MUNITION MANUFACTURE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11648, 17 August 1916, Page 5

MUNITION MANUFACTURE.

A MIRACLE OF PRODUCTION. INCREASES STATED IN PERCENTAGE. London, Aug. 15. In the House of Commons, Mr Montague, in a review of the work of the Munition Department, said i the output of shells at the beginning of the war was so negigible that the percentage of increases gave fantastic results. For example, 38-pounders and heavy shells increased 2650 times and for the last week of June, 1916, was !(}}£ times the average of the weekly output in 1914-lc with corresponding increases in other classes of artillery munitions. Altogether we were now manufacturing a weekly equivalent of the entire pre-war stock of ammunition. We could now turn out in three or four weeks machine guns equivalent to the total stock existing when the Ministry of Munitions was estab- i lished. Our method of purchasing and the limitation of prices of metals had saved foity-one millions. He had not divulged a secret when he said the artillery bad acquitted itself entirely satisfactorily in the recent lighting. The difficulties of replacing damaged and worn-out guns had been satisfactorily sur mounted. The conditions of modern ! warfare emphasises the value of ; long-range guns, and an everincreasing range was demanded. * Our unpreparedness for war had the advantage of giving us entirely j modern weapons. Reports from the 1 front showed a steady Improvement * in the quality of ammunition. ( There had hen a distinct measure of £ success, but against.an enemy like £ Germany progress must be contin- * nous The Ministry had been aim- f iug at independence from foreign s

supply. When the Ministry was established, American factories supplied seventy per cent of the light shells. We are now independent. We found the American heavy shells invaluable during the development of British factories, but expected that the Home and Candaian output would ultimately make us independent. The cost of factories was decreasing. The cost in some cases had been completely covered in sis or twelve montns by

the difference in cost between Home and foreign munitions. He paid a tribute to women and asked where was now tbe man who would deny women tbe civil rights which they had earned. Tbe Ministry’s programme would not be completed until the number of guns had increased many times and ammunition was sufficient to maintain an indefinite offensive on the whole front

IMPROVEMENT IN MANUFACTURE. A SINGULAR REFLATION. ’ London, Aug. 115. Mr Lloyd George, commenting on the improvement of munitions, said that tli© premature explosion of shells was so bad at the battle of Loos that the firing of high explosive shell had to be abandoned. Now the number of bad shells was negligible. AUSTRALIAN SHELL MANUFACTURE. Melbourne, August 16. Senator Pearce state that the Imperial authorities have accepted a sample lot of eighteen pounder shell bodies.