Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-12-07
Rising Costs Retard
Fleet Construction,
Admiral Reports
Navy Yards Still Short
Of Peak Efficiency,
Robinson Declares

Sharp increases in estimated costs
of the Navy expansion program and
construction of facilities for = the
swiftly growing Army were indicated
in official quarters today as the an
nual report Of Rear Admiral Samuel
H. Robinson, chief of the Bureau of
Ships, showed the Navy yards still
short of peak efficiency in building a
two ocean" fleet.
The added costs in construction
OF naval shore stations and Army
posts were estimated authoritatively
at from 20 to Is per cent over the
$2000,000,0 900 originally allotted for
this work.
The Navy is preparing to ask
Congress for additional funds it was
learned.
The increased costs, officials said,
are due largely to advances in wage
scales and higher prices of materials.
Payment of overtime rates was de-
scribed as contributing factor.
Most contractors, it was pointed
out, can pass along higher construc-
ton costs to the Navy or Army
because their contracts are based
on a cost plus fixed fee" basis.
The major portion of the Navy
contracts thus far awarded is in the
Northeastern section of the country.
New England has received almost
$4,000 900 and more than $1,000
100000 will be spend in the Middle
Atlantic region.
Failure to attain peak efficiency
IN the Navy yards was discussed by
Admiral Robinson, in his report to
the Secretary of the Navy.
The yards were able to discard
very little of the worn and obsolete
equipment that has been source
of reduced efficiency for many
years. he stated in discussing bot
tlenecks in the building program.
The increase in work kept pace
with the increase of equipment to
such a degree that little progress
could be made toward elimination
of choke points and shift work. The
actual tool equipment of the navy
yards considered in terms of ability
to produce work now approaches
and in some cases exceeds the max
imum of any previous date" he
said in commenting on the capacity
loads being carried by the yards.
Acceleration Causes Jams.
The bottlenecks, he stated. were
caused by the speed-up of new con-
struction, commissioning of old
vessels, ship conversions and gen.
eral repairs. Construction schedules
for facilities had to be revised to
meet the accelerated program.
Admiral Robinson reported "a
serious shortage of qualified Off
GERS" to meet bureau requirements
The need for more engineering Of
flcers was real before the present
limited national emergency" Dur
ing the fiscal year there were 308
officers assigned to this duty
A large volume of design work was
completed and other new projects
inaugurated. He added the fleet has
been maintained in satisfactory
material condition by the accom-
plishment of all essential repairs"
Growing Expense Predicted.
Expenditures for upkeep may be
expected to increase as more new
and recommissioned vessels join the
feet. Other costly factors, he added,
were the increasing age of ships in
use and the more extensive opera
tons under way
Two special exhaustive studies
were completed for the improvement
of the ruggedness of ships through
the analysis of arrangements and
criticisms. One study indicates a
general high reliability of our ma
chinery, but also indicates that at
tention should be given to improv-
ing the reliability of condensers and
Of steering engines" he said.