Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-05-23
CONGRESSMEN SEE
SH|PYARD WORK
Which IS PLEASING
Party Here Yesterday Gratified
With the Results Of the
Inspection.
IN PHILADELPHIA TODAY


The perfection of organization. the speed
ing up of construction and the enthusi-
usm with which the workmen were en-
gaglng in their task, said Congressman
Joshua W. Alexander, of Missouri, chair
man OF the Congress Committee on
Merchant Marine and Fisheries, after
the visit 81 the committee 10 the ship
Yards of Wilmington and Chester yester-
day.
Our committee framed the act under
which the Shipping Board was organized
and the shipping program has been prose-
ruted. Chairman Alexander continued.
Naturally. we wanted to sec how our
child was getting along. and we were
very tavorably impressed All the plants
seemed to be doing their level best. BY
october the shipyards of the United
states will be launching 100000 tons
month.
The committee has within the last
lew DAYS reported now legislation which
We hope to see passed before this session
# Congress ends. One bill amends the
shipping Act by increasing the power Of
the shipping Board 10 pre- ent the trans
ter of American ships to foreign flags with
out the consent of the board The other
empowers the President to regulate ocean
freight rates and requisition vessels
through such agencies as he may select,
presumably the Shipping Board.
NEEDS ron AFTER THE WAR
The opportunity which the war has
gwen the Delaware district should be
made the most Of. and this section should
play great part IN the building up Of the
| nitcd States merchant marine which We
hope To sec after the war. Before the war
We carried but per cent of our overseas
trade: this country should have enough
ships to carry 65 per cent but TO do this we
must have nj least l5000.0o0 tons ready
he Pusev & Jones works were seen
first; then the Harlan plant Leaving
Wilmington on the police boat Ashbridge
the party took luncheon ON the way to the
sun Shipbuilding Co. and the Chester
>hlpbuildIug Co. at Chester
SHOWN SITES ron pRYnocxs
Congressman George " Fdmonds.
member Of the committee. was in Charg
of the trip. and Congressman Ware did
not fail "a point ont the advantages Of
particular sites for drv-docks. since he
IS the father of the s5o00,0 900 bill for
dry-docks to take care Of the Delaware
river merchant marine
tt the Pusev & Jones plant the short
age of riveters was mentioned as their
chief difficulty at present AZ the Harlan
plant the committee inspected the steam
ship Garibaldi. which will be launched
tomorrow i'm connection with the cele-
bration of the anniversary Of Italy's
entrance into the war They seemed
especially impressed by the work being
carried ON at the Sun plant Here five
boats have already been launched from
the concrete ways, and tve more waye will
he built
Today will he spent at League Island
Hog Island and the New Jersey aud
Pennsylvania plants az Gloucester. To- |
morrow the committee will visit Cramps |
the Traylor Shipbuilding Corporation. |
at COrnwells, and the merchant ship |
yards at Bristol Saturday morning the |
Bethlehem shipyards at Sparrows Point. |
Md. will be visited
The purpose of the visit is To ascertain |
what progress has been made at the ship |
yards and the scope OF improvements |
necessary TO permanently establish the /
Delaware as the biggest and best ship |
building centre In the world. 1t will, |
therefore, have an important bearing /
upon the future expansion of industrial !
and commercial activities on the Delaware
river.
In speaking Of the trip George " |
" ebster, director of docks and ferries
in Philadelphia, said
"The Merchant Marine Committee is
in charge of shipbuilding and the exten-
sion of Americas merchant marine, and /
the members are deeply interested in /
getting first hand knowledge Of the nations /
resources in this rspect
''On May s. Congressman Ware intro |
duced a bill in the House providing for 1
the construction Of drydock on the |
Delaware river at = cost Of $1,000 600 |
This bill will he acted upon by the Com |
nlttee on Merchant Marine, and the mem |
t'ers upon this occasion will, no doubt, |
fully realize the absolute necessity for |
not only one drvdock at the port Of |
Philadelphia. but three four or flve more |
In this connection il is well tn repeat the |
words of Chairman Hurley, who expressed |
II Congressman Edmonds the assurance |
that Philadelphia would have one and |
possibly two of the drydocks which the |
Shipping Board plans TO build
The committee on Merchant Marine |
also has before il ali of the data concern |
ing the port including statistics Of the /
number OF shipvards on the Delawa re |
rlver and the workmen employed there /