LARGER PROGRAMME.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 85, 21 January 1942, Page 5

LARGER PROGRAMME.

SHIPBUILDING IN AMERICA. 1900 VESSELS IN NEXT TWO YEARS. NEW YORK, January 19. The Administration’s plans for a vastly expanded shipbuilding programme of 8,000,000 tons of new construction in 1942 and 10,000,000 tons in 1943 are now well under way, says the “Journal of Commerce.” New contracts for 632 additional ships will cost one billion dollars. American shipyards will launch 1900 ships in the next two years, which is the greatest shipbuilding effort in history. The ships will be mostly of two types. One was designed primarily as a cargo vessel and has now been modified for the transport of troops. The other is a ship of 22,000 tons, about 600 feet long. This can also be used as a troop-carrier and will later be easily convertible into a passenger ship. Shipyards in future will work 24 hours a day and seven days a week with staggered shifts making possible one day’s rest a week for each worker. The -workers will receive overtime rates for all hours worked above 40 a week.

Mr Carl Vinson, chairman of the Naval Affairs Committee of the United States House of Representatives, has introduced legislation authorising the construction of 1800 combatant auxiliary 7 and patrol vessels in addition to those previously authorised.