MANUFACTURE OF MUNITIONS

Southland Times, Issue 17658, 16 February 1916, Page 6

MANUFACTURE OF MUNITIONS

NOT TO BE. UNDERTAKEN IN NEW ZEALAND. MECHANICS BETTER EMPLOYED OTHERWISE(Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, February 15. The Munitions Alinister states that the staff of the Addington Railway Workshops have been recently engaged on an experimental batch of eighteenpounder higl\ explosive shell bodies under the supervision of Professor R. J. Scott, Canterbury College, chairman of the Alunitions Committee. Though the shell bodies have been successful}- turned out true to War Office specifications, Cabinet has decided that New Zealand can be of greater service in regard to supplying food for soldiers at the front, and that the limited number of mechanics available should be retained on operations in connection with freezing works, dairying, etc. It is further pointed out that the manufacture of shells here would moan that the railway department would have to set aside important work, such as the building of locomotives. The shells already manufactured will be used for local purposes. Some time ago a machine gun was successfully turned out by the Petone railway workshops and the suggestion was made that a number of these guns should be manufactured for New Zealand troops. This idea has also been discarded.