The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-06-21
Fleet Corporations Present
Estimates on Cost of Dry
Dock to Be Closed To-
night.
CAMPAIGN TO BE
PUSHED HARD TODAY
1t is Feared That Full I'm
portance of Enterprise IS
Not Understood BY Local
Business Men.

The balance to be subscribed for
stock in the Bruce Dry Dock company
of the 100000 requirement 10 meet
the Emergency Fleet Corporation
proposal to construct a floating ely
dock here of 5000 tons lift capacity.
is $4,000. it was stated last night ut
Campaign headquarters at III South
Palafox street.
A wire received yesterday from the
the contractors who have made esti-
mates on the construction of the dock
of s450.00O, notified the Bruce COM
pany that in view of the steadily ad-
vancing prices in cost of materials
the proposition would not be held open
later than tonight II the Emergency
Fleet Corporation proposition is not
met by that time then revision or s"..
entire plans will be necessary or the
big project abandoned.
Local business men, who realize the
Importance of the project to Pensa-
cola, have said that it must not be
abandoned and that the campaign to
sell the remaining $4,000 of stock as
a bona fide good investment mus not
fail. To this end it is announced that
committee will be hard at work
today until the full amount is sub
scribed.
A man who is in close touch with
local shipping said last night that the
Bruce project means at least a million
dollars a month business to this city
and that he cannot see how the busi-
ness people could afford TO sose It. 1t
is estimated that the enterprise would
employ about 1000 men, most of
whom would be skilled workmen and
that it would be the means OF bring
ing at least 80 ships more per month
than would come here without it.
THE government is going to back
up the movement TO develop the South
American trade possibilities of the
United States This trade is 10 be
handled largely through the gulf ports
and these ports must furnish the
cilities. Those that do not will not
benefit to any visible extent from the
development of shipping that is now
at hand states business man who
has been in touch with the shipping
industry here for many years.
1t is generally conceded that moth
ing is more important to Pensacola
and her future than the development
Of her port facilities 70 the utmost;
that from a standpoint of natural re-
sources she is the best on the gulf,
but that the time is at hand when the
local business people must realize the
importance of furnishing the facilt-
ties such as the dry dock project is
realized by too few, it is contended.
Big Business Interests Lax.
Perhaps not anywhere, under any
circumstances, could 1t be shown that
a similar project has been subscribed
to by a greater number of men than
this one since the campaign was OPP
ened about two weeks ago, but the
merchants and other business men
and institutions able to take largest
blocks of stock and who would benefit
most have been lax. il is asserted. All
have expressed endorsement OF the
propect. but have put off subscribing.
Many have promised to take stock If
il should develop that 1t is absolutely
necessary and those behind the pro-
iect are anxious that it be known tnaG
the. time is at hand when subscriptions
from men who are able to take one,
five and ten thousand dollars stock
should come across.
The local trades councils together
with the union Of carpenters and
cauIl<ers have been largely instru-
mental in raising the amount that has
brought the big project within just
$4,000 to date.