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AMERICAN SHIPBUILDING.

CAUSE OF SLOW PROGRESS,

It has been a matter of doubt as to why the building of ships in the United States has altogether failed to reach the expected standard. The following articles from the "Scientifice American" throws light on the subject. In his summary last week of the first year of Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare, Sir Eric Geddes, First Lord of the Admiralty, said: "The submarine destruction still exceeds the production of ships, and in the meantime the demands for tonnage are increasing by leaps and bounds. . . .When we first asked the United States for ships there was a quick response. In no way can the United States help more than in building ships. ' Is she succeeding? Is she throwing her best brains and energies into it? I hope she is." Is she? She is and she is not. Congress has done its part by loyally granting every dollar of the vast sums which have been requested. Capital has done its part by the construction of enormous shipbuilding plants and by the enlargement of those which existed. The great industrial plants of the country have done their part by bending every effort to produce the huge quantity of materials needed for the construction of the ships. The press of the country has done its part by explaining the serious character of the shipping problem and urging upon the country the need for pushing it through with all possible expedition. Nevertheless, in spite of this widespread combination of national effort, the shipbuilding scheme is threatened with failure because the most important factor of its success —the hearty, whole-souled and patriotic co-operation of labour—has failed to materialise. As matters now stand, the Government has the organisation, it has the materials, and it has the shipbuilding plan, but it cannot get the labour. Not only so, but labour has used the present national emergency for its own particular profit— in proof of which we point to the fact that during a peripd of six months, there have occurred over thirty-five hundred strikes in the ship-building industry and in those industries which are contributing thereto. Now the "Scientific American" gives .place to no one in its desire to ,3ee labour receive an adequate reward for its work; and we believe , that in this era of higli cost of living it is only just that there should be a generous increase in the scale of wages paid. On the other hand, we cannot but feel that, iiv view of the fact that wages have been doubled md in some cases trebled, over what they were in peace timesf the holding 'up of the work of this great national 'war programme to the extent of 6ver '3500 strikes within a period of six months, exposes labour to that very charge of "profiteering," of which we hear so much in the present hour. The Shipping Board has sent out a call for 250,000 skilled mechanics for work in the shipyards. It offers them a scale of wage that is extremly liberal. If the labour unions and those other powerful influences which control labour wish to do so, they can send these men to the shipyards as fast as the Government can use them. If Labour fails to re-s-pond to the call there is but one alternative—conscription.

Now, let us look at the salient facts of the shipping situation as it stands to-day. In the year 1916, the United States launched 600,000 tons of shipping, and we built 1,400,000 tons of shipping in 1917. The total labour force 'in our shipyards amounted, in 1917, to 75,000 men. The plans of the Shipping Board call for the construction of 6,000,000 tons of shipping in 1918, and if we succeed in building this tonnage we shall be able to place our armies in France, supply them, and also carry to our Allies the food, fuel, and other supplies which they must have. In putting through this programme, Aye have built 74 new shipyards, and these, with those already in existence, will represent a total of 132 shipyards. In these' yards there are 302 ways for the construction of wooden ships and 316 for steel ships, and in our navy yards there ax-e 72 ways. Also, we are building, or shall shortly have in operation, three new mills for the rolling of ship plates. Because of the endless labour troubles referred to above, two months or more of valuable time have been absolutely lost; and it is now doubtful that, we can launch the estimated total of 6,000,000 tons in 1918. The present estimate of accomplishment, and even this is absolutely dependent upon the question as to whether labour during this year is to be swayed by profiteering or patriotism, is • a total of 4,550,000 tons, made up of 3,700,000 tons of steel ships and 850,000 tons of wooden ships. These figures are based on the expectation that the full quota of men will be secured, working one shift of 10 hours. If ' the yards were worked with three shifts of eight hours each, a much larger output could be secured. At the present, time about 8000 men are employed on wooden ship construction and 103,000 on the construction of steel ships. Within the next few weeks, however, as the new shipbuilding ways are completed and the navy yard building ways, due to completion of naval ships, become increasingly available for the merchant ship construction, there will be a rapidly increasing call for skilled workers. It is estimated by the Shipping Board that not less than 250,000 workers will be required arid in order to be prepared to supply this great I demand Mr Hurley, chairman of the ! Shipping Board, proposes to create lan industrial reserve army, enlisted | for the purpose and held in readiness at the various industrial work? throughout the country. The . enlistment will be made at once, and j the men will be given a badge. A j canvass will be made of such indusI trial plants as employ the class of skilled workers which are suitable for shipbuilding work. And it is hoped that both employer and employee will co-operate in furnishing that quota of men which' can be spared from each factory without ' absolutely crippling the particular industry concerned. Now here is a clarion call to labour to do its share in winning the war and making this beloved land of ours safe against the most terrible blow that was ever struck against its independence and security. We believe that the failure of labour to rise to the crisis has been due more to the thoughtlessness than to lack of true patriotism. The call has gone forth. The Nation listens. What will be labour's response?

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NA19180515.2.4

Bibliographic details

Northern Advocate, 15 May 1918, Page 1

Word Count
1,122

AMERICAN SHIPBUILDING. Northern Advocate, 15 May 1918, Page 1

AMERICAN SHIPBUILDING. Northern Advocate, 15 May 1918, Page 1

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