MANUFACTURE OF MUNITIONS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1616, 28 September 1916, Page 4

MANUFACTURE OF MUNITIONS.

WHAT BRITAIN IS DOING. AN ENGINEER’S INTERESTING LETTER. Some interesting information regarding the tremendous efforts Great Britain is putting forward to render herself independent of outside countries in the manufacture and supply of munitions came to hand this week in a letter to an official of the Lyttelton Borough Council sent by Mr N. J. M ebster. Mr Webster, who was mechanical engineer to (he Council, was recently granted leave of absence to enable him to proceed Home and offer the benefit of bis experience to the military authorities.

Inter alia, the writer stated that when just about to accept a position in one of the factories of Vickers, as a tool setter for the female operators, lie was offered and accepted another position connected with the building of a great highexplosive factory “somewhere in England.” Although the second position was not worth so much in a monetary sense as that offered by Vickers, Mr Webster was pleased to get it, being out to obtain as much experience as lie could.

When in London he saw (he plans of (he factory, but mi (hat occasion be failed to grasp the magnitude of the scheme. Subsequently when be saw the work in progress, its immensity astonished him. The factory, ho continued, is known as H.M. Factory—, (named after a villige). Twelve months ago the district in which it was being built was a place of beauty, being dotted with farms and hawthorn hedges. Since then a complete transformation had taken place, and at the time of writing wlo powerful traction engines were at work demolishing everything. ■When the factory is finished that at Woolwich will be looked upon as quite a small concern. The now factory is to cover an area of about ■fifty square miles. Mr Webster mentioned that trams run everywhere about the town in (he vicinity, and lie himself bad to ride two miles to roach the spot at which lie was engaged erecting refrigerating machinery. Work commenced a I 5.45 a.m., and did not cease until 10 p.m., a short interval living allowed for lunch. Fifteen locomotives were engaged at (he factory at present, but the.number was expected to be greatly increased when the works were completed. “It is not possible,” Mr Webster continued, “for me to estimate 4be thousands who will be employed bene, but no time is being lost in hurrying the work on. Most of the machinery is electrically driven, the power being supplied by a plant not unlike that at Lake Coleridge. The whole town is surrounded by barbwire, and is guarded by troops..’’

When proceeding to the town, Mr Webster was impressed with the system for despatching munitions to the front. At various stages along the line he saw train-loads of munitions marked ■ “war material, urgent,” these trains having precedence over all others.