HOG ISLAND

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 59, 3 December 1919, Page 10

HOG ISLAND

AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BRITAIN AMERICAN SHIPS CHEAPER Hog Island, Penn., U.S.A. I have in front of me as I write two sets of estimates. They tell, in brief, the story of an industry. The first is dated 1914. These are the comparative American and British estimates for building ten different ocean steamships of different types. The American estimates are 4G per cent, above the British. Attached to them is another estimate, furnished at the samo time by one of the largest ship-owning firms. According to it- the British charges were less than half the American.

My second sot of estimates is dated Juno 10, 1919. It is given in an official message to the United Stales Congress by Jfr. ITurley, then head of the U.S. Shipping Board: "In England the shipbuilder's bid for eighteen months or two years' delivery ranges between 140 dollars (£33) and IGO dollars (.£3B Ifls.) a deadweight ton, the buyer agreeing to assume any increased cost of labour or materials. In the United States tentative 'flat price' offers to construct for fr>m 150 dollars (£36) to 170 dollars (£4l) a deadweight ton have been held out by builders for future delivery." In other words, American construction costs of an average freighter—l am not talking now of speciality ships or liners—which were 4(1 per 'cent, above the British in 1914, are now only between (i and 7 per cent, above, and wliije British costs are rising American co6ts are continuing to fall. Here is n matter that vitally affects a large section of British industry. If this continues it means that eventually, after the present boom in construction is over, much of the merchant shipbuilding now done in Gspat Britain will go to America. A Contrast to Chepstow. What is the cause of this The directors at Hog Island, tho largest shipyard in the world, are frank in their reply. They attribute it to: l.'The greater cheapness of steel. Structural steel used in shipbuilding costs 20 dollars (£4 10s. 3d.) a ton less in America than England. Tho quantity of steel used on an 8000-ton ship, for the hull nlone, is 4285 tons, meaning a difference in this ono item of about £20,000 at present rates of exchange. Owing to the riso in the rico of coal, British steel will become dearer.

2. The saving in time, labour, and money from the repetition building of standard-type ships.

3. The increasing skill and efficiency of American shipyard labour.

Hog Island typifies the new American methods. Two years ago this island was a tract of waste land on the Delaware .River. On September 13, 1917, it was decided to build a monster, shipyard here, to produce merchant ships as a war measure. The U.S. Government orders for, in all, ISO ships of 7500 to 8000 tons. Tho 8000-ton ships were to be 450 ft. long by 58ft. wide, with engines developing 16,000 li.p. ' Tho work itself Was put out to contract.

Tho winter of 1017-18 was one of the worst known, and tho cold was eo intense that the soil had to be thawed 12ft. down by steam pipes to enable piles to bo driven for foundations . for tho buildings. Tlieso piles numbered 150,000. A city had to bo built to bouse 31,000 workers.

Visitors to-day are given two panoramic photographs. Tho first slvows the island on September 20, 1917—a stretch of desolate land covered with sage brush. Tho second shows it in September, 1918, with work busily proceeding on 50 great slaps on 50 slipways, with seven piers besido the slipways, eacli 3000 ft. long, taking four lines of rail, and with a monster industrial city behind. I have known something of construction work in ninny lands; I have never seen anything so remarkable as that which was accomplished in a single year on Hog Island.

Tho first ship was launched 011 August 1 Inst .year. Construction slowed down when tho Armistice was declared, but up to now 40 ships havo been launched and 30 delivered.

There was some trouble last year in the island, and a very remarkablo young man, Matthew Brush, was asked to go down and 'look into the matters. Brush started life as a nowsboy, became apprentice in the shops of the "Union Pacific I'ailroad, studied hard, and rose in a few years to foreman, general manager, vicepresident, and then president of tho Boston Elevated Railway. At a timo when almost every street railway in tlio United States was substantially bankrupt ho made tho Boston system a financial success.

Asked to go to Hog Island, ho resigned his presidency, donned overalls, and applied at tho shipyard for a job. Ho qualified in the yard school, after ten days of training, and went to work. Ho wanted to find tho truth about tho place, and took this direct method of doing so. A week or two 'later 110 changed his clothes again and cunio back as head of tho concern with a salary of XBOUO a year. A T o one can meet Matthew Brush for five minutes without being impressed by tho singleness of purpose and dynamic force 01 the man. Jlo knew nothing about shipbuilding when 110 came to Hog Island, and ho does not hesitate to admit it. But ho knows how to organise and how to handle men.

His finalities wero soon put to tho test. A little over six weeks after 110 had taken office ho was summoned before a hostile committco of tho Senate. Politicians were organising attacks on Hog lslamij for party purposes, and Brush was to be "skinned alive."

Ho camc, armed with facts and with many photographs. Soon ho had the senators listening fascinated to his talc. When tho chairman interrupted at one point, another senator told him in polite languago to shut up.

In tlio end Senator Johnson, who had been expected to Hay him with whips, solemnly called on God to bless liini. it was one of tho most remarkable personal triumphs Washington lias seen for a long time.

Standard Ships a Success,

"If I wero running this yard as a privato ente/priso we could biuld tin. ships of tho world at prices to defy competition," said Mr. Brush. "We could turn out one complete vessel in every forty-eight hours. It I could not build fifty ships at a time cheaper than live, then I am not fit to keep my job. _ had at tho start ail advantage in labour. But in our school we havo trained mechanics and foremen who can do our work. You in Britain have your labour troubles all ahead.

"Repetition work—the so-called fabricated shipbuilding—is an undoubted success, Wo luivo simplified design to the utmost. Curves are cut out and straight lines substituted. The fabricated ship may not look so pretty as tho old type, but that is because men are not accustomed to it. It does its work as well. "Our men become so familiar with their work that it is no longer necessary for them to consult blue prints, .Slandawlisntion is tho sccrct of success in alt big American producing industries. "We lire applying to shipbuilding principles that havo proved themselves in other fields.

"To-day we are only working a 14liours- week, and we only number about 28.1X10 men. Here, as elsewhere, shorter hours and absence of overtime since the nrmisfice have not meant more production per hour. Men are not working so hard or producing so much proportion, alelv as during the drive of war timo. Our regular time now for constructing an SOMI-ton ship is tweaty-iivo wceics, twenty weeks from the laying of the keel to Uie launching, and five weeks.from launching in delivery. The ship is delivered complete, with engines, plant, aim everything ready.

"There has been much inaccurate talk in some parts of the world about tho breakdown of the standard ships at sea. The ships delivered from this ynrt are tn-dav sailing in every ocean, 'most)of llieni being engaged between Europe and America. AYp keep a full record of I,hem and mark their places daily on our churls.

"Not a' single ship delivered from Hog Tslano' has been in a dry dock sincc it left here, and the turbino engines havo worked froin the first in every ship without trouble.' There havo been no break-

downs save one, and that was tlio fault not of tlio ship, hut of the captain.

"Wo lave had many Knglish visitors to I Lou Island," added Mr. Brush. Most of thorn havo gone aivay very thoughtful."

And with reason. It is idle to refuse to admit that a new competitor has come into one of the great industries 011 which the prosperity of Britain deepnos, a competitor more dangerous than all who havo cone before.

Mr. Brush recognised that the final factor in the battle for world shipbuilding will bo the attitude of labour. He, like manv other trained American observers is convinced that our skilled shipvam men will, by unreasonable _ demands. and constant unrest, handicap Britain. But maybe British shipyard' labour is going to disappoint him. And the L'nted States lias its labour troubles to come. We have not yet come to machine-guns in strikes, as in Boston.—P. A. M'Kenzie, in the "Daily Mail."