THE SUPPLY OF SMALLARM AMMUNITION.

Evening Star, Issue 12205, 25 May 1904, Page 6

THE SUPPLY OF SMALLARM AMMUNITION.

[Bx Bull’s-etk.] • I have received several letters calling mj attention to a statement made a few weeki back by the Hon. Mr VVigram at a meetinj regarding the defence of the colony, ii which the speaker said, after expressing excellent opinions regarding the necessity for teaching our volunteers judging distant* and scouting; "He had referred to thi necessity for accumulating stores of ammunition. The main source of ammunirioa here was a factory at Auckland. It wai at one end of the colony, and was very close to the sea. If a raid was made, it would be possible to attack that factory and destroy it. There should be a factory in the South Island, and it should be placed at a distance from the sea, so that it would not be open to the same kind of attack.” W hen making these remarks Mr Wigtun evidently forgot he was suggesting an almost impossible undertaking, even if the enormous capital required to start such a factory was forthcoming. The amount of ammunition used in this colony, though Large in proportion to the population, would never suffice to keep two factories running, and therefore a second one, situated in the South Island, would probably be a mistake. To my mind,' the position of the piesent factory is a most suitable one, and indeed it would be difficult to find a better. The reasons are, briefly; (1) All ammunition factories must be situated in or in close proximity to a large town, because of the employment of labor, a large number of the machine operators being girls or women, who live with their parents within a short distance of th« works. There are onlv about four towns in the colony in which this could be satisfactorily done, and Auckland is one o( them. (2) The enormous expense of carriage of material, which is very weighty. When the question of the site of the Federal Ammunition Factory in Australia was first discussed, it was suggested to plaoe it inland, somewhere between New Sooth Wales and Victoria, but after the matter was gone into by the Federal House of Parliament it was agreed that a factory could not be carried on successfully unless situated close to Melbourne or Sydney, on account of the impossibility of getting the number of hands required, and the great cost of freighting all material overland instead of by water carriage. Eventually the Australian factory, which now employs about 500 hands, was placed within three or four miles of Melbourne, and within two or three miles of the sea, and according to the highest authorities in the Commonwealth in these matters it was the mosi suitable place, as there was water carriage by river to the works. Should Mr Wignun be in. Auckland at any time, it would perhaps be well if he could arrange to visit the Colonial Ammunition Company’s works at Mount Eden, when he would find that the works are not situ* ated close to the sea, being over two toilet and a-half from Queen street- wharf, anfl fully ten miles as tie crow flies from tin outside of the harbor, while hostile ships could not approach within fifteen miles as the_ crow flies of the ammunition works, as if they did they would be within the danger limit of submarine mines and the guns of the fort. Before the ammunition works could b? rendered useless or be captured, Auckland would have to be in the hands of an enemv, and when that day comes it will be a poor chance for New Zealand. I can hardly think Mr Wignun really anticipates such an event, for in that case he would be obliged to admit the forts, submarine mines, and all other means taken'to protect tlw port of Auckland from a foreign foe were useless, and that being the case only an enormous expense and encumbrance to the colony. What applies to the taking of Auckland applies with equal force to any seaport in New Zealand, and if an ammunition factory was situated inland it would not be one whit the safer than it is al present, for if an enemy was strong enough to take Christchurch he would be able to command or lay waste the whole of Canterbury, for the railway would be immediately broken up to prevent volunteers coming from Timaru or Dunedin, or anywhere inland. This also applies to Auckland. Let us look for a moment what i British opinion on this subject is. Woolwich Arsenal, on the 1 hemes, is onlv a iew miles from the sea. with one of the largest navigable rivers in England passing close to its doors. It not only turns out small-arm ammunition, but big guns and ammunition for them—in fad,,“all the requirements necessary for war. Why war this placed in such a situation? Plainly because it was the onlv place suitable owing to water carriage and the employment of labor, combined with the necessary distance from the great City of London. I could mention other instances where war material is made in England, all with water carriage, but space does not permit. While in Auckland a short time ago I made this matter a special study, and came to the conclusion that Auckland was the best defended port in (he colonv, the natural position of the forts helping the defence scheme in every way; in fact, onlv a few mines need to ‘be laid at war time to make it absolutely impregnable, and the Easter manoeuvres have clinched mv opinion, lor they hove shown conclusivelv that two large warships could not Lind enough men to take the town in the face of the volunteers and the forts. Whatever the other ports of the colonv may be, Auckland is up to date in its defences. If instead of advocating the manufacture of ammtmition in (he South Island Mr Wigram had advocated the decentralisation of ammunition stores in New Zealand, ho would achieve a. far greater element of safety, and I am perfectly sure the whole colony would back up this opinion. Depots of. say. 1.000.000 rounds of small-arm ammunition should be established in manv parts of the colony, in places readily accessible for distribution by rail or otherwise. Such depots need not even have a caretaker. They need be known onlv to the district commandant and his adjutant, and the doors could be locked and sealed with the Government seal. T hcv need be opened only twice a year for insjieciion hv order of the Commandant of the Forces' or the Defence Minister. A secure Imildinv, holding 1.000.000 rounds, would ho very inexpensive, and liomg so snia’l. and Hr tie used, would cause ds existence to be overlooked by the public, thereby minimising the risk of an enemy Incoming possessed of even a small quantity of out ammunition supply If ammunition was taken from these stores yearly for use by th- volunteers, a constant fresh supply could he s-nt from Auckland, and the full amount kept • up.—From the ‘Weekly Press' Mav 4 1904.