NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16010, 31 August 1915, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

, USTRALASIAX WOOL CUP.Australasian exports of wool during t i le statistical year ended Juno 30 amounted to 1,575,688 bales from Australia,-:?and 562,014 hales from' Now Zealand, tho former bcinc a decrcaso of 390.888 bales, !ormci t '.', , ~ " „, as compared with preceding year, and g latter an . MM rf 1127 hales. The lrue position, however, is not so bad as theso figures would lead one to suppose, states Dalgcty's annual review, because to arrive at the true production it is neccs|^%Sdd the a.OOOodd bales of wool absorbed by the'woollen mills in AusMia, an ;mount considerably in excess of last rear, whilst it la estimated that thm , rc V e cJogc on 00,000 bales more on hand in Australia than at Juno 30 last. Tho actual production of wool for tho vear in Australia .can be set down at 1.840,683 bales, and in Now Zealand as 580,609 bales, a total for Australasia of 2,421,297 bales, which makes the actual shortage in production, as compared with the previous year, 217,983 bales. Tho 2,421,297 hales produced averaged 329.111) ill weight, so that tho actual wool output of 790,848,8421b, which was produced- from 106.477,132 sheep and lambs, gives tho net return of 71b 7!,0z per head. This is a wonderfully good result, considering the unfavourable seasonal conditions in Australia, and could only have been obtained by the sheep in Now Zealand cutting: bulky ileeces. The past clip, from ft buyer's standpoint, fell far short of its predecessor in growth" and in manufacturing value, being shorter in the staple, thinner, frequently tender and carrying considerably moro dust than usual; the only redeeming features being dryness in condition and, fineness of fibre. The 1,544,799 bales sold in Australia and New Zealand realised £19,742,545. or £6,336.990 less than was obtained for tho 1,968,578 bales sold in these markets during the preceding year. The average value for all tho wool sold in Australasia has been £22 15s 7d per bale, so that, taking the total production as 2,121,297 bales, it will he seen that the value of the past year's wool clip was £30,942,158, which compares with £32,001,324, the record which was established in 1913-14. Tbo extremely high

rates of freight, exchange and insurance which have ruled throughout tho year

have been all against the producer

THE LACK OF MUNITIONS

"Opening his mouth in public for tho first time since lie ceased to be a Minister, Lord HaKdane disclosed the secret of the

falling away, of the supply of munitions that has exercised, a malign influence on the coursQ of the war, and is responsible for the unnecessary loss of the lives of tens of thousands of gallant men," writes Sir Henry Lucy in the Sydney Morning Herald. '"The assuming its accuracy, Mr. Lloyd George describes it as incomplete—is as effective as-it is deplorable. Last Octobe.-, the ex-Lord. Chancellor said, a committee—doubtless the Imperial Defence Committee—had its attention drawn to the urgent necessity of increasing the supply _of munitions. Among other Cabinet .Ministers, including himself, there were present at the conference Lord Kitchener, Mr. Lloyd George, Mr. Winston Churchill and Mr. McKenna. Asa, result of their deliberations the great .munition manufacturers of the country were summoned to the War Office. Large orders were placed with them, which, had' they been carried out, would have established this country on a level footing with the enemy, in the matter of munitions. The manufacturers, impressed with the urgency of the case, pledged themselves to deliver the goods, and went their way intent on tho business. Straightaway arose difficulties between labour and capital. Strikes were organised. Trade was paralysed. The forces at the front wore left insufficiently supplied, and tho country was landed in a perilous condition, the grim actuality of which is only just now beginning to be realised. It will take some weeks to make up the leeway tost by deplorable tactics that would not have been permitted to prevail for a week in Franco or half an hour in Germany. There is rio doubt that if Germany intends to.make desperate endeavour to break through the lino of allies now or never is the opportunity. Every week pees a strengthening of tho allied forces. Night, after night reinforcements from England, cross tho quiet, safely-guarded ■~bani><°!. Increase rapidly expanding in '.uo supply of munitions will forthwith make itself felt." •,'

• GERMAN QUICK-FIRING GUNS. Germany adopted the quick-firing gun in 1905, after having carried out trials as unsuccessful as they vera costly "with "accelerated firing" field guns; these are iho German field guns of 1390. Tho pre-sent-day German field guns, which are styled " 1896, new pattern," are, tho guns of 1896 transformed. : Tlio German guntuho of 1896, provided with a rapidacting breech-piece, '• has now been fitted on a slide arranged to recoil in a device called a' cradle-brake; l ".The/carriage, is fitted with sufficiently extensive shields to protect the gunners during, firing. The instruments for taking aim are numerous and of - an improved typo,' prominent among which is a Goerz panoramic sight. Each battery has an observation waggon, which carries tho' optical instruments and telephone equipment. Tlio ammunition is that of tiio 1896 gun, in complete cartridges these being fitted with a shrapnel or with a high explosive shell (Granite), of tho uniform weight of 6.850 kg. (15.11b) fired at» a ' (nuzzle velocity of 465-m. (1525 ft) per. second. Tho German field-gun is, according to Major .I'errus, a tolerably good gun, but it fires less rapidly and •is loss powerful than tho French 75-min. gun. - The latter lias many 'features which render it much superior to tho Gorman gun. Tho projectiles fired by tho German gun. and notably the highexplosive shell, are inferior to the French. Besides tho 1896 gun. tho German ; army has a light 105-mm. (4.134 in) field howitzer, of tho 1898-1909 pattern, which has practically tho same mobility as tho German field-gun. Tho present howitzer is tlio result of ' tho transformation of tho 1098 "accelerated-firing" "howitzer, and has the sanio characteristic features as tiio transformed 1896 Ik Id-gun, It fires ft projectilo weighing 14 kg. (30.81W, which can .act by percussion or by time-fuse firing. It contains both balls and a high explosive charge. Tho gun charge, formed of nitre-cellulose and liitro-glyccrino powder, gives tho projectilo a maximum muzzle velocity of 300-m. (984 ft) per second.' Tho Austrian 8-cm. (3.150 in) field-gun, pattern 1905, is similar to, but slightly more powerful than, tho Gorman -gun. Iho tube is niado of " forged bronze, ' and.it is doubtful "whether this metal can withstand as well as the steel of tlio I'reuch and German guns tho continuous firing of tho present war. The Austrian 10-cm. (3.937 in) field howitzer calls for no special remark. On ' tho other hand, the Austrian artillery has a 10,-em. quick-firing mountain howitzer which is an interesting s weapon, firing a projectile weighing slightly over 14 kg. (over 30.81b).,