Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-06-10
LOVER 100000 NOW
ENGAGED ON SHIPS
Industry Grows From i5, 900 In Less
Than Years Time 10 Help
Defeat Huns.

WASHf~TTON, June 9.--Less
/ than year ago there were not 49,
| 900 men employed In American ship
| yards To-day there are more than
/ 500 600 skilled mechanics and labor
crs engaged in building ships. and
an additional 250,OO0 employed in
! making the engines. boilers. winches
and other machinery necessary to
| equip them.
| The tremendous expansion by
which tho United States hopes 70 put
| into service a new merchant marine
| that viii rival the trading fleet of
| any nation In tho world has been ac-
complished in methodical fashion,
| without any fuss and feathers" but
| achieving a result that industry long
! win regard as one OF the most bril-
Liant Victories OF the war II has
| been brought about by the shipping
| board through recognition OF the
| principle that untralned men can be
| come skilled workmen only through
) competent instruction. Ono OF the
| first tasks Of the shipping board,
| therefore, was the creation OF q di-
! vision OF education and training,
| which has supervised the establish
ment OF training centers and the de-
| velopment Of instructors am ong the
| foremen and supcrintendents
Training of the various kinds Of
shipbuilders in the yards Is accom-
plished by putting the men TO work
on production Jobs, under the super
vision Of a yard instructor This
yard instructor has fun charge ot
gangs while they are learning. The
efficiency OF a green gang under
training will average about so per
cent OF finished wurkmen.
Yard instructors are skilled me-
chanics trained in The teaching
mehtod This training Is given in a
nSining center, whore the mechanic
is given an idea Of instructional man
agement and how 10 get the in
structions nCross effectively.
The first teaching center was es-
tablished at Newport News. To 1t
were sent skilled mechanics selected
from the yards, They were given
a weeks course 81 training, Z
hours a day During the last part Of
this course they were Obliged to /
Isrnnd 40 hours IN the actual handling /
Of gangs OF green men. Yard in |
struCtors are drawn from a variety |
Of trades, such "a rivotcrs ship fit I
ters ship carpenters, Caulkers, etc. /
Twenty-Five plants have sent mon .
for training as yard instructors, 2l6 |
Of these men completed their train
ing and "a are now In training,
I'm addition to the training center
established in Newport News. there
/ are now several others established;
%, Hog Island. At Chester, Pa, at
| ing OF electric wcliers at Schenect-
| the submarine yard az Newark. N. j..
and two special ccutors Tor the train
ady \. w. and at New York City.
So far, - yards have put in train
ing departments one yard in
structor can train about $50 men
| each year. The period OF training
for green man varies form to
weeks one yard has already trained |
enough yard instructors in the train
ing centers to turn out weekly 800
skilled mechanics within the yard,
Efficiency Is Increased.
! In addition TO the training of green |
/ men, there exists the problem of |
taking men who are already skilled |
( In allied trades. but have never |
worked in shipyards, and making |
them into shipbuilders. Nhis Is cal
! led a trade conversion course and |
| consists essentially Of determining |
what supplementary work a skilled |
mechanic from the allied trades must |
have In order to give HIM the neces-
| sary knowledge to do shipbuilding |
work Special instructors are em- |
/ nloyed IN number Of plants to meet |
this situation
By training forcmen and man |
| ayers the shipping board has been |
/ able to develop IN a year the build
ing OF wooden ships which had been |
long lost art. and workmen in many |
yards have increased in efficiency |
more than 25 per cent Where we |
nave efficient management we have |
hA'c efficient workers." Chairman |
hurley declared today "You cant |
! expect To have efficient workmen
IN an inofficiently managed ship
yard nor can you expect good results.
our shipyard workers generally
are as fine a body of men as is
engaged In any industry in this coun-
rF They are a patriotic, Industrious
group, and while in many yards they
are not as efficient as we would
IKE TO have them they are learning
daily and are Increasing their output.
Nhrn the history Of our shipbuilding
program is written, the American
W"fkmea, the men who really built
lh' ships, VIII be the men deserving