MUNITIONS OF WAR

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 146, 22 June 1915, Page 4

MUNITIONS OF WAR

MANUFACTURE IN NEW ZEALAND The question of whether or not munitions of war can be manufactured in New Zealand was briefly but pointedly discussed at the meeting of the committee of the Wellington Provincial Industrial Association " last night. Tho Secretary (Mr. H. F. Allen) said he had communicated with Mr. W. Cable on the subject. Mr. Cable suggested that it would bo well if ironfounders received samples of_ shells so that they might form an opinion as to whether they could be manufactured in the Dominion. Mr. J. B. Laurenson, president of the Canterbury Industrial Association, who was o_n # a visit, said that until we are in a position to turn out our own iron and steel it would bo useless for us to endeavour to manufacture munitions of war. At the present time it would b6 unreasonable to put the Government to the trouble of sending for samples. "Wo have not got the material, and we have not got the lathes," ho said. "The Harvester Company of Canada got an order ; they were going to turn out 2000 shells a week. We could not turn out twenty in New Zealand. I have made enquiries into this matter, and this is the result." Mr. T. Bollinger said that when in Auckland a few days ago ho mot the president of the Auckland Association, who had come from a conference between the Chamber of Commerce and the Industrial Association and the Technical School Direotor They had discussed the question, aud had come to the conclusion that it was not possible to do anything in New Zealand. The Chairman (Mr. C. B. Norwood) said it seemed that there was little use pursuing the subject. Without the raw material it was quite impossible to do anything that would be of any value. The subject was then dropped.