The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-02-22
Hog Island on Schedule and
Will Deliver Ships as Expected

probable expenditure TOT necsSSals
housing for iaborers OF perhaps $40
ioee.eao or $1,000 900.
I'VE receive no fee or compensa-
ton for the construction OF the yard.
For building the ships we are TO
receive fees aggregating approx
mateiy ss,s9e oss,. which is S-S per
cent upon the total monies to be ex-
pended From this gross cosnpensa-
tlon must be deducted excess profits
tax which will probably reduce ii by
| one-hS1f. and also the salaries OF exc
cutive officers, large staff OF highly
paid men, and certsin other expenses
| The net fee TO the corporation will
work out to something like / II per
cent, Ii indeed 1t eventually aver
ages that much. There are no indi-
rect profits OF any kind
| "All wages and salaries are fixed
by the government Materials used
are purchased either by the corora-
ton, as agent OF Emergency Flee.
corporation, or. as in the case OF lum.
Der. piGng. crcssties, etc, directly
by the government corporation. Every
order given is approved in advance
as 10 price and other detail by Emery
/ ency Fleet corporations representa-
lives.
We were instructed to build fifty
shi2ways, together with all the neces-
sary shops and appurtenances, so
that not less than 200 vessels could
be properly built in the yard. All OF
the plans have either been furnished
or approved by Emergency Flet cor
poratioD~ The vessels are being con-
structed under its specifications, and
it has full control over all orders
and instructions issued by US con-
corning the purchase of material, the
progress Of the work, the employment
of labor. and the rates paid II furn-
ishes all OF the money necessary ex-
cepting the cost of the real estate.
which is owned by our corporation
Finally. If at any time the work IL
not being done TO its entire satisfac-
ton, it has the right to terminate
the agreement Immediately and at
the end OF the contract to purchase
the land at its purchase cost by our
corporation.
"Eevery one who has followed the
work Of the Hog Island shipyard is
fully conversant with the tremendous
physical difficulties encountered in
converting an uniulpToyed trace OF
shore property into a shipyard with
the utmost speed. The nearest APP
preach by trolley or railroad was a
mile and a half distant. There were
10 connecting freight nor passenger
lines, no water and no source of pow
er supply. BY the middle of January |
facilities, not the best in the world. |
but still unusual as transportation de |
velopment goes, were at hand. suf- !
ficient to carry $4,000 men into and |
out Of the yard. Roadways OF stand !
ard construction have been built in |
to and through the island, housing !
facilities for many thousand men
completed, administration, engineer i
ing and other necessary buildings !
completed by the acre, freight lines |
built into the yard and tracks laid |
sufficient to permit the unloading OF /
$50 freight cars per diem, a water |
system has been installed and electric |
power introduced.
The essential features Of the ship !
yard, the fifty shipways along the |
water front, have reached an advanc, |
ed stage OF completion. All this |
has been done in the face Of the |
greatest railroad congestion ever |
known and during the most severe /
phia, winter in which for more /
than five weeks the thermometer has
hardly gone above the freezing point. |
or not IN four months il is possible |
10 create a satisfactory organization,
embracing $4,000 people, the answer
viii un1uestionably be no. II would /
be absurd for me TO tell you that our
OF an equal number
created In that space OF time is fully
satisfactory. There are but few or
CARNATIONS OF this size in the coun-
try, all Of which have been the result
Of many years of growth and careful {
preparation in normal times of peace
Yet, in spite Of all that, and in spite
Of the natural difficulties of the site /
itself, and in face OF the severe win
Ter, one OF unparalleled railroad con-
gestion. we are today UP TO our
schedule and the yard has reached a
point Of completion beyond which no
1ne could humanity expect a job OF
mis- kind to have advanced II
we have estimated that We can
deliver twenty-five of these boats In 2
.3Js months from September IS, 1917: {
a 1872 months; a fourth 25 in 20 i!
months, and the last 90 in % months ]
rom this contract date, which will ]
-sQuire an average delivery OF one :
hip every two days during the eighl ]
Ind half months from the delivery ]
If the first ships. ]
II am able today to say to you
hat. if we can from now on secure ,
steady flow of material to the yard I
md IL we are permitted TO continue ,
With the full program of fifty way ,
.fter completing the thirty-two which .
re are now pressing forward most I
quickly. we expect to deliver the ships ,
contracted for at the time originally !
Furthermore, as nearly as !
re can now estimate. despite the In ;
.rease in expenses and despite the !
lelay in time caused by circum- !.
ltances uncomfortable by anybody. :
ne increased final cost OF the 12o '
hips to be built by US as agent for !
he government will probably not ex- !
eed 10 per cent of their total cost.
ven charging the entire cost of the J,
ard solely to these vessels.
The task is onerous and beset with :
We 81 I y