THE MAKING OF MUNITIONS.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2504, 3 July 1915, Page 3

THE MAKING OF MUNITIONS.

Sir, —I see by to-day's Dominion a, letter from Mr. "Whitney, of tho Colonial Ammunition Company, which is dead against either making shells in New Zealand or ; sending mechanics to England to help ..to-make them there. I .wouid like t,o place before your readers my opinion—that of ono who served his apprenticeship in on© of the largest gun and shell works in England, Armstrong, \Vhitworth, Company, and afterwards worked at Vickers Maxim Company, Bar-, row, till ho camp'out to. the colonies. I may state that I havo a brother who is Inspector of Munitions-for" tho War jxsasass

at Armstrong's, and.our father was at the same tvork before us, will see I am no' new chum at the game. The three most important things' in shellmaking are iu the first- being able to oast the rough shell; in the second having the hydraulic presses; thirdly, plenty of lathes. I believe tlio railway workshops at Addington are making steel castings 'at the present time, so why not cast shells? The hydraulic presses could bo made in any of the large railway workshops. The lathes we have already got, so I: think, the Government ought to give our engineers a chance. - I am certain they will, get. over all the - difficulties and. turn, out as good a shell as Australia.; But perliaps the best and cheapest way would bo to, send mechanics to England.;' "Who'would l we send to h'e the most useful?" Men who are skilled. on the lathe; a good toner is worth a good many fighting men at .the present time, and the turner that cannot make a good job at shell-making ought never to go near a, lathe.—l am, etc., ■ G.D.,