Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-12-14
ABANDON CONSTRUCTION
ON GREAT BOILER PLANT
+. =. Palcn Announces Cancellation
Of All Contracts for South
Side Factory.
sI.5oo.ooo ALREADY EXPENDED
While Abandonment of Huge Ship.
building Project Is Regretted. No
Surprise Is Caused by Decision.
Reimburse City for improvements.

Cancellation OF all contra cts incident
TO the erection OF the Richmond Boiler
Plant the s2.000.oo0 industry started
on the South Side for the United States
Shipping Board by the Newport News
Shipbuilding and Drydock Company
was announced announced yesterday
by Vice President +. +. Palen.
II is understood that fullv $500 600
had Lecn expended on the plant up 10
Tive tine ,hc s..Eins Of :bc arms, ce
made lis building unneceSsarg. Some
OF this was expended for building and
other things OF "A permanent character
The bulk Of 1t. however. wen, for ma
chinery ana supplies which may b.
utilized in other plapts.
The City government had agreed to
construct roadways. sewers and elec-
trlc lines TO The plant. Some OF this
work had been done. For this the city
VIII be reimbursed.
UNCI;AiENT CREATES
No SURPRISE IN CITY
prise TO Richmond. officials OF the city
government and business men general
Is had feared for several weeks that
such All order would he issued, NJ Though
they hoped that with the continuancr
Of shipbuilding on large scale IL
would be found necessary to carry out
original plans which would have made
the city the site of the largest marine
boiler making plant In the world
Mayor tinslic stated yesterday that
he had been hopeful that the enter
prise would he completed and in opera
ticn before the Shipping Board found
II advisable to discontinue expansion,
but that he WAS not surprised by the
order.
The plant was to have been of a
permanent character and would have
employed several hundred skilled me-
chanics. II would have contained some
OF the largest and most improved ma
chimes used in the manufacture of ma
line boilers. designed especially with
view to manufacturing rapidly and
at low cost. THESE would have been
housed in a main building measuring
600 by 100 feet. and four Of smaller
dimensions. The site is beside :he
Sea board Air Line tracks in South
Richmond
In making his announcement Mr.
Palen said:
"'rhc city officials and the people Of
Richmond have co-operated TO the full
est extent i'll this war work. ] think
the otlicia Is who selected the Richmond
location for the plant have been fully
Justified in the selection by the results
like TO go on with the work and put
the plant in operotion. and the cancel
lation of this contract involves a con-
siderable loss OF business to the New
port News Shipbuilding and Drydock
company. However, as the officials OF
the Emergency Fleet Corporation now
hnd the plant il not essential. ] con-
cur in their Judgment that II should
be Cancelled. The government should
receive the cooperation of every one
In the work of demoblizing it's war in
uustries quite as much as in the work
of building them up"
Mr.. ralen added that he had been
gratificd at the fine spirit of co-opera-
ton which he found in Richmond, and
was also impressed with the splendid
labor conditions existing here