CANADA'S EFFORT

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 107, 1 November 1941, Page 11

CANADA'S EFFORT

MILLS AT FULL BLAST

TEXTILE INDUSTRY'S WORK

VARIETY OF PRODUCTS

Some idea of Canada's war effort and what her textile mills are producing in the urgent task of supplying clothing and other accessories for men of the Empire's fighting forces is given in a letter received recently by a New Zea» land firm from its principals in Montreal. In 14 humming cotton mills spread throughout the Quebec Province nearly 17,000 employees are turning their skill to the speedy and efficient manufacture of equipment, not only for Canada's armed, forces, but for Empire soldiers in Britain, South Africa, India, and Australia.

Drill for battle dress; duck for tents, kit bags, gun covers, and bandoliers; tarpaulins for the trucks of the mechanised units; tyre fabrics for the motorised division; camouflage cloth and netting; parachute attachments, and even humble shoe treads—these and other items must be rushed out in staggering quantities to outfit the growing ranks of the armies that march against Hitler. Since the outbreak of the war the mills have delivered countless miles of various fabrics and yarns.

Manufacturing and technical experts of the industry have worked closely with the Department of Munitions and Supply and the Department of National Research in developing and producing types of yarn and fabrics called for by modern warfare, but the huge Government contracts, the letter points out, are not as pleasant orders as the layman might consider them. War calls for no delays, so mills must work full blast to fill these vitally necessary orders at prices yielding only the small margin of profit permitted by Government policy in such matters. Seen in this light, the production of war materials in a task —a tremendous one.

MILLIONS OF YARDS.

The seven plants of one company are turning out a variety of material. Duck in all sizes and weights for a multitude of purposes, yarns for web equipment, fabric for ground sheets, and various kinds of drill, woollens, and duck for uniforms and clothing are being shipped to all parts of the Empire. Since the outbreak of the war it is estimated the company has provided 1,500,000 yards of tent duck for Canada^ 4,100,000 yards of kit-bag duck, 90 per cent, of which has been shipped to Britain; 1,500,000 yards of duck for bandoliers; half a million yards of duck for uniform pockets and linings, and 300,000 yards for white naval uniforms; 600,000 yards of a special drill ordered by Ehgland; 1,500,000 yards of drill for Canadian uniform pockets and linings;' 650,000 yards of woollen shirtipg; 1,800,000 pounds of yarn for webbing for the Canadian forces, and 4,500,000 lb of similar yarn for England; over 1,000,000 yards of ground sheet fabric; 60,000 yards of silk waste fabric for powder bags; 750,000 towels; 1,000,000 yards of sheeting, 40 per cent, of which has been for the British Admiralty; 9,000,000 yards of drill for men, which, at about eight yards per uniform, would total well over a million uniforms; 2,000,000 yards of drill for officers' uniforms, and 800,000 yards of drill shirting; while miscellaneous war materials, mainly for Canada, total to date about 2,000,000 yards.

Another mill has to date turned out 50,000 yards of gas mask cloth, the long strips being cut into circular sections and fitted into the masks to act as a disinfecting piece. Here, too, is made the original fabric for camouflaged anti-gas cloth, over 5,000,000 yards of this material having already been turned out. Aircraft • fabrics are being made at the rate of 10,000 yards a week.

TYRE FABRIC AND CAMOUFLAGE

NETS.

From another plant has already come over 11,000,0001b of the special cord fabric required in the tyres of the mechanised units' trucks, cars, motorcycles, and other rolling-stock, and tarpaulin covers for guns have been made at the rate of 500,0001b a year.

Huge camouflage nets are made in one plant. Some of these weatherproofed nets, under which artillery pieces hide from sky raiders, are dyed brown, some green, and some with a staggered pattern of both colours. Mounted on posts and flecked with branches and twigs, these nets, in sizes varying from 7 by 14 feet to 35 by 35 feet, throw a confusing shadow pattern on the ground, obscuring the military unit beneath. These nets have a wide use in modern, warfare.

Less inspiring, perhaps, but equally essential, are some of the other items produced.. Amongst these is thread for shoes, cobblers' equipment for stitching up tough Army boots. Over 100,000. lb of this has already been produced. Then, too, fire hose is made in large quantities—a very essential thing in these days of raids.

MONETARY CONTRIBUTION.

All this is only part of the textile industry's contribution to Canada's war effort. Financially, directly and indirectly, the industry's contribution is very large. Over 11,000 out of 14,000 employees buy war saving certificates regularly. Wages paid by one company have risen from four to seven million-dollars a year, and taxes from a quarter of a million to over four million dollars a year.

Canada's textile industry went into action on the first day of the war and every succeeding month has seen its effort increased. The industry has been able to look after its production facilities without having to depend on the Federal Treasury for aid in plant expansion, as has been the case with so many other industries. Hard pressed with providing vital war necessities, the industry has, nevertheless, maintained civilian service at a maximum.

an average of about £3000 a month in New Zealand currency. For seven months, from March to the end of September, the expenditure involved was over £21,000 N.Z-