MAKING OF MUNITIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15949, 21 June 1915, Page 4

MAKING OF MUNITIONS.

Sir,—ln the report •in Saturday's Herald of the meeting held at. the Technical College on Friday night, when the executive ot the Amalgamated Society of Engineers was present, it would appealthat the suggestion that munitions should be made in New Zealand was taken up in a' very luke-warm .manner. As a matter of fact, I do not remember ever having presided over a meeting where the opinion expressed was more unanimous or where there was greater enthusiasm shown, and in . justice to the members of the Amalgamated' Society, I shall be glad if you will allow me to make a few corrections in the columns of your paper. With reference to the report that the suggestion to obtain from America ; steel 'pressings for making shell cases, and then to despatch them to England, was lit sending coals to Newcastle,. I have to say that Mr. West certainly' asked - the question. I explained, however, that .it was only in the event "of there - being 1 difficulty in either making the pressings J hare or in obtaining them from Australia, and further that we had to remember that one hydraulic machine making pressings was capable of peeping a large number: of lathes going. I pointed out, • too, that, 1 although American workshops were largely engaged in turning out munitions, yet it had i# be remembered; that on account of the war, Germany and England were practically out of .' the market as ; far as supplying machinery was concerned," and that America, in consequence, would be devoting a great deal of her energies: to capturing tho markets of the world previously supplied .by those countries; also, that the ; sending of steel pressings . from' America to be ; made * in ; New Zealand before they were sent Home was no worso than what had 'been;, happening .in the case *of the' Eussian munition supplies, which were ;• made in ' Pennsylvania, • sent across the United . States, shipped over the Pacific, arid then sent by; the TransSiberian ( Railway. , VOn this explanation being given, the opinion oxpres92d that, if Britain required munitions, it was our duty to; try/and help in . the : making of them, 110 matter what the difficulties' were; that had -to bp overcome. Your report also states that, "In th» Calliope Dock and ; in"/ tf& railway workshops there ;was'; ample Machinery to. turn out shell cases if Australia could supply : the. steel." . No such 1 statement' was ever made. The actual statement .was drat, in, addition, to. the large, number of lathes in the private workshops of the Dominion which could readily be adapted for turning out shell ; cases, there, was also, available an excellent plant at the Calliope Dock, in addition to' tho equip-; ment at the various ; Government/railway, shops in the Dominion, and that no doubt these would bo made use of, as wan being done in Australia..' The 'practicability;? of making munitions in New Zealand was never questioned,/ and the " opinion was unanimously "expressed that the engineers of the Dominion ' would co-operate to their utmost -in making the output as large as possible. > / . George George, :

Director .Technical College, Auckland. June 19, 1915. C-T ;<•' "■< /Vv