The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-01-10
STANDARDIZATION
CUTS FLEET COST
Ships Built Cheaper Than Was
Believed Possible Before
the War.
ADDS WEALTH TO nation

of Ships by Adopting Standard
Sizes and Patterns-Long
HauIs Cut.
Washington.-An item which event
ually will appear in tremendous Ag-
ures on the credit side of the great
war ledger to help offset some OF the
staggering figures of the debit side will
be the added wealth to the nation OF
the huge American merchant fleet
which the demands Of the war have
brought into existence and which, pes
simists to the contrary notwithstand-
ing, will not pass with the passing OF
hostilities.
The United States is turning ous at
this time not only many more ships
than ever before in the history of the
nation, but many more than any other
nation ever turned cut In the same
space of time. And, too, they are be-
ing built cheaper than before the war
it was believed within the range OF
possibilities. And the great secret OF
this rapidity of construction and econ
.omy of cost is summed up in one word
standardization.
In times of peace the building OF
merchant ships in the United States
was not quite lost art, but it certain
ly was far from being one of the gre
and important industries here. The
United States government was keep
ing hands off and there was little en-
couragement for private capital to &c
into the enterprise. But when the war
came all was changed. A great fleet
of merchant ships became necessary
for the successful prosecution of the
war, for the conveyance Of troops and
supplies to the countries overseas. The
United States government undertook
the task. Time became an important
factor and then it was discovered that
lack of Standardization was a serious
handicap and must be overcome if rap
id progress and economy in cost were
to be considered. Standardization was
necessary and Standardization was put
into practice.
Benefits of Standardization.
The manufacture of clothing, hats
and shoes is largely standardized as
to sizes and patterns. For this rea'
son a standardized suit of clothes or
pair of shoes costs much less than so
called made to order apparel. 1t is be-
cause Standardization permits Of the
use; of labor-saving machinery, plus
quantity of production. Other familiar
examples of successful Standardization
are found in the dollar watch and the
corresponding thing in automobiles.
Americas problem, then, is to make
a dollar ship, so to speak, or, if you
prefer it, a seagoing "fiyver," son :
thing easily replaced in whole or in
part, but at the same time thorough
~ sound proposition from the stand
point of utility and economy. This
means Standardization all along the
line. The more nearly the fabricated
shapes for hulls and all ship machinery
and ship equipment conform to
standard sizes or patterns, the greater
will De the saving in initial cost and
maintenance of ships.
It is the purpose Of the United
States Shipping Board Emergency
Fleet corporation to effect this, some
thing it has already accomplished with
respect to many things. The fact
that no such thing existed when
emergency shipbuilding began made
early progress slow. There were not
only the problems of organization, but
the further complications always at
tending large construction enterprises
before materials and methods have
become fully standardized. j.
Long Hau!s Eliminated.
Under Standardization it is possible
to let contracts on geographical as
well as cost basis, thus eliminating
long distance hauls. Under the old plan
it was sometimes necessary to ship
boats and RATS from Vancouver,
Wash. to Bristol, Pa. This meant
high transportation cost.
In the easly days blocks came in
200 different Sizes Blocks and fittings
have been so cut in size as to increase
plant facilities about S5 per cent
Manufacturers are now concentrating
on production where formerly large
part of the business included the max
ing of new dies with attending IN
crease in cost.
In the case of costly machinery
such as boilers ans engines, standardl
zation has eliminated many intermadi
ate sizes. Nautical instruments
plumbing fixtures, winches, windlasses
in fact, all of the thousand and one
things that go to make fully equip
ped ship-will be entirely standard
lied whenever it is possible to accom-
plish it. Standardization has invaded
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