BUILDING SHIPS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 June 1940, Page 9

BUILDING SHIPS

CANADA’S BIG PROGRAMME WORK AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. MANY PLANTS AT CAPACITY. OTTAWA. Canada’s 50,000,000 dollar ship construction programme is proceeding up to schedule, indeed ahead of schedule, according to an announcement made by the newly-formed Department of Munitions and Supply. At 15 shipyards “somewhere in Canada.” or more accurately located along the coasts and inland waters, work is proceeding day and night on the effort which involves the ultimate construction of more than a hundred vessels for naval and air service purposes.

Government officials are especially pleased with the results obtained to date and state that the efforts of the many shipyard employees who have extended themselves to speed the construction work, are to a large degree responsible for the better than anticipated progress of this part of Canada’s war effort. Officers of the British Admiralty, for whom some of the ships , are destined, also have expressed gratification at the rapidity with which the work is proceeding. A variety of plants throughout the Dominion are now working at capacity on shipyard orders ranging from raw materials and semi-finished articles in steel, bronze, and timber to products like boilers, engines, pumps, cables, and other equipment. At present some 4,000 men are engaged in Canada's shipbuilding programme but within a few months it is antici-1 paled that their numbers will be close to 9,000. The progress of construction will in itself permit the employment of greater numbers; in addition the shipbuilding programme has been e.xpanded since it was first announced -.•■.me time ago by the Hon C. D. Howe, now Minister of Munitions and Supply. The present two-year programme calls for the construction of over 100 vessels for various naval and air force purposes including 64 patrol ships and 26 minesweepers. The construction of some of these larger ships is far advanced. They will be delivered this year, and others in 1941. The contracts have been let for most of the minesweepers and patrol ships, it is expected that contracts for the remainder, eight ships in all, will be let shortly. Of these 90 ships, ten arcbeing built for the account of the British Admiralty. All these steel ships are from 170 to 190 feet in length. The hulls of several are nearing completion, the first launchings expected in early summer. The building programme of the smaller vessels and boats of wood construction involves an expenditure of some hundreds of thousands of dollars. Some of these boats have already been delivered. They include lighters, aircraft tenders, bomb loading dinghies, sup- I ply and salvage boats. I There is nothing static about the Canadian shipbuilding programme, according to the Department of Munitions and Supply. It is constantly being revised and expanded as the shipbuilding industry is being geared to the need, and to new needs, which with the development of the war become apparent.

The vessels on which work is now under way are required for the defence of coastal waters, for general service with the Royal Canadian Navy, for the Royal Navy, and as service boats for the Royal Canadian Air Force. in short, the shipbuilding programme forms part of. and is co-ordinated with, the development of the naval, military and air plans for the defence of the Dominion and the Empire.