Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-09-28
AMERICA DISTANCES
BRITISH IN BUILDING
'nglish Expert Says U. S. Turns
Out Ships as Cheaply as
England.
ETTER PAY BUT MORE WORK
reater Output by American
Workman Reduces Actual
Cost of Vessels.
ETTER PAY BUT MORE WORK
ny HAROLD T.. YARnow G. n r.

ny HAROLD T.. YARRow. c. n r..
LONDON. Sept 27-Thc average
riton Is. fear. rather indifrcrently
HORNED on the subject OF American
|1ipbullding. americans can't build
alps'' he says; they have not the
ccessary experience"
| The truth SIS that the Americans
re building ships not less efficiently
IAN we arc. and that their costs OF
obstruction are slowly but surely
'pproach!nS our own. / draw these
'nclus!ons. not from things which !
ave heard. nut from things which
ave seen
visited the United States. and
trough tho courtesy OF the presi-
chts' vice presidents and managers
as able 10 sec great deal of the
I l!pbu!id!ng Industry there. landed
GU sAt!antic coast as far as Newport
,s go, M,Ii,iw,;aukegi and Detroit, were
the Pacific Coast from Los Angeles
seattle. Victoria and Vancouver.
British Dcludc ThemscIve..
,yse etq a sNs6y opportunity 70 Judge for
merican. continents shipyards "a and I'd
hsine shops. and my conclL-ion is
aat , Inc British worker is DANGEROUSLY
ni TIE himself IN imAGin that
nited states competition is more or
II MS country does not look out
are no longer the leading mari
me nation, and 1t viii then be 100
'ie 10 regain our position.
round practically everywhere we'll
lu!ppcd shApya rds which had obvi-
usiE prohted By the American indus
eAperience during the war.
l1aEouts arc generally excellent from
ne point o. view OF efficiency: the cost
handling materials has been greatly
s,anGed by the installation Of: good
tAe employment; Of pneumatic rivet-
P"wertui up-to date air com
icidiI!E plants are the rule: electric
nctiGhuy hy trade unionlsts and the
Dpp!y OF men !s adequate.
United states Steel Works Excel
american shipbuilders and steel
armed have been used 10 bring other
lan i INTO a state OF high efficiency
er. on the average than ours: Judging
rom The prices now quoted here for
i nI nrodnc,s. iheir costs OF produc-
ne !east doubt in my mind that on
hese facts alone the American shin
nhdtnS industry is 4 very .ur,nida b Q
=, Boston ! viewed yard which is
Nactly the same s!&e az Yarrow's on
he Clpydc and has been laid out since
,mtr!can came into the VIZ. The
hole OF II is covered by a glass roof.
nd It's equipment includes roughly.
MY or s,eventy overhead electric
ranes. Only destroycrS are built In
/ and they are turned OUT very rapid
IS and economically.
building 100 Vessels.
Another shipyard which Impressed
corporation a, Newark. New Jersey.
has twcnty-clght sllpways, and lis
CORK in progress and in hand when
,as .heFg eon nnsia,, o, 80 22o-foo,
-essel and no fewer than ixty-hve
;orks are engaged in the fabrication
Toys $4,000 men, but including the
ersonne! Of the fahricating works
he total number OF employees is
ons OF steel, fabricated and rsady
or erection, was in the yard. Al Die
ixty-six destroyers were being bun;
T fitted cut anoat.
Labor Conditions Better.
American labor conditions are much
more conducive 10 economic produc-
on than is the case on this side OF
Ugh. Strikes are not unknown nor
demands for shorter hours unhcard
But the, most striking differences
'etween the American. and British
ards are the absence Of limitationn Of
a Ea ns ssd n
here are. OF course: but men do not
TOP work when some small operation
which is the tight" OF another trade
In stead Of waiting until suitable
nan, or men. can be brought from
,e ,t'e on with 18th their own job JOBS '"eS per
Higher Wnges. More Output.
For t.:eir higher wages American
workers. are giving greater output.
rankly that they look 10 these two
.dvantaEes--the absence of restriction
= output and the nonadherence 10 lines
( demarcation-to enable them 10 beat
IS in international competition.
And, obviously, they must beat us.
the British worker does not change
lis attitude. Individually, would
Nmercan; but. collectively. owing TO
he "Ca'canny' policy here, the Ameri-
Ian worker gets the job done quicker.
7 Americans certainly had trouble with
Tome OF their earlier ships and machin-
ry; but they have proiited by their
mistakes. and failures rightly regard
Id arc valuable assets in the long run
/ American costs are still higher than
,urs, hut they are coming down while
,urs are going up. The point is. in
heed not far off at which the differ
nee will be practically negligible.
| believe in high wages. so that men
families in good and healthy surround
lnrs ! also believe in reasonable
Working day. Let men be paid by the
+esults turned out.
I American shipbuilders are quite
,learly calculating that our "Ca'canny"
,olicy and passive resistance to pncu-
matte tools and other labor saving de-
ices will enable them TO undersell us
n foreign markets.
Mny Abandon Clyde Yards.
NARROW & Co. have no illusions on
nc subject We have a yard on the
:anadian Pacific coast as we'll as one
IN the Clyde, and therefore are in
,nsjtion to know exactly how costs OF
production compare. We are ready to
Increase our output in British Column
bia and reduce it her ewhen the cir
tumstanccs demand.
+ our yard at Scotstoun Is one OF the
hnst equipped on tho Clyde. and given