MAKING MUNITIONS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2531, 4 August 1915, Page 5

MAKING MUNITIONS

DOMINIONS' ASSISTANCE CANADA'S FINE EFFORT Canada, besides sending troops to Flanders, has a vast industrial army at homo aiding the Empire in tho manufacture of munitions. News received in'. Australia shows that 247' factories in Canada, distributed in 78 cities, are engaged in the manufacture of munitions. Last month it was stated that the daily production of shells would bo increased shortly to 50,000. Between 60,000 and 70,000 artisans are engaged, and the weekly wages bill is about £200,000. The Shell Committee of Canada has placed orders for 9,000,000 shells, including both shrapnel and high explosive, and large quantities of cartridges, cases, fuses, primers, etc., have been ordered. A copper refining plant is beihg established, and trinitrotoluene high explosives are now being manufactured.

Australia has so far been engaged mostly on preliminary work in munition making, but on July 26 the last technical hindrance to the manufacture of shells was removed. On that day tho Minister of Defence announced that he had received the plan of the high explosive 18-poundor shell from the Imperial Government. The Department, he added, would have copies of tho plan printed and would distribute the copies as soon as they were ready. The next steps will be to make estimates of the cost and arrange contracts with the various engineering firms.

An Engineering Census. The Melbourne "Age" states that all the principal engineering firms in Victoria have received from the Munitions Committee of the Chamber of Manufactures—now the Iron and Steel Sub-com-mittee—a request for full information of equipment suitable for the manufacture of high explosive 18-pounder shells. An accompanying circular letter sets out that:—

(a) the shell required by the British Government is the 18-pounder "high explosive" shell only. (b) The steel body, copjier ring, and grub screw, only are required. (c) Tho body must be worked from the solid bar, to be supplied to you. (d) Each shell will be inspected by gaugo in respect of tho dimensions of every part. • . (e) You mil note that the accuracy is well within' that of ordinary miorometric or gauge workshop practice. (f) You will also note that the design permits of considerable latitude in respect of the type of machine used—for instance, the cavity may be worked out ill a drilling machine, and the nose formed b.v a hollow bit and guide at the one setting., : ; (g) The subjoined diagram is not official, and is. only provisional, but is submitted as an approximation, to enable you to consider the nature of tho method to be used, and scheme out a preliminarv tool plan. There after follow a provisional diagram of high explosive shell, with certain technical information as to the method of working. _ Each manufacturer is supplied with a schedule, in which detailed information of description and number is required to be inscribed: —

Type of Machine. Bar Cutting of Machines.—(a) Rotary. (b) Hack saw, (c) clothing, (d) shaping, (e) milling. Lathes (state if hollow spindle).—(a) Screw cutting, (b) lwn-scrow cutting, (c) turret, (d) automatic, (e) semi-auto-matie, (f) under Gin. centres (pin work), (g) vertical (Billiard type). Drilling Machines.—(a) Vertical, (b) radial, (c)' other types (specify). Grinding Machines.—(a) Twist drill, (b) universal, external or internal (gauge production, etc.), (c) body or nose grinding. Gauges. State whetlier you use . micrometer, Whitworth, or other gauges. Miscellaneous, (a) Shop lightning (night); (b) transport (rail, etc.) ; ■ (c) nearest, point of delivery; (d) nature of present output (describe). Estimated Output of Shell Bodios. Maximum per week—(a) on an eight hours' shift; (b) or such shifts as may be arranged with available labour; (c) whether without copper hands; or whether'prepared to twin copper bands and compress same into seats; (d) any other information under this heading. Available for Employees. ' Total. Shell Work Foremen . — — Leading hands — — Fitters — — Turners — — Machinists — — • 'Labourers — _ — Add any other particulars desired. Manufacture of Toluene. Lieutenant-Colonel Wilson, on behalf of the Defence Department, states that in connection with the work being carried out by the Munitions Committee, a spccial sub-conimittce has beep appointed to make all necessary initial 111cmiries regarding tho possibilities of produring toluene in Australia. Toluene is obtained either by extracting it from coal gas at the various gasworks or by the distilaltion of coal tar. ■ and is the necessary base for the manufacture of liigh explosives. The members of the sub-committee are Messrs. Marcus Bell. P. C. Holmes Hunt, and Dr. F. H. Campbell. New Zealand's Position. In reply to a question in the House of Representatives on July 20, Mr. Allen stated: —"They had been in communication with the Imperial authorities abnut the manufacture of shells here, hut so far they had received no encouragement to manufacture shellsjin New Zealand. It was a difficult thing to obti-in the necessary steel in Now Zealand. Mr. Birch said that tho machinery for tho manufacture of shells could be obtained in the United a Stptes of America, hut the Government had asked already, and had been advised by the Imperial authorities that they could not get machinery." More recently. Mr. Allen stated that the Government was again offering to send to Britain qualified men to assist in tho manufacture of munitions.