HOW TO HELP.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 566, 2 December 1915, Page 11

HOW TO HELP.

' MAKE PULL JHROUGHS.

MR C. H. HEWLETT'S SCHEME

200 WORKERS WANTED.

We have received the following interesting communication from Mr €. H. Hewlett:— "Some time ago I mentioned to the Minister of Munitions that a great many people who could not go to the war were most anxious to do something to assist in the manufacture of mimitions, and would be willing to give their services free of an evening in | manufacturing military equipment that at the^ present time was Leing imported from England, thus setting free the men in those industries in England and enabling them to work under skilled workers in ammunition factories. Among the many -things I pull throughs, one of which has to be attached to every rifle, . and which wears out in a few months at the front. If rifles are ailowed to cool "with the cordite fouling in, and are used afterwards without cleaning, the rifle is apt to nickel up, and very soon shoots inaccurately. Al SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT. "The Hon. A. M. Myers, Minister of Munitions, gave instructions that 1000 pull throughs should be made lis an experiment. With the assistance of about 12 men and women, ' nonte of whom had had any previous experience, the pull throughs were manufactured, and a number sent up to Wellington and passed as satisfactory. ' '. - theri' suggested to the Minister of ilunitidns that I thought I could get-enough men in Christchurch to giveithieir.jSpaire time to; manufacture sufficient pull throughs to supply the wh6le of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces.' The Minister of Munitions instructed me, through the local Defence office, to manufacture 30,1()00 as a start, the. Government supplying the raw material. The first lot of cord, which is: being manufactured in New Zealand, has now been delivered, and a start was made on Monday , night. : j * r, EXPERTS HELPING, *

'"I have arranged first of all to train 20 men; in splicing, and several experts in this work are giving their assistance as instructors. "'"When the 20 men.; are trained, .which will take about, a week, they in turn will tegch others,. and so on, until about 200 men have been trained. When a inari becomes proficient, a certain amount-of-work will'be given to him to -take home, and I aim asking every man to work one hour,each evening at Tiome. The men will he divided up" into sections of 10 tinder a foreman.

'•Altogether 32 miles; of cord will bemused, and about a mile, and a-half of /brass tubing. The tubing has to be cut into 3in lengths and drilled. Several mechanics have; oftered their services fpr this. work. Besides the splicing of the cord/and the cutting and drilling of the brass tubes, several men will be required for cutting the cord; into proper lengths, cutting out gauze, and for attaching the gauze and brass work to the cords. . THE CLASSES. "In all, I estimate that 200 will be required, and should be glad to receive the names of those willing to assist at my business , address:— "Care of the Canterbury (N.Z.) Seed Co., Ltd, 206-208 Gashel Street, Christchurch. "The instruction class commenced on Monday night, and will continue each evening under competent instructors. As a great many men regret that they are unable to go to the front, but have expressed willingness to assist in some way, this would be a good opportunity for them to help. » h f\Vhat I Wish to impress on the public is this fact: that we should not ask the people in England to equip our troops. We should do it ourselves. The peoplfe in England have enough to do. The method of letting the men ,take, a certain amount of work home, such as splicing, gauze and brass attaching, allows each man to spend the maximum of time at the actual work, without having to jouiiney to and from the workshop." /.