The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-03

Admiral Taylor said he did not think it was likely that the end of hostilities would result in any speedy reduction in costs. After the civil war, he said, there was no appreciable lowering of costs of labor and materials within three years
 BUILDERS HEAVY LOSERS
 "The battleship Mississippi Ca new ship delivered last year) was built on contract for S, S,115.00o,' the admiral said. but the company which built it lost large sum of money and when bids on the battle ships California and Tennessee were asked for, no contractor submitted bid under the estimated cost of $7,s00, ,0O0 The government then decided to build them n it's own navy yards and the cost will amount to probably s11,25oooo each, an mated cost
 The same increase will apply probably to capital ships authorized in the 1916 three-year programme. For the ten bat tleships and six battle cruisers provided for in this programme, l imagine the increase will amount to nearly s150. .000, 900. This applies to the huils and machinery alone. would not venture to say how much the increase will be for the armor
 
 and let the committee know" COST MORE THAN DOUBLED
 Admiral Taylor said the cost of con- structng merchant ships has increased from S75 to S2OO ton, while the cost of battleships has increased less than 50 per cent. This has been accomplished. he said, by exercising the greatest econ- omy possible in the government navy yards and by close supervision in private yards which are building battleships on the "cost-plus' basis.
 The original estimates for the battie- ships Colorado, Maryland. Washington and West Virginia, on which construc- tion has been started" Admiral Taylor said, twas $11,500,0o0. It is doubtful if they can be completed for less than S15, ,550, ,0OO
 | "If there has been an increase of $l50,- | 000, GOO over the estimated cost of the 1916 three-year programme, what will the in crease be in the three-year programme | just recommended by Secretary Daniels?' asked Representative Butler of Pennsyi- kvania 'The cost is estimated at $600.00o.- : 1 0OO but the estimates for the individual ships are not much larger than for those made in the 1916 programme. Surely they cannot be made any cheaper than those being constructed now l Admiral Taylor replied that there may be large reductions In the cost of con- struction before the programme is started. The 1916 programme will not be completed until 1923 he said. and the new programme cannot be put into ful! swing before the present one Is out of the way.
 ALL CONTRACTS LET l Contracts for all ships authorized in l the 1916 programme have been let except 1 for two battleshlps, F torpedo boat de- stroyers. nine submarines and five aux Hilary vessels the witness said. Of all the vessels authorized in 1916. the battle cruisers will be completed last. 1 Secretary Daniels who preceded Ad- miral Taylor before the committee said l electrically driven machinery will give I future American battleships and battle | cruisers a superiority over the big fight ling craft of the other nsvies of the world. MT. Daniels described at length the results obtained in trials of the new superdreadnaught New Mexico. the first l battleship in the world to/ be equipped with the electric drive.
 I Mir Daniels said that all capital ships hereafter completed for the navy, in- cluding the 10 uperdreadnaughts and six battle cruisers in the three-year pro- gramme authorized in 1916 would have | electrically driven machinery. Tests of the New Mexico. he declared, have demonstrated that such engines can be operated more economically than any others and that a ship driven by them can run at top speed as long as it's fuel I lasts