Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-12-12 | Page 2 | Cancel Wooden Ship Contacts

CANCEL WOODEN SHIP CONTRACTS Yards on the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Coasts Are Affected. WASHINGTON, Dec. 11. Cancellation of all outstanding contracts for construction construc-tion of wooden ships where builders have not spent more than $200,000 on a ship has been determined upon by the shipping board. This applies to yards on the Atlantic, Gulf find I'acific coasts. Contracts for 160 sidps of this type were suspended recent-v, recent-v, i'nd many of these are affected by the decision though officials of the board would not attempt today to estimate the number. The contract cost of wooden vessels averages about $700,000 and it is understood under-stood that the board's experts decided that where not more than $200,000 worth of work had been done it would bo economy for the government to cancel the contract with the provision against loss to the builder. Although the board approved the wooden ship for emergency purposes, It has been made clear that its policy will be to add as few wooden craft as possible to the permanent merchant marine. Arrangements Ar-rangements already are under way for selling a number of wooden as well as ! ; some small steel vessels. j l