COLONIAL AMMUNITION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1730, 22 April 1913, Page 7

COLONIAL AMMUNITION.

The following telegram has been sent to The DoMtNiox by tho manager of the Colonial Ammunition Company, Ltd.: "You report Colonel Heard in his reply to 'Martini' that tho manufacturing capacity of the Now Zealand Small Arms Ammunition Factory is limited, and tliat the policy of tho Government is to build up a certain reserve of small arms ammunition. To provide tho additional freo ammunition that it is suggested should bo given would eost a great deal of money, and restrict tho possibilities of tho factory providing a reserve. I think your reporter must havo misunderstood Colonel Heard, for ho should havo been ' awaro that our plant and machinery at Auckland can make and supply doublo tho present requirements of tho .Government working ordinary time, only wo havo been informed by Government that order for .yOU ball cannot bo increased at present."

Coloucl Heard, when shown a copy of tho übovo telegram, stated that what ho meant to say was that ho understood tho company would have to increaso its plant to produce the ammunition if tho supply to tho Territorials was increased, and that that would naturally necessitate a guarailteo on tho part of tho Government that a largo supply would bo taken for a definite period. That, of course, meant an increaso of expenditure, and tho peoplo wero already complaining about tho amount of the expenditure. "Our object," ho added, "is to keep down expenses as far as we can, and at tho saino timo produco tho greatest amount of efficiency."