The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-06-03
Hurley Delighted at New Jersey
FIRMS Bid.
.BAN|sHEs GREATEST BOGY
Submarine Concern Offers to Build
12,ooo-Ton Freighters at SAG a
Deadweight Ton, Far Below the Es-
tImates-Plans for New Type YES
sci Were Designed to Afford Great.
est Degree Of Economy in Operation,
Efficiency and Comfort for Crews,

/
! Since the armistice afforded a breath
Ing spell in the rush work on ship con
struction the greatest bogy regardin,
1 the continuation of Americas ship
building program for the needs 0
peace has been that our shipyard.
could not compete with those of for
eign nations and. that as resul
American-built ships : would be S,
heavily handicapped that they would
be unable to compete with the outpu
of foreign yards. @ &
The prewar figure hung in the mind.
of8men- Even in 1916 American price.
ranged between $50 and 500 ton fol-
12-knot freighters. For this year esti
mates for the same type run between
| $195 and 1925 a ton.
Now comes the Submarine Boat cor
poration of Newar..;, N. j., with fla
offer to build 12OOO-ton steel cargo
steamships at $40 per lightweight
ton. s
Y 4 -
y q Hurley ls Pleased.
Chairman Hurley made this reply
"Your proposal to build eight $4,000.
ton American type steel cargo steam
ships at the flat price of $149 per dead.
weight ton has been received. This
proposal is most interesting at this
particular time when war costs have
reached figures that are out of all
proportion with our 1915 American
prices Of from 1854 to $6s per dead
weight ton on oil tankers, and Of from
$50 ton for 5,000-ton cargo steam
ships to 500 ton for high-class 9,200-
ton cargo steamships with speed of
from eleven to twelve knots. Most
prices mentioned and talked about for
1919 have been from $185 to 1925.
Your proposal most effectively an
swers the question as to whether our
steamships can compete in prices with
foreign shipyards. You have demon
strated what well-managed and eff
GENTLY run American shipyard, that
knows it's cost of production, can do
in competition with the leading ship
yards In this and other countries.
"The receipt of such bid from one
of our best yards at this period in
the development of our shipbuilding
indu stry will be most gratifying to
the country, as it is safe to assume
that If we can build ships at those
figures now, in short time the prices
will be further substantially reduced.
Such a reduction also will give us an
opportunity to firmly establish our
shipbuilding industry and will allow
us to obtain ships at prices reason
able enough to compete with foreign
ship operators. I shall take the mat
ter up at once, and advise you."
Plans for this type Of vessel, tenta-
lively known as the new American
type of ship, have been drawn by The
odore e. Ferris, naval architect and
marine engineer, formerly Of the firm
Of Cary-Smith & Ferris. Designed
to afford the greatest degree Of econ
omy in operation, efficiency and COM
fort for the crews, this type is to have
many characteristics which do not ex-
list in vessels under foreign flags.
Will Be OIL Burners.
The vessels will be of the oil-burn-
ing type and will be equipped with
steam propelling machinery or Diesel
engines, an advantage which cannot be
attained by vessels burning coal for
fuel.
They will be equipped with self
contained cargo-handling equipment.
In addition to the ordinary electric
lights, arc lights will be carried, en-
abling the crews to load and unload
cargoes by night.
Equipment for handling cargo will be
SO distributed that the vessels can load
and discharge uniformly.
BY the elimination of wood and all
other infammable material, the fire
risk will be wholly for cargoes. The
hull and machinery risk will be min
imized through stancb construction
and careful installation. Damage to
cargo by external causes will be min
lmized by matches Of a type to afford
best protection against sea and
weather.
There will be no forecastle. Sea.
men and firemen will be berthed in
deck houses, allowing the greatest
Of fresh air and light. No
wood will be used where metal can be
Continuous hot and cold
water will be supplied.
Mushrooms and shower baths will
De provided for seamen and fremen,
Is well as for the officers.
In order that beef, fowl and other
perishable provisions may be carried
or long runs, and If necessary with
,ut replenishing until home port is
reached, cold storage rooms will be
Thus the best food can be
Jerved to all no matter where the ship
nay be,