MUNITIONS OF WAR

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 87, 11 October 1915, Page 8

MUNITIONS OF WAR

POSITION IN NEW ZEALAND. Mr. J. Payne asked the Minister for Munitions (Hon. A. M. Myers), in the House of Representatives this afternoon, if he would make a statement concerning the possibilities of manufacturing munitions, and what the Department had done. The Minister replied that, although he had not made any statement for some time, a good deal had been done in regard to the obtaining of the necessary information as to whether it was prac. ticable and feasible to manufacture munitions in New Zealand. He referred to the recent conference of engineers which had appointed a committee to deal with the matter. This committee had now presented its report and made it quite clear that the all-important question was one as to whether it was possible to obtain the necessary material. He had communicated with Australia and had ascertained that the material — steel chiefly — was obtainable there. He had also obtained information from the various engineering firms as to what machinery was available. The replies were most satisfactory, and nearly all the. firms had offered to place their machinery at the disposal of the Department. ' When he received full information from Australia regarding the manufacture of shell ammunition, he would call the committee together again and go into the matter. Hon. members could be assured that this question of munition manufacture was receiving full attention, and as soon as lite obtained the required information it would be submitted to Cabinet

Writing from No. 17 General Hospital, "Victoria, Alexandria, Bert Taylor (eldest son of Mr. E. T. Taylor, Court enayplace, Wellington) driver and fitter, who went away with the Field 'Artillery in the Main Body, states that he has not been wounded. Instead, he has gone completely deaf in the left ear. Otherwise, he is keeping all right. "I am being well treated here," he says; "we have plenty to eat and drink>— one chicken every day for dinner. There is plenty of fruit, lemonade, biscuits, cocoa, and tobacco." He mentions that his brother Horace is keeping well. The many friends of Capt. A. J. Cross — formerly a master at Wellington College — will regret to hear that after three months in the trenches he is down with enteric. At the time of writing (27th August) Capt. Cross was in the 21st General Hospital, Alexandria, but he expected shortly to be sent to England to convalesce. This will take two or three months. The death occurred at the Lahmann Health Home, Miramar, on Saturday, of Mrs. Anabella Lancaster, wife of Mr. Arthur Lancaster, sheepfarmer, of Palmerston North. Mrs. Lancaster had been under treatment at the home, and death is the result of poisoning. An inquest will be held. Messrs. Blake and Co. will sell to-mor-row at their mart, 53, Lower Cuba-street, at 2 p.m., furniture and household linen. The second annual meeting of the Land Agents' and Auctioneers' Association will be held on Thursday evening next.