The New York herald., 1922-11-10
SULLIVAN DEMANDS
MARINE EFFICIENCY
Tells Naval Architects That
Z. s. Ship Owners Pay Too
High for Operation.

Capt. Daniel A. j. sullivan in a paper
read yesterday at the convention of the
American Society of Naval Architects
and Marine Engineers In Grand Central
Palace bluntly told ship owners that
more efficiency in the conduct of their
business would place them nearly on
a par with their foreign rivals in point
of operating costs
Exhibiting a tabulation of operating
costs on transatlantic voyages of three
typical American ships. Capt sullivan
declared that of the four principal
items fuel. cargo handling and insur-
ance could be reduced greatly. Wages.
due TO American standards Of living
could not be lowered further, and TO
cancel this differential Capt Sullivan
favored passage of subsidy legislation
lie said also that in some instances
there might be an excessive first cost
of the ship to be overcome through
Government aid
A closer study of efficiency methods
ne said. would develop valuable data
which could be placed in the hands of
the ships master and he should be
made directly responsible for economical
operation and encouraged by a bonus
system.
This was but one of series of papers
OF great interest TO ship owners read at
yesterdays session Of the architects.
J. L. Ackerson. president of the society
and a leading figure in shipbuiidlng,
shook a widely held belief when he
asserted that 1t would not pay to con-
vert Shipping Board steamers TO Diesel
drive unless the vessels could be pur-
chased at about s25 a ton less than
those bought to be operated as steam
ers. The boards price for its best
freighters is $50 ton.
Mr.. Ackerson tabulated yearly costs
Of operation of vessels employing the
various types of propulsion in general
use, including the reciprocating engine
with Scotch boilers and with water tube
boilers; geared turbines with Scotch
boilers and with water tube boilers, and
four and two cycle Diesel engines. geared
directly His conclusion was that for
voyages of 5000 miles and longer the
Diesel engine is the most economical. at
least where new tonnage is considered
Approval of Secretary Hoover's plar
for the Standardization of American
shipbuilding equipment was voiced
guardedly by Z. H. Rigg, who thus
summed up his thought:
History has shown conclusively that
Standardization has already greatly
benefited mankind; imagine the chaos II
each mechanic cut screw threads to sun
his own IDEAS, as was done III lne early
days The whole point Is that OF ar
tiving at we'll balanced decisions on how
Ear to GO Excessive Standardization
makes for lack of progress, while too
little tends to restrict production. The
right amount meant the maximum of
comfort and pleasure in life for the
minimum cost"
To-day's program for the Marine Ex-
position in Grand Central Palace in
cludes a conference on Standardization
called by Mr.. Hoover, scheduled for the
morning, and a maritime conference in
the afternoon. to include the following
addresses: Duties of the Coast Guard y
Commander b. l.. Reed The Light
rouse system" George r. Putname
Commissioner of Lighthouses; The Re-
lation of the Merchant Marine TO Bust
ness" Francis II. Sisson, vice-presdent
Of the Guaranty Trust Company, and
Fuel Economy in Shipping Board Yes
sells" Commander X. u. Gatewood, di'
rector Of maintenance and repair.
The evening will bring forth an ad-
dress on "1he Merchant Marine as
National Defense" by Capt. William II.
Stayton, president Of the Baltimore
Steamship Company.