other plants. e
e will look to the west coast 70 con- ''
Iue the pace it has maintained and Il
the yards in the east and south and
the Great Lakes region to increase s.
Fir output. b
With the return of thousands of il
lebodied, disciplined and hardened Ii
m who were called to the colors. n
'or problems in the yards will not tc
so serious. Many of these men will nj
absorbed back into the mining. II
nsportation. milling and fabricat- NJ
CONTINUED on page six) fo
industries, and their addition to
strength of industrial America will