Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-08
Shipbui|der Urges
Less Secrecy About
Navy Construction
Homer L. Ferguson Tells
Senate Committee
Publicity Is Helpful
BY ]. A. OIEARY.

,hNNONdtillS lcSS secrecy ABOUT the
progress Of the naval shipbuilding
program, Homer L. Ferguson, presi-
dent Of the Newport News Shipbuild-
Ing g. Dry Dock Co., told the Senate
War Investigating Committee today
IT would stimulate construction TO
let the workers in one yard know
- what other yards are doing.
production is game, and turn
Ing out ships without having the
results known is like playing a game
OF football without announcing the
score" the veteran shipbuilder said.
His yard turned out the aircraft car
riers Yorktown and Enterprise, and
the cruiser Boise.
Emphasizing the pride workers
take In the ships they build, Mr..
Ferguson said the names of vessels
mean something to them.
To announce that a medium
sized vessel has been sunk in the
Atlantic" he said, SIS like telling me
I've lost a friend, without letting me
know his name"
Senator Ball, Republican, of Min
nesota. asked if he meant COMPARE
son Of what various yards are turn
ing out would spur the men on in
yard that is not doing so we'll.
Mr.. Ferguson indicated it would
not be necessary to advertise names,
but that data on production records
would be helpful.
Rapid Expansion.
The committee also heard Roger
Williams Of the North Carolina
Shipbuilding Co., a subsidiary of the
Newport News company, tell how
new yard was started from scratch"
near Wilmington, N. c., in February.
l94l, with a goal OF 1000 men and
two Liberty ships a month. Mr..
Williams said the yard has expanded
in that time from six to nine ways.
with 10000 employees, and is turning
out nine or 10 ships a month.
Chairman Truman explained that
both witnesses had been called for
the purpose of showing other ship
yards what they have accomplished.
Mr.. Ferguson told how the New
port News company trains its own
apprentices over four-year period,
with high school classwork included
two days a week. He stressed the
Importance of supervision in Ship
building, and said the Newport News
yards are using one supervisor to
every Is men, despite war pressure.
In normal times, he said, it is one
to 10.
No Strike in SO Years,
The Newport News yards, he testi-
ned, has not had strike in SO
years, which Chairman Truman
said he believed is a record. The
witness said the company bergains
collectively with an independent
union. the Peninsula Shipbuilders
Association, for all except one group
pattern makers-who are repre-
sented by the AFL.
Mr.. Ferguson explained that at
Newport News the workers are
guaranteed basic days wage, with
an incentive system for the amount
OF work turned out There is also
DAA AAaNSAoAFC oyoCCIIi, 1lC SdlU, 1OI go
executives who run the yards.
Mr.. Ferguson praised the Navy
Tor having decentralized control
over. ship inspection in this war.
AS a result, he said. the yard can
get decisions in two days in the
local area, that might take two
months If all questions had to be
sent to Washington.
Henry j. Kaiser, Andrew Jackson
Higgins and other shipbuilders will
be questioned at subsequent hear
1ngs about the methods they use to
promote efficiency In their yards.
Chairman Truman, in announcing
the hearings, said "the committee
believes that the greatest contribu-
ton which can possibly be made to
the manpower program is the eff
cient use Of the employees that we
now have. and we desire to have
these outstanding producers explain
the methods which they have used,
so that other producers can obtain
the benefit thereof and 60 and do
likewise"