New-York tribune., 1922-04-11
u. S. Built Ships
Cost bird More
Than British,
Newport Exper, Says Differ
entisl j. S35 a Dead
Weight Ton on Cargo
Steamers. or Over 80 Pc.
Wage Scale Responsible
Predicts Depression in tho
Yard Here Which Will
Cut Advantage to 2OP. c.
From rac Tr'5pre's Washington Bp-ecp

y,o,, r., T~4h,,,,., 1s,..t... 49,.
WASHINGTON. AnriI IN Rr;+;sh
shipyards arc able N hu;ld oor,o
steamers at lower cost than American
shiryards. according 10 Homer |. Fer
guson president Of tho Newport News
shipbuildins and Dry Dock Company.
who was witness on the shin subsidy
bill at the Joint session Of the House
Merchant Marine Committee and the
Sona.o Co,,rorco Co,,,,;,+.,o :, a
""''
'"e o'"erehe'al to-day IN favor 81
the British yard is about $33 dead
weight ton. or over S6 pcr cent. The
future diroror.i., o.J;. ,,
w.
reieus'n' cannot be taken as less than
20 per cent or the American costs
These frures aonl,- to ord,o..,.. caro-.
s.ocror
Tarcrs Subsidy and Jcrcs Act
=,
m'' f''Gu"oh rs an aeNoca'e ot the
Subsidy bill. hu; nc told the JOINT ses-
S'oh OF 'hc comH'!t'ees that nc nelieVed
III '"e Jones a0' ana ooi'eVed, also 'oc
country would come to 1t eventually.
Apart from existing laws or the leg
islation contemplated IN tho rord;n,
~,
'll'' MI 'e'euSon Saio ne mao hV'ic 10
advocate. One additional enactment he
oroposed was to mako il q ncnaI alfonso
''' anyone po''"'"g OF operating shipS'
repairing or provisioning ships to en-
gage in bribery or corruption.
Nv vere,uson ,voe aekod MAN.. o..os-
-,
.,""S - '" ,o' tH4
."n be"iooidt'c Hlc'io''c' h.iE II"
"" ''.,', '' So ~ -
w"&t ne n"u 20 say on we o'Ie.ence
W 90 1'Iul,.t eosJs oct"een '",S country
~" .: - Dl''''" 'o''i''"nueu ihoS' no
az, 'io NaIu' ,.r
ne cause o. o'here"cc ~ cost O.
Fonrsr w ''o' '.eS M,loiIS W.; "'3" '"Y ~.
Tstor;a1s aro sl;,rh,f' re,n ~ ,"po- 20.
'ta'e' 'e'S az 9"Sn''S cnedPe. J" V''s
oonh.'E 9.E man ~ the Oniteo hihedoh''
Hiisn0uR" tn.S SC"teh'enl may oP ms
leaal's' oeCauHe ~ refers oh.E 20 ,hc
oaS,' na. '"is' y" account o. Vu'
'.'fo 'N'e"' 'i .H'S country lre'3h'
0"'i ks arc 'e"l nsho'cap Also
Comparison of Wagcs
nBoforo tho way Rri+;sb ,,.oco. ,rou,
.bon. balr oc a,,a,.; ~ 'r,r" , M"rVS w.
To,,,,,, 1000 -. o,.,.1 l-...l.
'ailua 1, i9@I' Vhe average houHiy
rate Of exchange was 81 cents In
American yards the CORRESPONDING fig
ure was 5S cents, The relative eff
cheney Of labor was considered some
what higher in American yards than in
British yards.
with the dearth of naval construc-
ton. on which American Yards in the
past have largely depended, and withs
the very large amount of excess cargo
tonnage already in existence under the
American flag. American wards look
forward to period of acute dcDres-
sioN. relieved only by the construction
of the higher type PASSENGER or mas
senger-careo vessels. If such ia mado
possible by government aid To q Inn
tied degree. such a period of dcnres
sion will tend TO bring abonf low.
prices in American wards, duc to tbeir
efforts TO keep thci oeani7ation c,,,-
poyed and to carrv thpir ovorbo.d
This cannot last indefinitely. howcyo,
at seems incontestab,c that in tbc
future, whatever the i,nmed;ato 80 s;+, ,,o
alton may be. we cannot Iook for
closer approach Of our Shin huiId;ntr
prices TO those Of British y,rds tban
the governing disnarity in v.aoos viii
permit. This disnarity: will nrohobI,,
be not less than IS per cent ~ tbo