WAR AND THE CUTLERY TRADE'

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2736, 3 April 1916, Page 8

WAR AND THE CUTLERY TRADE'

EXTRAORDINARY CRISIS. In the Stafford cutlery trado an extraordinary state of affairs lias arkon. The'whole trademay be said to be under control, in effect if not nominally, as every manufacturer is under strict rather a command—from-the authorities to give first consideration to the needs of the military; There is no possibility of this command being evaded without grave consequences to the offender. It has been calculated'that the requirements for the nest eight months equal the total output of Sheffield and Birmingham- for' the period ■ named, Spoons, forks, knives, and razors are being_ bought for the armies from America and Sweden, but even with this relief makers i:ere will not bo able to supply much to the public. Indeed, a famine in ordinary cutlery is almost a certainty. Already makers are discontinuing the production of many familiar , patterns of pocket-knives, because the men who put them together are fully [occupied on Government patterns. Scarcely any of the cheaper goods are row being-made. With regard to the i'« y If if any >" mar gi a of output left after the. Government needs have .been met, it* is suggested that for economic reasons this should be applied to the maintenance of ordinary export trade. It secms.therefore, that, so lone as the war lasts, the British public will have to do without cutlery, or make shift with what thev possess. Army table knives are no longer confined to Hie solid handle variety. So vast is the number required that it is necessary to bring in every class of workpeople aud plant, and consequently knives liafted m a fibrous substance are being accepted. These are quickly and cheaply made. Many millions of the abovementioned cutlery articles are on order at the present time. Makers of spoons are hampered by a dearth of nickel, as well as by inadequate facilities for rolling. A considerable amount of. machineryis being put down in the cutlery lactones with the object of supplementing hand laoour and-expediting.cutlerv -"Sheffield Daily Telegraph." *'