MUNITION-MAKING.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLII, Issue 91, 23 May 1916, Page 3

MUNITION-MAKING.

FRANCE'S I'KtJmr SYSTEM, Senator Police (Australian Mhiistef lor Defence) has received copies .of the report by the minion anointed l>\i tho D-rector-Genera] of Recruiting i'oi Munitions Work on the output of munitions in France. The mission visited 23 establishments engaged in munition making endeavoring to ascertain what circumstances had led up to the (jreatJ.V increased production of munitions in the country. Tfireo factore, the report states, appear to have contributed to this increase—(a) increasing intensity of production, (b) erection and equipment. of new factories and extension of existing factories, and (c) adaptation of exibting factories to the manufacture of munitions. The new factories have been built b,v private enterprise. and the Government lias not ,subsidised any. nor havy loans of any kind been made to owners. A feature of tin- l''rcnch system is the I'ohterinji ol tin' small producer for machine operations working under Mibcontract. Jn nraeticalh all cases women have been introduced since the commencement of the war. being drawn from all kinds of occupations. No applications for general advance* m wages Tiave been made by the workpeople since the commencement of the war. In most cases women work the same hours as the men. and the production on night shift appears to equal that on day shift, and in some eases, the mission adds, it is better .owing to there being less interruption at night.