Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-04
REFUSED TO AID IN
LAUNCHING SHIPS
Failure of Administrative Board
to Cooperate in War Work
Sharply Criticized.
KEPT CITY DREDGE IDLE, HERE
Repeated Requests From Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation 1g-
nored, Says P. l.. Reed.e
KEPT CITY DREDGE IDLE HERE

nored, Says P. l.. Reed.s
Expressing his resentment and re-
rret Al the refusal of the Administra-
tive Board TO grant the request of the
United states Emergency Fleet Cor
por5tiun for the use of the city dredge
TO assist in The launching o. eight ships
At the yard Of the York River Ship
building Company. when rom his per
sonai observation the reasons for the
refusal are not borne out BY the later
developments. Pleasant l.. Reed. vice
president of Larus Brothers & Co. Inc.
and a member Of the board of directors
OF the York River plant. stated yester-
day that in his opinion the action OF
the board in this one instance was suf-
hcient reason for its abolition.
It had been pointed out earlier In
IN year that the use of the dredge for
a period Of two weeks would be indis-
pensable for tn. launching of eight
ships a the above company's yard in
July. but the board had refused to
give the plan its oficial sanction: stat
ing that the dredre could not be spared
from harhor work at ,hi; time. owing
10 important work In deepening the
channel.
To he explicit. i, was stated that
there we're 200 cubic yards of sand TO
he removed from the channel in front
ot tho Old Dominion line wharf and
the dock Of : II Hawes & Co. This
statement was made in September. 1917.
and was reiterated when the urgency
Of the measure was called to the at
tention of the board last June. but ac-
cord!ng 20 his personal observation. Mr..
Reed stated Yesterday that from the
time tho subject was FIRST broached in
September until the last week In June.
the dredge lay idle in the river at the
water locks and was not used in the
completion of this work.
REGARDS BoAHD's INACTIoN
As GROUND FOR ABOLITION
When discussing the matter yester-
day. Mr.. Reed stated that the treat
ment OF the whole proposal at the
hands OF the Administrative Board. in
addition 10 being most embarrassing
TO himself an. the other patriotic citi-
zcns OF Richmond, who had done thcis
utmost 10 assist the government, in'its
shtpSu!iding program, had failed abso-
lutely 10 reflect the attitude OF the
public in a matter Of vital interest in
winning the war.
Had IL developed that il was really
impossible TO grant the sh;pbuilding
company the use OF the dredge TO as
s!st in the launching Of the ships" he
added. we would have had no COM
plant 10 make, but 20 my personal
Knowledge. the municipal authorities
did no; begin the removal o: sand in
the river until approximately nine
months had elapsed from the time the
request was originally made.
Il viii give you in brief an outline
Of the situation from the time the
original! request was made for the use
OF the d-cdge BY request of the board
Of directors of the York River Ship
building Company, Of which am d
member, TOOK up the matter with the
Administrative Board through r. Lee
Peters. president of the Common Coun-
ell. who gave me TO understand that
he had every reason to believe the
city would be glad to comply with the
request for the use Of the city dredge
IN this emergency. This was in Sep
tembe-. 1917.
PROMISED Use OF
DREDGE IN DECEMBER
'As the result of Mr.. Peters laying
the matter before the board. | received
letter stating that the matter had
been referred by that body to City En-
ciner. Boiling. for repor and recon-
mendation. and that it was the opinion
of the City Engineer that the dredge
would be available by the frs; part of
December.
about two weeks later. ! received
another letter from the Administrative
Board. as II there had been no previous
communication between us on the sub
ject, stating that it was informed by
the City Engineer, that as there were
about 200 cubic yards of sand to be
removed from the river in the neigh
borhood Of the Old Dominion line wharf
and at Hawess wharf. he did not be-
lieve that the dredge would be avail
able inside of six months, and for this
reason the board did not feel that the
dredge could be spared
"A little later. the dredge was towed
down near the lock gates and tied ur
for the winter. where it remained idle
until the last week in June.