220 STANDARDIZATION AS AFFECTING THE 
effort to bring together the principals concerned, and endeavor to establish shipbuilding stand- 
ards; in a moderate way first, followed later on a larger scale. The factors making for suc- 
cessful effort in this direction would include: (a) full representation, (b) an agreement 
of the principals to abide by the findings, and (c) provision for modification of the standards 
when necessary in order to insure progressive standardization. 
This paper, which has been so ably prepared by Mr. Rigg, should serve to spur the 
industries to a realization that standardization is one means of enabling us to meet our com- 
petitors on the seas, and I think the author and the Society as a whole should be congratu- 
lated on its presentation. 
Mr. Huco P. Frear, Member of Council:—Mr. Rigg has presented us with a very 
carefully prepared and opportune paper on standardization as affecting the shipbuilding indus- 
try, setting forth many of the advantages that would result and difficulties that would be 
encountered if this could be accomplished. 
There may be a difference of opinion or understanding in regard to the standardization 
of ships. I would not consider that a ship or its equipment was standardized unless the 
same vessel with practically the same equipment could be purchased from any one of a num- 
ber of builders. 
I do not think that the mere repetition of orders from the same plans, especially if for 
the same owner, constitutes a standard vessel. If, however, the builder could sell this ship 
without change to several owners and continue to do so, it would more nearly approach a 
standard ship, but not in the broad sense. Classification societies have had standard rules 
for many years. The stronger societies, until more recently, were very conservative and dis- 
couraged innovations. This resulted in a number of types of vessels built at different yards 
which were so similar by force of circumstances that they could be considered standardized 
substantially on the above basis. 
The North of England tramp steamer offers perhaps one of the best examples of 
these types and probably approaches more nearly to the ideal than many of us will live to 
see again. They were contracted for almost exclusively on a deadweight basis, which bore 
almost a constant relation to both the displacement and gross tonnage. 
Dissatisfaction on the part of both owners and builders to being tied down to hard and 
fast rules or governmental regulations, together with the advancement of the art and require- 
ments of special trades, etc., forced these bodies to revise their rules on a more liberal basis. 
This all points to real progress but spells greater difficulty if not the impossibility of stand- 
ardization of a ship as a whole. I am a great believer in standardization and do not want to 
create an impression that I would limit the work at a point beyond which it is possible to 
go. I do not think we can extend standardization much beyond fittings. 
As Mr. Rigg points out, standardization has not been entirely neglected in this coun- 
try so faras fittings and equipment are concerned. All of the principal shipbuilders have a 
very complete set of standards covering practically all the fittings commonly used on ships. 
Many of the larger shipowners also have standards of their own for many fittings. There 
are also some shipbuilders and many manufacturers making so-called standard equipment. 
The trouble is that we have too many standards and too much personal opinion, and the 
problem seems to be principally one of simplification rather than standardization. Even this 
would involve a great amount of work and take time. I am on half a dozen or more stand- 
ardization committees and know something of the labor and time that have been expended 
