MANUFACTURE OF AMMUNITION IN NEW ZEALAND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 41, 16 February 1903, Page 4

MANUFACTURE OF AMMUNITION IN NEW ZEALAND.

■p" It is always pleasing to note the success Hind steady growth of industries and more especially when they Span of immediate local iutorest to us by H'the knowledge that they are colonial K- undertakings. g; We have had brought under our notice & by the receipt of an advance copy of the W- Colonial Ammunition Company's price gfc-list (which was issued early in January), P/an industry which is of importance to the |S whole colony, and which has at various fe-, periods beeti given considerable public 15 "prominence, namely, the manufacture of W' ammunition. The Colonial Ammunition ||- Company's circular is most interesting 16 and instructive, and undoubtedly will be f very useful to the trade, as it deals with |T subjects of interest to purchasers. Apart ft from this, however, some important »£ details are given in the preface, in which |i it is pointed out that the company are * not manufacturers of explosives (cordite, £' gunpowder, etc.), neither do they at § present manufacture brass, cupro nickle, p or ptper, which are the raw materials t vied in the manufacture of ammunition. IT The company intend making a new ff"~ departure in the course of a few months, | when they will make the brass and cupro p- nickle 'required for the manufacture of £ ammunition, as they are now erecting at ■-•• their Federal Ammunition Works in S Australia (which are very much more extensive than their works in New '?■ Zealand) a very large plant for this * purpose ; but the company have no T intention of including the manufacture of ' explosives in their work, as the plant !r would be very costly in proportion to the f small requirements of New Zealand, »' which could be turned out in a few weeks, gC thus leaving the plant and all hands idle g_ for the rest of the year. Ihis might be f obviated if the manufacture of blasting I-'" explosives for mining purposes were \ - increased to a large enough extent to give f employment to the hands when the stock s of cordite re quired fyr the colony had '■? been turned out. Besides its recognition > by the Federal Government of Australia I and the New Zealand Government, the ; Golonwl Ammunition Company is also recognised by the Imperial War OSce as ; an ammunition factory of considerable importance to the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and of New Zealand, and their works both in Aus tralia and New Zealand are every year being enlarged to enable the company to cope with their fast increasing business, and with every emergency as regards the r keeping up of the supply of military ammunition in times of both peace and '' „ war. The company's sporting and mili tary ammunition has made a naraa for itself in both Australia and Mew Zealand for quality and finish, and on many occasioie has put up world's records Quite lately several records have been mads with its sporting ammuni'ion in New Zealand which it would be hard to beat The company have invented some valaible improvements in ammunition, their "biconcave wadding being recom mended to every sportsman. Over 1000 diffetenfr tools are made at the Auckland works for placing in the various machines for ammunition making, which in maßy cases are made to gauge within one half a thousandth of an inch, while the largest limit is 'OOI of an inch. Only specially prepared steel can bo used for tool making, which is procured direct from the steel, manufacturer, who makes a speciality of this tteel in that trade. The ompany have over 200 machines in everyday use at the Auckland works for the manufacture of ammunition. The works cover an area of over three-quarters of an acre, and employ from 130 hands np wards. The general manager of the company for Australia is Major Whitney (John), lately known as Captain Whitney ; while the company's New Zealand manager and attorney is Mr Arthur Cecil Whitney. It is not generally known that each •303 cartridge as used by the volunteer and the New Zealand forces passes through 58 machines at the works in Auckland before it is turned out in the state the volunteers receives it, while each cartridge is handled in the process of manufacture, gauging and examination over 130 times. The ordinary sporting • 12 bore shot cartridge (paper shell), before it reaches the sportsman, passes through 85 operations during process of manufacture. To those who have not visited the works this will give some idea of the extent of the manufacture and work as carried out by the company in Auckland, which deserves great credit for the enterprise, ability, and perseverance displayed in starting and carrying to such a successful point the manufacture of ammunition in New Zealand and Aus tralia, and it is, no doubt, most p'easing and satisfactory to the company to note the support extended to its manufactures by the trade and consumer. It is as well to point out that so far this Company has received practically no protection, for the duty on loaded ammunition imported into New Zealand is Is (id per 100. as against the duty of Is 5d per 100 which the Company has to pay ou powder and shot to load the New Zealand product. The Company, in issuing thctir price list (in which some good views of the works and portions of the . machinery are shown) thank the trade and public for the support given them in the past, and anticipate their kind support and patronage in the future.