THE MANUFACTURE OF SHELLS.
rTo Tel EDITOR 07 eve ••8rrcaroa."] SIR,—The public appeal now being made for an enormous increase in the production of munitions of war is so far directed to the patriotic sentiments of employer. and employed, but it is to employers in the first instance that these appeals must come. Generally speaking, workmen are little what type of work they are engaged upon, and so long as they put their best energies into the work given them, no more can be expected of them. It is for employers to deter- mine whether or not they will co-operate in the manufacture of shells, and here something else is necessary besides appeals to patriotic sentiments. There are thousands of firms in this country engaged in the engineering and metal trades willing to give assistance in this work, whose patriotism is already aroused, and who are only awaiting the opportunity of getting to business. If these awakened consciences do not speedily
lead on to action, they will slumber again and sleep the sleep of death.
What is lacking is not patriotism, but technical knowledge and experience in the art of shell-making. The greater number of these firms are equipped with the ordinary facilities of a mechanic's workshop, but they are quite conscious that in the science of 'hell-making they are completely and hopelessly cutclassed by a limited number of big firms, who for a long time have specialized in this work, and have perfected methods and processes by which they are enabled to turn out shell', both as regards quality and price, altogether beyond the possibilities of the average manufacturer.
A shell is not a "rough-and-tumble" piece of mechanism that could be turned out of the average workshop at a week's notice. It is a very correct piece of workmanship that requires absolute agreement with an unvarying standard of precision, both as regards material and workmanship, and a manufacturer without previous experience in shell-making and equipped only with ordinary workshop facilities might grope in the dark for weeks before turning out any appre- ciable quantity of satisfactory work, with the certainty that if his products fail to pass War Office tests they will be returned on his hands to his own serious lose. True, the War Office have deposited at various manufacturing centres shells in various stages of development for inspection by intending contractors, and possibly in the opinion of the War Office this ought to be sufficient for the purposes of instruction. But is it, even when supplemented by the scanty information imparted by the official in charge P Possibly it is sufficient for some intending contractors of broad general experience.
It is easy to denounce all others as being antiquated and incompetent firms, but as they can be numbered by the thousand would it not be a wiser policy to educate them rather than ignore them P Surely we should be by this time convinced of the dangers of relying on the favoured few for the wholesale supply of munitions. The Government claim full power to commandeer the workshops in the country, also the machinery and the men if necessary. Why should they not then commandeer the knowledge of the whole range of processes involved in shell-making from start to finish, and, by means of printed sheets of drawings and specifications, place this knowledge at the disposal of any intending con- tractors. It is not sufficient to submit drawings of the finiebed articles. These are already accessible. The draw- ings required should adequately describe the evolution of the shell through its various stages in correct order. This would be particularly necessary in regard to forging the body of the shell from the original steel ingot. A variety of methods arc possible in this case, but there can only be one best method, and a correct knowledge of the accepted standard method both in this and other departments of the work would enable manufacturers to undertake the some with confidence, without which the very wholesome dread of burn- ing their fingers is probably a serious deterrent. It is not likely that the favoured few who are in full swing at shell- making would readily give away the results of dearly bought experience, but this again is a matter for the Government, and, in so for as patent rights exist for special processes, the Government should be prepared to compromise the matter with the patentees. In a word, the demand for more shells is so imperative and urgent that the country cannot afford to wait while prospective contractors learn the busi- ness, when it is in the power of the Government to supply all necessary information at the onset.
The work of distributing and collecting shells in progress among the various firms employed could be dealt with by the railway companies through their ordinary channels, acting of course under War Office directions. If the Government can thus supplement their appeals to patriotic sentiments by giving such practical assistance as is here intimated, the country could soon get to business—I am, Sir, Arc., [On two points we cannot agree with our correspondent's able letter. In our experience, working men care a great deal about the kind of work they are engaged on. Next, it is a mistake to suppose that there area few firms specially favoured by the War Office. The list of contractors to the Department is of colossal dimensions. Mr. Bmmpton's demand for more light from the Government is most sound, and should be acted upon without delay.—En. Spectator.]
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