ALL-TIME RECORD

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 246, 19 October 1942, Page 3

ALL-TIME RECORD

U.S. SHIP CONSTRUCTION. P.A, Gable. WASHINGTON, Oct. 15. September saw another all-time ship construction record in American shipyards. The Maritime Commission announced that 67 Liberty ships v/ere turned out in an average time of 70.1 days from start to finish, which is ' 13 days le'ss than the pfevious month's record. When the original contracts were made it was estiriiated that construction would require 105 days. In January the average time was 241.3 days. Kaiser's Oregon shipyards continued to set the pace by delivering 11 ships in , September, averaging 42 days. An assurance that the United Nations could count on an average of four new United States cargo ships daily by January was given by Admiral Vickery, addressing an American Merehant Marine conference. He said that this was not the maximum potential shipyard capacity, and 24 million tons dead-weight of new shipping would be delivered by the end of 1943. This figure could be substantially exceeded if the necessary materials were available. " Although we have still a long way to go before we have enough ships for victory, the problem of shipyard productivity is as good as solved, " said the Admiral. "Last month shipyards built 89 per cent oi the v/hole 1941 output."