Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-03-27
CHAIRMAN HURLEY'S Statement
ON SH|PBUILD|NC IN AMERICA

brought into the camps. | am fully
aware that | am flying in the face of
a growing popular sentiment that men
should be drafted into the industry
which supports the battle lines. but
wish to put myself on record as be
ing opposed to the CONSUMPTION of
la Dor. J do not believe consumption
necessary, for l believe labor itself
will produce conditions which win
render IDLE all thought of conscript =
ing workmen. The vast majority or
our workmen are men of intelligence
and when they come to a full realiza =
ton of the fact that any detection on
their part now will not only imperii
the nation, but will injure their fellow
workers in almost every field Of in
dustrial activity, l feel sure they will
respond to all demands made upon
them. Unless they fully do their pant.
their brothers will suffer
1T would be useless to manufacture
material and supplies and pile up the
products on the Wharves if there ara
no ships TO transport them. So. I'M
less our ship workers do their best.
other industries must slow down II
halt completely with the result that
thousands of workers throughout tie
country will suffer for lack of en-
ploEment.
Il believe that labor has begun 20
realize that fact. but | want to dri te
it home to them; for there are some.
! regret to say. who do not yet sense
their responsibility. There are many
who are not working to their full ca
pacity. There are many who. because
of the high wages they are earning,
are prone to take too many holidays.
Labor generally throughout our ship
yards is today receiving the highest
rate OF wages ever paid for similar
work in the history Of the world. The
additional cost of our ships. due il
increased wages in shipyards cover
ing the program we have mapped ou..
will be in excess of $300.00o,0D v G
expect, and we have right to ex
pect; the country has right to SX-
pect, that labor will render for t!,sH
increase Of wages corresponding in
crease in pr6duction-that is, the ou-
put Of ships.
I'm 1916 there were less than $500
men employed in all the shipyards Of
the country and on March 2, 1918. We
had increased this number to 1860 4
Of which 170,5S9 were working on &C
tual ship construction and the re-
mainder in yard construction.
There is no doubt but that we ara
destined to be one of the leading ship
building nations of the world. we
will have the largest number of ship
yards, the materials and the labor
and when our shipbuilding plants are
completed and are we'll organized on
sound business lines so as to produce
ships cheaply and rapidly. we will
not only produce sufficient ships =
become the leader in the commerce
of the world by furnishing transpor-
tation at reasona BILE rates thereby
performing service to the rest ii
the world. but we will build ships in
such large numbers and at such fan
prices that we will become the mecc;'
of the shipouilding trade of TIE
world"
New York. March 26.--More than
5000 deck and engineer officers have
been licensed for the new American
merchant marine out of the 5000
which the recruiting service of the
United States Shipping Board set out
to obtain in the first year, Henry
Howard of Boston, in charge of the
recruiting work. told the National
Marine League at its dinner here to-
night.
Praising Mr.. Hurley for having ac-
complished a super human task" J
II. W. Ross. presid ant of the National
Marine League, said that the United
States government will soon have
spent more than $4,000. 600, 900 10 de-
velop the country's maritime iacili-
ties and urged that the work of
building up the American merchant
marine be continued after the war. He
reminded his audience that this coun-
try. with a water front of 5000 miles
and many ports, has much greater
task than that of Germany with 1875
miles and only the two big ports of
Hamburg and Bremen.
John Barrett, director general of
the Pan American Union at Washing
ton. asserted that both during and
after the war, ships were needed to
develop Pan American unity anc
commerce.
Mai. August Belmont. who presided.
said the ship construction which he
had believed would require at least
two generations was now being put
through in two or three hurried years.