The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-12-20
HOG jSLANDPLANT
COST$633,3 100000
General Manager Piez Bef.Ta
Senate Committee.
Cons Err U. S. ownership
He Tells Probers $4,000, 900 Has Al
ready Been Spent on Construction
of Shpyard.

He Te;le. Probers s58,Ooo,ooo Has Al
ready Been Spent on Construction
of shipyard.
Washington. Dec. 20-'rhe cost of
the great Shipbuilding plant ut Hog
Island was estimated at S63,3Oo0OO
by Charles Piez. general manager of
the shipping boards Emergency Fleet
corporation.
He said that the yard, which has
delivered one ship and has fifty keels
laid, should be completed in sixty
days.
The original estimate of cost for
nlant on small scale was S21.000.00u
This was increased later to S2I.o3o,-
600 Upon a survey TO be made Janu-
ary / to determine whether The Amer
lean International Shipbuilding cor
poration is reducing operating eNpens-
es. Mr. Piez said. will determine
whether the government shall take
oyer the Shipyard This corporation
has the contract for building the
plant.
Mr.. Piez was teStifying before the
senate commerce committee nj the re-
opening of its investigation of the
Hog Island project.
would YOU have the government
take over the yards or continue their
operation as now" Senator Jones, Re,
publican, California. had asked.
THAT question is being considered"
replied Mr.. PieZ. There are some
grave disadvantages in taking them
over"
The decision to reopen the inquiry
resulted from a statement recently
made in the senate that S5S,0O0,000
had been spent so far on construction
and the one ship completed there was
not seaworthy until returned TO the
yards for notifications.
Mr. Piez testified the total eXpendi-
lures to date amounted to about S5S,
100000 and the American Internation-
al Shipbuilding corporation has not
been paid anything.
Most of the work was done by sub
contractors. According to uncOnfirm-
ed reports, he added. the American In
ternational company had expended
nearly million dollars Of its own
money on the plant.
Mr.. Piez thought a five per cent
commission would be reasonable to
pay the American chmnanv.
Under questions of various senator's,
il was brought out while construction
work has been under the direction of
former Rear Admiral Bowles, who had
virtually unlimited powers, RESPONSE
bility for carrying out the full pro-
gram of constructing fifty ways in
stead of thirty-one rested on the Emer-
gency Fleet corporation. Mr.. PieZ
said when the plan TO limit the size
of the yard was proposed Mr.. BOwles
after a survey altered it and recon-
mended the full program be carried
out.
The witness said so far keels for
fifty ships had been laid, one ship de-
livered and five are in the basin. The
one ship delivered was launched pre-
maturely. This delayed it being plac-
ed in service by about sixty days, but
he said the vessel was given the high
est rating by Lloyd'S. Mr. PieZ said
he anticipated the delivery of at least
two more ships before January 1. He
praised the work performed by the
Skinner and Eddy plant at Seattle,
Wash. which produced twenty-eight
ships this year on q five-way yard
This plant holds the record.
Under crosS-eXamination of Senator
Johnson. it was brought out that ap-
proXimately 1872 per cent of the con-
struction work at the Hog Island
yards was sublet These contracts to-
tailed about S12000.0O0
Mr. PieZ said the armistice will not
interfere with the production of ships
by the fleet corporation, which will
go on laying keels under present con-
tracts