MUNITIONS SUPPLY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 39, 15 February 1941, Page 9

MUNITIONS SUPPLY

A PRESSING NEED

MR. SULLIVAN'S APPEAL;

UNITY OF EFFORT

(By \ Telegraph—Press Association.)

CHRTSTCHURCH, February 14,

An appeal to every manufacturer and artisan to pull together and put every ounce of their energy into their work

■was made by the Minister of Supply '•{Mr. Sullivan) in an address at a fcocial heid in his honour tonight by [the. Linwood branch of the Labour. (Party. "I know I shall not appeal in

ivaiii," he said. "This is no time for 'airing, petty grievances or clamouring for the moon when we do not know ithe day or hour when we may be beset liby the danger now threatening from ..without. .. Notwithstanding the difficulties that confront us, we can accomplish much and thereby give an adequate account of ourselves should the '.need arise." ; . 1 Mr.. Sullivan dealt at considerable flength with the work of 'supply and {munitions on which his energies were mow chiefly centred.. "An earnest ieffort," said the Minister, "is being [made.in this country to equip ourselves with adequate defence, and [world conditions have necessitated a ; programme of munitions manufacture fin which our secondary industries are 'privileged to play a very important j'jpart." . t ] \ NUMEROUS CONTRACTS LET. j I. In many quarters there had been no preal appreciation of what domestic pro- j [duction could, achieve, but he was happy to say that after a great deal ' of organisation and careful planning some 130 contracts had been let for the] 1 manufacture of grenades, bombs of various kinds, mortars, universal carriers, tanks, armoured cars, .303 ammunition, and a thousand and one of the miscellaneous articles required for the three branches of the armed Services. The basis, of the programme was, -of course, ■ the heavy engineering establishments of the railway workshops, where a magnificent effort had been made in providing other engineering works with inspection gauges, drills, chucks, and a variety of ancillary, equipment to enable contracts to be: not only speeded up, but also car;tried out with great precision on mass | : production "I have just visited southern: engineering works in various, centres," said Mr. Sullivan, "and ' I am very •gratified with^he^progress I have, witnessed; All concerned.are entering on /their tasks with great enthusiasm, 1 realising- the vital nature of the work • in] maintaining our national welfare. It „. gives one a sense of greater security rJiwnen one sees the. excellence of''the "job', being done; Batteries' of. lathes aridvdrilling and grinding gears have been brought together to eliable the advantages. of mass production \to> be secured^; Isut greater, and still greater effort is" required. • "We need the earnest co-operation, of every employer and worker in the' land, and I am sure we are now get~ ting it. A large meeting of railwaymen pledged to me their assistance in every passible way, and I know from my experience of them, from the things they have already done, that they mean what they say and that they will do their utmost to advance the; common cause."