The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-04-04
HOG ISLAND SH|PYARD
. BEHIND ITS SCHEDULE
of Baldwin, Now I'm Charge
of Affairs.
COMPLAINS or CONTROL.
Lack of Centralized Authority One
Reason For Poor Production Which
Moves Senator Nelson TO Ask Sup
port For Oycrnnan Bill.

Warrington, April 3.--Hog island
shIpyard ran 10000 tons behind It's
schedule In" March This testimony
wa given the senate commerce com -
mittee this afternoon by George J.
Baldwin, vice president OF the Ameri-
can International corporation, who IL
In direct charge.
He blamed steel shortage. which he
said was still bad.
Astoundcd at Baldwins statement.
the committee directed its chairman.
Senator Fletcher. of Florida. to call
on President Wilson in company with
shipping board officials
The principal request OF the dele
cation is that an absolute prior
ity, both OF manufacture and Of trans
portation, he given TO steel intended
for ship building. Baldwin said other
Yards were nearly as short of material
which constructs ships as his own.
What is the cause OF this?" asked
Senator Fletcher.
Lack of one central authority"
replied Baldwin. I'm my private bus
mess, II something goes wrong. / can
put my finger on the man to blame.
In government business, we run
around in r circle"
II cite that answer" declared Sen
ator Nelson. of Minnesota, as proof
of the senate's duty to pass the Over
man bill"
Baldwin declared the Hog island
yard had become model industrial
establishment. ca pabe Of turning out
ships faster than any one imagined -
He said this was one reason IL was
hard to get material Officials have
gotten the idea he said, that we
have bitten off more than we can
chew and they age sending us about
half of the material we ask.
The difficulty goes back quite a
way" he said. We cannot get steel
which we have ordered, and our steel
supply men say they cannot get the
coke to make the sseel for us
There seems just little bit OF in
ertia all along the line. and lack OF a
central co-ordinating force TO compel
action. Whenever we have "A real
complaint we find that one gentle
man is always able TO show that
another gentleman is to blame"
That" inter1ected Senator Hard
ing. rs the situation want to reach
This committee should let the presi-
dent know what is holding back ship
production"
Harding's motion was carried
unanimously.
Baldwin appealed TO the committee
to report MT once IA TO whether it
had found graft or improprieties at
Hog island declaring that the charges
overhanging the organization were in
Turing its spirit He read a prepa red
defense.
The committee ran into another
trouble considered equally as serious
rs steel shortage. Testimony was in
troduced that shipbuilders along the
Gulf of Mexico were averaging wages
of only $2.10 daily. and that housing
accommodations were wholly lacking.
You can put on all the hooray
campaigns you want" said s. II.
F'ranck representing the men, but
when men get to the yards and find
that wages are only half what has
been advertised. and that they must
sleep ten III room or under pal
metto tree, employees will leave faster
than you can bring them on"
He declared permanent homes
could be built in quantity for 800
each Committee members said that
gulf workers should at once he placed
on an equal wage basis with men in
other parts OF the country, and the
homes started.