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Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 703, 24 December 1902, Page 2

A COLONIAL INDUSTRY. Public attention has been drawn from time to time to the desirability of producing witnin the colony as large a proportion as possible of our many requirements. It 1 — been shown how various avenues of could thus be opened up, employment . -—Mile more reliant besides making us a p., —the upon our own resources. Amongf industries brought under notice, not the least important is that of the manufacture of ammunition, which is an essential in the defence of the colony. The great advantages of such a manufactory in the colony have been pointed out, especially

in the event of hostilities with a foreigi Power. Ili -li ft and C -.i-ia have their ammunition tuctofies. wm.e there are six in Great Britain and two in the Uniud Slates of America. South of the Equate:, however, the Colonial Ammunition Cumpany stands alone in this respect. This company iirst started operations at Auckland in 18Sb, with a staff of front 30 to 30, but their factory in the northern city now covers an urea of ovc-r three quarters of an acre, and employs upwards oi 13. i persons : in addition to which the company also extended their business to Australia, where their wo'-ks are much more extensive than those in NV.v Beals ,1. Tills j company is to-day not only lvce-gnised by tie Governments of bbs.v Zealand and

lb i mod Au'UH.ia, but a,so by tin I' ip ial Wat UiUce, us an ammar.it;., - 'u.-iory of co ’ Jt r .o . in lu.rmuc-e- to til .- defence oi tin Commonwealth of Australia aiid New Z-.u! :.i h arrl their works b lit in An -iraiia and Ne-.v /.calaiid are every year being enlarged to enable the Company to cope with their daily increasing business and with every emergency as regards the keeping up of the supply of military ammunition in times of both peace and war. There are some two or three brass manufactories in the United States, and about four in Great Britain, which firms feed the ammunition factories in those countries. The Colonial Ammunition Company, however, have not manufactured explosives (cordite, gunpowder, etc.), nor yc-t the raw materials required for the manufacture of ammunition—via., bras.-, cupro-nickel, and paper. It is pleasing to note, though, that the Company are now starting the manufacture in Australia of material—brass and cupro-

nickel—to feed their Australasian factories. Explosives, however, will not be manufactured by this Company, as the plant necessary would be very costly m proportion to the small annual requirements of New Zealand, which could be turned out in a few weeks : and thus the plant and einplovees would have to remain idle for the rest of the year, unless perhaps the manufacture of blasting-powder for mining purposes were increased sufficiently to engage ) the hands when the stock of cordite requir, d for the colony iiad been turned om. i’erhaps it is not generally known that each *303 cartridge as used by the volunfcoer and the New Zealand forces, passes through f»S machines at the works in Auckland be lore it is turned out in the state the volunteers receive it, while each cartridge is handled over 130 times in the process of manufacture, guaging, and examination. The ordinary 13-bore shot cartridge (paper shell), before it reaches the sportsman, passes through 8b operations during the process of its manufacture. The Company mane over 1000 different tools at tho Auckland works tor placing in the various machines for ammunition making, which in many eases are made to guage within halt ivthousandtb part of an inch, while the largest limit is -001 of an inch. Only specially prepared steel can lie used in the manufacture of tho tools, and is procured from the steel manufacturers who make a speciality of this in their trade. To those who have not visited the works, this will

give them some idea of tho extent of the manufacture and work us carried out by this Company in Auckland, whoso sporting and military ammunition has made a name for it-elf in Australia and New Zealand for quality and finish, and on many occasions world's records have

been put up by those using it. Quite lately several records have been made with its sporting ammunition in New Zealand which it would be hard to beat. The Company have invented some very valuable improvements in ammunition, their bi-concave wadding being espe-

cially recommended to sportsmen. The Colonial Ammunition Company deserves great credit for the enterprise, ability, and perseverance displayed in starting and carrying out with such conspicuous success tho manufacture of ammunition, and for the high standard it has attained both in New Zealand and Australia for its manufactures, while it is also pleasing to notice the support extended to its products by tho public, it is worthy of l-cmurl: that the Company has reached its present satisfactory position without the support of a protective duty, as the tariff on loaded ammunition imported into New Zealand is Is Gd per 100, as against tho payment by the Company of Is hid per 100 duty on powder and shot to load the New Zealand product. Major Whitney, lately known as Captain Whitney, is the general manager for Australasia, and Mr Arthur Cecil Whitney is tho manager and attorney for the New Zealand branch. We are confident that in tendering tho Company our best wishes for continued and increased prosperity wo have the hearty approval of ail interested in the welfare of colonial enterprise.