South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-11-01
mSHIPBUILDING IS
INFANT PRODIGY
Grows From Small Industry in
New Jersey to Mammoth
Proportions.

~ Ann ~ d. Wv snip
building in New Jersey has grown
within a few months from an infant
industry 10 an infant prodigy. A
score of vessels, capable of carrying
$1,000 tons Of supplies TO Americans
and their allies overseas, have been
launched andtwo are ready to sail.
others will take the water at the
rate Of II a month, or oftener, the
product OF nearly $4,000 men operat-
ing the most up-to-date machinery.
The 5,5OO-ton freighter Agawam,
her fantastic camoufage rising from
the marsh reeds OF Newark Bay like
the creature Of a fevered magma
The Jersey yards produce both
steel and wooden ships. The Sub
marine Boat corporation, at Newark
Bay, the federal ship -building cor
poration, subsidiary Of the United
States steel corporation, at Kearny
on the Hackensack river, and the
Moore plant of the Bethlehem Ship
building corporation. at Elizabeth
port, are building steel vessels. On
the Passaic river at Kearny the
Foundation Co, operator Of 10 sim
AAdI DAdAlA1 III Ou6 AAUuN viz 1OAAALA y
is making wooden hulls. Next to that
at Hog Island. the submarine yard,
with rs ways. is the largest in the
Emergency Fleet association. An
other distinction for New Jersey is
the record Of the Foundation Co.
in launching the first wooden ship
on the Atlantic coast, and in lead
ing all eastern competitors in the
number Of timber craft completed.
Advantage and Handicap.
Nearness 10 New York, hub" Of
America. has proved both an advan-
tage and a handicap to the New Jer-
sey shipyards. It has afforded an
extensive labor market, yet a con-
glomerate one, which has necessi-
ton, her whistle vent emitting a
faint wisp Of steam by way Of prom
Use of an early sailing date. is sym
bolical of the war-energized New
Jersey coast. Never a ship-building
state, except in q limited degree the
commonwealth has become one Of
the leaders in the Emergency Fleet
corporations program for a great
American merchant marine.
In the Newark district, where =
little more than a year ago yards
were being laid out on made ground
which was salt meadowland when
the United States became a belliger-
ent, $4,000 s%hipbuilders are turning
out u completed cargo carriers
approximately $4,000 tons of ship
ping-every month. At Elizabeth
port. 2,40O men have all but finish
ed for The government a trio of
freighters whose keels were laid for
private owners. They are also build
ing huge ocean going tugs, and six
of these craft will be in service in
half as many months.
Both Steel and Wood.
tated much wedding out of insists.
1t has offset with a network of trans
portation systems the otherwise in
evitable problem of housing a swol-
len population. But the proximity of
the metropolis has magnihed that
bOgie of all industries where men
draw big pay"-absenteeism. The
average is Is to IS percent, seriously
%retarding output.
TOO many of our 'shipbuilders'
were tailors and shoemakers," Ia
lconically observed a lean, sawdust
grimed Yankee hull superintendent
at the Foundation Co.'S wooden yard.
when questioned regarding the
earlier stages of employment. And
so it was at all the Jersey yards.
Lured by high wages, a veritable
horde of men sought jobs in these
plants, and until the sorting out pro-
cess was completed. by which ex-
pertS and those adapted to training
were retained, the labor turnover
vas so to 40 percent a week-a ser
ious drag upon production. This has
been reduced to three and five per-
/ cent. and the yards are operating
with virtually permanent forces.