ARMS FOR THE NATION

Southland Times, Issue 16785, 13 July 1911, Page 2

ARMS FOR THE NATION

BIBLEB BEADY THIS YEAB. SYDNEY, July 4. Engineer-Captain Clarkson, of the Commonwealth Naval Board, who has been acting as manager of the small , arms factory at Lithgow, and lias made j all arrangements in connection with tiie | ordering of machinery, visited Lithgow j yesterday. Captain Clarkson stated that | a splendid job had been made of the factory. The machinery would be here in a few weeks’ time. "We shall be turning out rifles certainly before the end of the year,” lie added. "We will put on permanent hands' after we get the machines placed and fitted. A majority of the men we will require will be unskilled, and we want them young, to teach them. The majority of the machines will be almost automatic.” Captain Clarkson said the rllle to be manufactured at the factory would he the Lee-Entield, and that the capacity of the plant would be 50.000 rilles a year, but it could be increased if necessary. Not more than 300 persons v ill bo employed altogether, lie was of opinion that shell factories and building of big ordnance wore sure to come, though sites for these had not been determined.