Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-07-01
EXPERIENCE IN DIGGING CANAL
ATPANAmA ISOF GREAT VALUE
in UNITED STATES SHlPYARDS
What the there i,

there was a mysterious outbreak Of
1 disease. Fifty ship workers came
down with it at the same time, with
temperatures running up to 103 or
more. There were rumors OF poison
ing by German spies. When Shipping
however. they found that mosquitoes
were to blame, and took steps to
drain nearby swamp land in coop
Grafton with the local authorities.
Mosquito work will probably play
as important a part in ship building
this summer. the country over, as it
Gid in the building of the Panama
Canal. In several dozen localities ac-
tive drainage campaigns are being
with the Shipping Board. One Of
notable project in that line is the
work at the big Hog Island yard,
near Philadelphia, where $250,o0o is
being spent in permanent ditching
which is intended to rid that locality
Of mosqni,os for all time. The state
Of Pennsylvania has contributed $75.-
600. the city of Philadelphia $45. 600,
and manufacturing interests have al
so appropriated money.
/, The work Of the Department Of
Health and Sanitation covers much
more than the cleaning up of un-
healthy conditions. The comfort and
| convenience Of workers is also i'm
portan.. Every shipvard is required
to have medical and hospital faciii-
ties. and these are inspected. n in
formation gathered about disease, ep-
idemics and accidents. The living
quarters Of shipyard workers are in
vestigated, and recommendations
made for their convenience 2 COM
fort in bunk houses. homes. transpc--
tation to and from work, n recrea-
49,. -=
tiles are studied with a view 20 seeing
that men get n~ourishiag food. in
clean surroundings, az reasonable
| prices This involves investigation Of
milk. meat n ice supply, food seos-,
age facilities. cooking and dish-Eash-
ing equipment. and so forth
! Comforts Needed.
There was a shipyard on the G7ea.
Lakes which had difficulty las, fail
in keeping q working force of 1900
men. It's labor was very
large Investigation showed that the
yard had grim 50 fast thai TOO little
attention had been paid to providing
for the comfort and convenience OF
ship wo-iEcrs. The ~luachrcora was
Inadequate the food poor, It was dir
cult for new workers coming IN 20
find good living quarters and there
was little in the way of bathing "a
CITIES or
Today this shipysrd Is fully
manned, and has little trouble IN
keeping good workers The expens-
i've item Of labor turnover has been
reduced until il is practically negiig-
ible. The company purchased an old
passenger steamship. brought it 20
the shipyard and converted IT into a
floating hotel First class kitchen
equipment was installed. with toilets,
washrooms. and other conveniences,
providing good meals for two Dr. three
hundred men. A large dormitory was
built near the yard, with a clubroom
at one end where men could read
write, play pool OF cards, have music
and visit and smoke. The sleeping
rooms in this dor-nitory were warmed
by hot air last winter, and the piping
system is to be used this summer fol
blowing cool air through the CORR.
doris. With these conveniences fol
making their work pleasant the en-
ployees organized a "Shipbuilder':
Service Club" elected officers. and ar
ranged for baseball, bowling and bas
ket ball games, with dances ant